Artist Eligibility
- All pastel artists 18 years or older
- By submitting their application, each submitting artist attests to full copyright ownership of the entered works
Exhibit Rules
Eligible works:
- All paintings must be at least 80% soft pastels only (no oil pastels)
- Only original pastel work(s) created directly by the submitting artist is eligible
- Painting(s) must have been completed within the last three years (no work done earlier than November 11, 2023, is allowed)
- Painting must be identical to the submitted image
- There are no size restrictions on actual artwork
- All artwork images will remain on display until the close of the show
- The artist retains copyright to his/her image(s), however, by submitting to this show, the artist consents to PSSC's use of the images for publicity (including future PSSC event promotion) and archival purposes.
- All subjects and styles are eligible, from traditional to contemporary, but PSSC reserves the right to exclude any artwork deemed unsuitable or in violation of US laws.
- The PSSC Board of Directors, Exhibition Chairperson (s) and/or committee members have the right to reject any work deemed inappropriate or in violation of any rule stated herein
- There are no exceptions to the deadlines, artwork specifications or rules contained herein
No eligibility for:
- Any work that has won an award in another national or international pastel exhibition
- Any work previously entered in a JUDGED PSSC show that has won an award (including Honorable Mention) is NOT eligible
- Any work copied from other artists or based on published images by other artists or photographers and work may not be created on top of a photographic image.
- Any paintings done in a class or school, online demos, “follow along” or YouTube videos, online courses, school-monitored studio, workshops, under instructor supervision or copied from published photographs or photographs made by someone other than the artist or painted over mechanical reproductions are ineligible
- Only visual fine arts in the form of paintings and drawings are acceptable for this exhibition. Decorative, computer generated, or any other electronically assisted works are not acceptable
- Works created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) software are NOT ELIGIBLE and will be disqualified.
Jurying/Judging
- Lyn Asselta, lynasselta.com
Lyn Asselta will act as both Juror of Selection to curate this exhibition, and also as Judge of Awards
Involved in fine art and fine craft for over 30 years, her extensive background has included titles such as elementary school art teacher, draftsman, calligrapher, workshop instructor, and creator of award-winning fine-art gourd vessels. However, at one point, she opened an old box of Grumbacher pastels and never looked back.
An ever-changing life prompted her to sit down and evaluate what really inspired her creativity and made her wonder what she would still like to say to the world. While pondering this question, she discovered that the majority of her memories revolved around places…and how she had felt in those places. Images of fields of Queen Anne's Lace and old farmhouses on hills, waves crashing against rock and fog obscuring shorelines, the sun setting over golden marshes and silhouetting ancient oaks, mist on the distant hills in the morning...these were the images that lived in her memory and that carried a sense of timelessness and endless possibilities.
Having had the good fortune to live in places that offered up amazing scenery: from the salt marshes and waterways of Florida, to the Smoky Mountains of the Carolinas, to the rock-bound coast of Maine, Lyn realized that her life's one common thread was her fascination with the landscape. She has always found herself drawn to locations that have a rugged, solitary strength, places with untold stories, and places where she feels able to lose herself in the nature that surrounds her.
Pastel, as a medium, seems to be a perfect metaphor for her relationship to these landscapes... vibrant, expressive, exuberant and tactile; pastel allows Lyn to hold a piece of color in her hand and to capture the essence of the wild, untouched beauty she finds in the world.
Lyn is a Pastel Society of America Master Pastelist, an International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) Eminent Pastelist, and a member of the Salmagundi Club of New York City. She is the founder and past president of the First Coast Pastel Society (FL) and is a Southeastern Pastel Society Master Pastelist.
Her award winning paintings have appeared in shows and exhibitions throughout the United States, and in invitational exhibitions in France and China. Lyn has had the honor of being an Artist in Residence for the National Park Service at Acadia National Park in Maine. Her work has been featured in several books on the pastel medium, as well as in Pastel Journal magazine, Pratique des Arts magazine, and Plein Air magazine.
In 2018, Lyn published her first book, Seeing the Landscape, a collection of her paintings and prose. Lyn has traveled extensively to teach both studio and plein air pastel landscape workshops and she is the author of Saturdays at the Cove, a weekly newsletter on life and art, that she writes and publishes from her studio each Saturday morning.
Now living in a small village in midcoast Maine after 35 years in Florida, Lyn is inspired daily by new landscapes and changes of season.
