Pastel Society of the West Coast
Pastel Society of the West Coast

Out of Bounds!

Inaugural National Open Exhibition April 3 – May 12, 2025 Art Center Morro Bay, Morro Bay, CA
Deadline is February 27th. Open to Members and Non-Members.
This Irish Land (Soft Pastel, Encaustic, & Oil Pastel) by Kelly Milukas
This Irish Land (Soft Pastel, Encaustic, & Oil Pastel) by Kelly Milukas
Open Calls

Opens January 24, 2025.

Open for entry on January 24, 2025.
Deadline for entry: February 27, 2025
Mixed Media only: Artwork must be a maximum of 50% (30% minimum) pastel to be combined with one or more other mediums.

Out of Bounds! is the first open juried exhibition offered by the Pastel Society of the West Coast of works in pastel (and other mediums) going beyond the traditional use of the pastel medium. Breaking the 80% rule for traditional pastel exhibits, this competition is one that requires the entries to be at a maximum of 50% (30% minimum) pastel to be combined with one or more other mediums creating two dimensional works of art. If you are an artist who relishes in experimental art and thinking in terms outside of the usual boundaries of pastel competitions, this show should be a consideration for you to enter. Pastel must be visible in/on the final surface but also including other visible mediums. If your desire is to frame work without glass or acrylic (plexiglass), the surface must be “fixed” so no pastel can be removed from the surface. PSWC is happy to be able to offer this unique exhibit at this beautiful venue in Morro Bay CA, at the lovely Art Center Morro Bay.

Awards

Awards are all cash prizes for Best in Show, First, Second, Third place and Honorable Mentions.

Awards will be announced on Facebook, YouTube, on the PSWC website, and through email to all PSWC members.

There will be an awards reception at Art Center Morro Bay on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 4:00pm with our esteemed Judge, Tony Allain.

Entry Fees

  • $50 for up to 3 paintings, each additional painting is $10 up to 5 paintings for $70.
  • Entry fee does not include your cost for shipping and handling of accepted works
  • Entry fees are not refundable. Overpayments will go to the PSWC Scholarship Fund.
  • One or two entries per artist may be accepted in the exhibit depending on total number of entries submitted. There is not a guarantee for any work of an artist to be accepted.
  • Submissions will include a description of the materials used, substrate, and any unique process used in the creation of the art.

Eligibility

  • Open to artists over the age of 18.
  • 30-50% of the work must include DRY PASTEL (oil pastel is acceptable only as an additional medium) and must be visible.
  • Submissions must be entirely the work of the artist and not copied from other artists’ work, photos or publications. Any reference photo used must be taken by the artist themselves. No use of optical projections, digital assistance, or work produced under supervision of instructor is eligible.
  • The art is 2 Dimensional on any surface that is a depth of 2 inches or less, weighs less than 10 pounds, framed with or without glass but with surfaced finished and sealed so no pastel can be removed. Unframed 2 inch cradle boards are accepted if the sides of the board are finished with paint or varnish. Unframed boards must be only a depth of 2 inches; narrow depth cradle boards must be framed. “Clip-on” glass cannot be used in the presentation of the work. Paintings must be wired with D-rings; no sawtooth hangers accepted.
  • The gallery reserves the right to reject work damaged in shipping, poorly constructed and not compatible with framing/presentation guidelines.
  • Maximum framed size is 48” long by 36” wide; no work wider than 36” will be hung; minimum size is 8”x8”.
  • Work must have been completed in the last 3 years, as confirmed on submission form.
  • Paintings of nudes will be considered if they are deemed by the gallery to be acceptable for family viewing.
  • Once accepted, works cannot be repriced, nor can they be withheld from the exhibition under a penalty of a two-year exclusion from future juried PSWC exhibitions. Please consider shipping costs, insurance and potential sales commissions prior to submission.
  • Work CANNOT have won any award in a national or international open juried show by the time of the submission deadline.
  • Work cannot be exhibited in any other national or international open juried online show concurrently.
Please note: Works that receive awards will count toward PSWC signature or higher status as long as the artist is a current member AT THE TIME OF SUBMISSION. A lapse in membership may result in lost points toward member status.

Sales

A 30% commission will be taken (20% to the gallery, and 10% to PSWC) on all sales and sales will be handled by Art Center Morro Bay.

Venue

Art Center Morro Bay
Art Center Morro Bay is located at 835 Main St., Morro Bay, CA 93442
(805) 772-2504
Artcentermorrobay.org
Facebook Instagram and Twitter: @artcentermorrobay

Disclaimer/Legal

Accepted images may be used in Out of Bounds! advertising and on PSWC and/or Art Center Morro Bay websites. Entry into this exhibition constitutes agreement with this understanding.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on March 14, 2025.

You may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account by logging in and tapping the Notifications at the top right of the screen, or in your Entry History (Accepted works will be notated by a green check.)

If you do not receive your email, login and view the notification in your account. We cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications.

Note: Entries made prior to 2023 may not display the View Notification link.

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 (February 27, 2025.)
  • 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.

Support

Need Assistance? For questions about the entry process or using this website, please check our Help Center or Entry Guide first for detailed guides and troubleshooting tips. Most answers can be found there quickly.

If you still need help, feel free to email ShowSubmit Support at [email protected], and we’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.