Pastel Society of the West Coast
Exhibition artwork

Pastel Society of the West Coast

Second Annual: Out of Bounds!

The Pastel Show That Goes Beyond Tradition

Art Center Morro Bay, Morro Bay, CA

April 2 – May 11, 2026

Deadline is February 23rd.
Find Open Calls

Opens for entry Jan 20th.

Out of Bounds! is an open juried international 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 approximately 30-50% 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 traditional pastel competitions, this show is for you! 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 once again offer this unique exhibit at the beautiful Art Center Morro Bay, in Morro Bay, California.

Awards

There are cash prizes for Best in Show, First, Second, Third place and Honorable Mention.

Awards are given at the discretion of the judge, and are final with no exchanges or substitutions. Awards will be announced on Facebook, the PSWC website, and through email to all PSWC members. There will be an awards reception at Art Center Morro Bay on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 2:00pm with our esteemed Judge, Dawn Emerson. Works that receive place awards will count toward PSWC signature status as long as the artist is a current member at the time of submission.

Judge of Selection and Awards

Dawn Emerson, PSA was raised in Marblehead, Massachusetts, exploring the ocean and quarries of New England until moving west with family in the late 1980s. After graduating from Brown University with a degree in English and Art (1977), she became an award-winning book designer before settling in Central Oregon’s high plateau desert—a dramatic change that inspired new artistic directions.

The vast western landscapes motivated her to teach art as a visiting artist in public schools and, after discovering pastel through workshops, she earned recognition from pastel societies. By the late 1990s, she was exhibiting in galleries nationwide and leading her own workshops.

In 2008, she began printmaking and integrated mixed media into her work. These explorations led to her book “Pastel Innovations” (2017), now available in four languages, six instructional DVDs, and a recent video, “Breaking New Ground,” which showcases novel pastel techniques.

Dawn has taught pastel, figure drawing, design, and printmaking in many different settings for the past 25 years. She is a generous teacher—full of information, passion, and encouragement for all levels of experience. She is a sought after nationally as a juror and judge for both magazine and exhibition shows, and is known for her engaging demos that encourage playful freedom and risk-taking. Dawn’s work has won many awards nationally and has been published in several drawing and pastel books.

In-Person Workshop with Dawn

Pastel Innovations
APRIL 6–8, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 pm

Pastel Innovations Plus
APRIL 9–11, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 pm

See pswc.ws/new-workshops for more information.

Entry Fees

  • Non-Members: Up to 3 paintings for $60, each additional entry is $15 up to 6 artworks per artist.
  • PSWC Members: Up to 3 paintings for $50, each additional entry is $10 up to 6 artworks per artist.
  • PSWC Membership fees are $50 annually. To become a member of PSWC, go to pswc.ws/new-membership.
  • Entry fees are not refundable. Overpayments will go to the PSWC Scholarship Fund.
  • Multiple entries per artist may be accepted.
  • Submissions will include a description of the materials used, substrate, and any unique process used in the creation of the art.
  • Entry fee does not include your cost for shipping and handling of accepted works.

Eligibility

  • Open to all pastel artists over the age of 18.
  • 30-50% of the work must include DRY PASTEL and must be visible. (oil pastel is acceptable only as an additional medium).
  • Submissions must be entirely the work of the artist and not copied from other artists’ work, photos or publications. Any reference photo must be taken by the artist themselves. No use of optical projections, digital assistance (AI), or work produced under supervision of instructor.
  • 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 surface 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” height by 36” wide; no work wider than 36” will be hung; minimum image 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. When accepted paintings are not delivered, it creates havoc for a show, for example, another artist did not get accepted, the catalog may have already been printed, the show curator may have already designed the show, etc.
  • 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.

Sales

All works must be for sale. A 30% commission will be taken (20% to the gallery, and 10% to PSWC) on all sales, sales tax will be collected and sales will be handled by the gallery.

Liability

The utmost care will be taken in the handling of entries and paintings. However, neither the Pastel Society of the West Coast nor the gallery or their agents will be responsible for loss or damage to any entries or paintings in transit when submitted for this exhibition. Shipping insurance is the responsibility of the submitting artist.

Delivery of Accepted Work

If Shipping
Paintings must be shipped via FedEx or UPS to the gallery and received by March 30, 2026 at the latest.

Art Center Morro Bay
835 Main Street
Morro Bay CA 93442

Kathleen Heil, President 805-772-2504

Include name of artist, address, phone number, e-mail, title of painting, and price on the back of your painting. Also, include a bar-coded, pre-paid return shipping label

Please pack work carefully and add adequate insurance. It is recommended to use Airfloat or Masterpak boxes. Please do not use packing peanuts or material - this is difficult to repack. Artists will be contacted if work arrives damaged, in which case, it will be returned and not hung in the exhibition.

For any questions on shipping and handling, please contact the Co-Chairs.

NOTE: before shipping your painting, take photos of all the steps you took to pack your paintings including the final label. If anything should happen to the paintings, you would have good backup documentation for your insurance claim with the courier.

For Hand Delivery
Paintings must be delivered Monday, March 30, 2026 between the hours of Noon and 4:00 pm to:

Art Center Morro Bay
835 Main Street
Morro Bay CA 93442 Kathleen Heil, President 805-772-2504

Include the name of the artist, address, phone number, e-mail, title of painting, and price on the back of your painting.

Please see “Eligibility” regarding the penalty if Art Center Morro Bay does not receive your accepted painting.

Venue

Art Center Morro Bay
835 Main Street
Morro Bay, CA 93442

(805) 772-2504
Artcentermorrobay.org
Facebook Instagram and Twitter: @artcentermorrobay

Out of Bounds! Show Chairs

Pamela Comfort & Bonnie Zahn Griffith

Disclaimer/Legal

Accepted images may be used in Out of Bounds! advertising and on PSWC and/or Art Center Morro Bay websites without compensation. 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 2, 2026.

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.

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 23, 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.

Support

For questions about PSWC or this Prospectus, please contact Pamela Comfort & Bonnie Zahn Griffith ([email protected]).

For technical support or entry questions, first check our Help Center or Entry Guide. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.