Her work is represented by Gleason Fine Art Gallery in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Cutter & Cutter Fine Art, St. Augustine, FL, and The Lucy Clark Gallery in Brevard, NC. She is a Unison Colour Associate Artist, representing Unison handmade pastels. Lyn also has developed four signature pastel sets for Jack Richeson & Company, which can be purchased through links available on this website. Asselta is currently working on a new book based on excerpts from her weekly newsletter.
Entry Fees
- Each submitting artist will be allowed up to five (5) entries
- PSSC Members: $40.00 for the first two entries, $10.00 for any additional entries with a limit of five per artist
- Non-Members: $50.00 for the first two entries, $10.00 for any additional entries with a limit of five per artist.
- A maximum of 2 paintings per artist may be juried into the show.
- PSSC members in good standing who have paid 2026 dues in full are eligible for the members’ entry fee rate. To join, please go to the PSSC Membership page and pay your membership dues prior to submitting your application to this exhibit.
- All other entrants must pay the non-member entry fee rate
- All entry submissions and entry fee payments are through ShowSubmit.com only
- All related fees (e.g., member dues, entry fees, etc.) are non-refundable, whether or not work is accepted into and/or presented for exhibition.
- Entry fees and the current year’s dues must be received prior to the show entry deadline, or the application will not be deemed complete.
- Each artist is solely responsible for completing application through the Showsubmit.com system and only completed applications with fully paid fees will be considered for jurying.
Online Entry
- When entering online with ShowSubmit for the first time, you will need to register and create an account. Record your password because you will reuse it for all future shows overseen by ShowSubmit
- ShowSubmit offers a step-by-step Entry Guide for new users, as well as a Support Center and FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section
- When filling out your artwork information for this show, please take care to be sure all information is correct – spelling, title, pricing of artwork
- All information is input by the submitting artist and is used AS IS by PSSC for reference, printed material, and online postings.
- Changes and additions can be made until the entry deadline of Wednesday, November 11, 2026
- To complete your entry process, payment must be made using a valid credit card
- All entries must be paid for by the entry deadline or your entry process is not complete
- Once the deadline passes, you cannot make any further changes to your entries.
Sale of Artwork
- No commission will be taken if work is sold during the exhibit
- Potential buyers will be instructed to contact the artist directly concerning sales.
- All buyers will be directed to the Artist’s website (email); please make sure you have accurate information
- The Artist is solely responsible for shipping any work sold to the buyer
- Artwork can be NFS (not for sale).
Awards Ceremony & Exhibit Opening
A virtual reception will be held via Zoom on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 1:00 pm= 2:00 pm Eastern Time. The awards will be announced and presented at the reception by Judge Lyn Asselta and PSSC President Joan Dromey.
Awards
- Best in Show - $1000 or a sponsor-provided prize of equal or greater value.
- 1st - $500 or a prize of equal or greater value provided by one of our sponsors.
- 2nd - $300 or a prize of equal or greater value provided by one of our sponsors.
- 3rd - $200 or a prize of equal or greater value provided by one of our sponsors.
- The Michael Uricchio Memorial Award - $200 or a prize of equal or greater value provided by one of our sponsors.
- Up to 3 Awards of Excellence will be awarded cash and/or merchandise.
Liability
All entries will be made at the risk of the entrant. PSSC is not responsible for misrepresentation of artwork during the show or subsequently. The artist is solely responsible for submitting image(s) and information that represent the artwork submitted.
By submitting this application, the Artist is agreeing to these terms.
Special Note
Any violation of the prospectus/exhibition rules/guidelines will result in the removal of the artwork from the exhibition, loss of any award, ribbon and awarded Signature Points (if applicable), loss of entry fees, and suspension from entering the next two juried and/or judged exhibitions/shows. The Exhibition Committee is empowered to accept or reject pieces. Any subsequent challenge will go to the PSSC Board for a final decision.
Image and Filename Specifications
- File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
- Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
- Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
- Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
- File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
- File Size: There is a 30MB maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.
Additional Entry Information
- You will pay for your entry by credit or debit card using our secure checkout system.
- After your entry is submitted and paid for, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (November 11, 2026.)
- Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline.
- Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
Notifications Are Posted in Your Account
Results will be posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on November 20, 2026. You will also receive an email.
Log in and check your account. We are unable to answer individual inquiries about results.
Support
Questions about this exhibition?
Contact ([email protected]) for questions about the prospectus, PSSC, eligibility, artwork requirements, sales, etc.
Need help with ShowSubmit?
Visit our Help Center or Entry Guide for guidance on image uploads, payments, and managing your entry. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We respond Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Eastern.