Vermont Pastel Society
Vermont Pastel Society

2026 Juried Show

April 2 – May 28, 2026 South Burlington Public Art Gallery, VT
Deadline is February 16th. Members Only.
Coastal Overlook by Katrina Thorstensen
Coastal Overlook by Katrina Thorstensen
Open Calls

Opens January 1, 2026.

Open for entry on January 1, 2026.
Deadline for entry: February 16, 2026
VPS Champlain Hub is pleased to host the 2026 Juried Show (JS) during the months of April & May, 2026.

Location

South Burlington Public Art Gallery
180 Market Street
South Burlington, VT

Awards

  • First Place Award: $500
  • Second Place Award: $300
  • Third Place Award: $200
  • Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod Award: $100
  • Mallory Lake Memorial Award: Set of Pastels

Jurors of Selection

Lyn Asselta, lynasselta.com
Robert Carsten, woodstockschoolofart.org

Judge of Awards

Daryl Storrs, darylstorrs.com

Entry Fee

  • VPS Members Only: $15 per entry
  • Up to 3 paintings per artist
You have until Monday, February 16, 2026 to submit your artwork. Once received, the pastels submitted will be reviewed by two jurors who will select paintings based on the number that can hang in the venue this year.

Our judge will judge for awards, in person, and awards will be presented at the reception mentioned above.

Eligibility

Artwork requirements:
  • Open to all active Members of VPS.
  • must be soft (dry) pastel, no oil pastels, with final surface at least 80% traditional soft pastel
  • original and from your own reference, not copied from other artists or published materials.
  • work painted in a workshop, class, or online group scenario is ineligible
  • completed within the last three years
  • not exhibited in any previous VPS competition
  • framed (including glass or acrylic), labeled, and ready to hang from wire
  • must be a faithful representation of the image submitted or it will not be hung in the show.
  • work must remain in the venue until the end of the JS, only to be removed earlier at the discretion of the artist and venue, to be given to a buyer who purchased the work at the venue. An artist removing a painting from the show without following protocol may be prohibited from exhibiting in another VPS JS or ME for a specified period of time
By submitting your work, you are agreeing to the terms established by South Burlington Public Art Gallery for exhibitions. Each artist will be required to fill out and sign the gallery agreement.

Commission

The gallery is not responsible for the sale of artworks. Prospective buyers will be able to look up the artist information and contact the artist directly if they wish to purchase. Members are allowed to submit NFS work, but you are highly encouraged to have your work for sale.

Announcements and Public Relations

The SBPAG will advertise in Seven Days. Please share information about the JS on your social media and/or Front Porch Forum. Hard-copy postcard invitations can be created at the exhibitors’ request and expense.

Artist Participation

We encourage artists' participation by attending the JS opening reception with awards on Thursday, April 9th from 5-7pm.

Liability

By submitting your art to ShowSubmit, you are agreeing to the terms established by South Burlington Public Art Gallery for exhibitions and understand that the Vermont Pastel Society has no insurance for liability available for art in transition to and from the venue and while hanging in the venue. All risk for damage during transportation to or from the venue, is the responsibility of the artist.

Art Transportation

Please contact your Hub Point Person to help you arrange transportation of your artwork(s).

Questions

If you have any questions about the JS, feel free to contact:

VPS: Maggie Smith, Champlain Hub co-leader ([email protected])
VPS: Phyllis Willey, Champlain Hub co-leader ([email protected])

This VPS juried show will garner lots of viewer attention at a really great venue. Thank you for offering your pastels for exhibition!

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on February 25, 2026.

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.

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 16, 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 VPS or this Prospectus, please contact Phyllis Willey ([email protected]) or Maggie Smith ([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.