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Exhibition Awards Reception
Awards Reception 9/20/2025
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Exhibition Awards Reception
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The 62nd Annual SWS Membership Exhibition

 

SWS is one of the premier regional watercolor societies in the United States. Watercolor painters from all over the country enter the competition for the opportunity to share their work and be selected for one of the coveted monetary awards.  

 

This year’s exhibition is judged by acclaimed watercolor painter, Iain Stewart, https://stewartwatercolors.com, AWS/NWS.  The exhibition will be open from Monday, August 25 though September 27th.  The Awards reception will be Saturday, September 20th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

Here is the exhibition schedule:

     Registration Opens:                  Thursday, May 1, 2025 on CaFÉ

     Registration Closes:                  Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:59 p.m. 

     Preview Party:                              Saturday, July 12, 2025, 12:30 -2:30 p.m.

                                                                     (Greater Denton Arts Council - Festival Hall)

     Acceptances Sent:                      Monday,  July 14, 2025

     Shipped Art Due:                        From August 11 – August 16, 2025.

                                                                      (No early or late arrivals please!)

     Paintings Drop-Off:                   Saturday, August 16, 2025, 11:00-3:00 p.m.
     Exhibition Opens:                     Tuesday, August 26, 2025

     Awards Judging:                        Monday, September 8, 2025

     Awards Reception:                   Saturday, September 20, 2025, 1:00-3:00 p.m 

     Exhibition Closes:                     Saturday, September 27, 2025, 5:00 p.m. 

     Art Pick-Up:                                Sunday, September 28, 2025, 1:00-3:00 p.m. 

     Shipped Art Mailed:                 Tuesday, September 30, 2025

 

The high quality of the artwork that is shown in our exhibitions is the result of the caliber of artists we attract to enter. Artists can enter three works, but the juror will only select one piece by any submitting artist. That results in a highly diverse show that shows the range of painting styles and subject matter that is seen in contemporary watercolor. To view the award winners from 2024, click this link, 2024 Exhibition Award Winners.

 

To see the full 2025 Prospectus, please click HERE.


To see the list of artists with paintings accepted to the 2025 Membership Exhibition, go HERE!. 

Entry Fees and Registration:

Please Read the entire Prospectus before you enter: SWS 62 nd Memb Exh Prospectus 2025

 

Applying is a three-stage process:

 

● Upload your paintings at My Portfolio

● Apply to the SWS Annual Membership Exhibition at  Apply to Calls

● Complete and pay the entry fee at Checkout

 

Image Requirements:

 

● Digital image submission should show the painted image only, not the mat or the frame.

● Only a JPEG or JPG format is permitted, with an image size of under 5 MB, and a minimum of 1200 pixels on the longest side.

● For complete specifications, tutorials and resources, please go to the CaFÉ Help/Uploading Media menu. For further technical support, please call CaFÉ support at 303-629-1166. 

 

 Artwork may be submitted from May 1 - June 30, 2025


50th Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Exhibition On View from February 2 - May 4, 2025


 The Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (WFWS) was formed in 1976 by the New Mexico Watercolor Society and includes an additional nine  other watercolor societies. The purpose was to make a large and prestigious watercolor exhibition available at low cost to members for small and often isolated watercolor groups. Those annual exhibitions are hosted by each of the member societies in turn, and the current exhibition is in Lubbock, Texas with the West Texas Watercolor Society. Today, the WFWS includes over 5,000 artists in ten regional watercolor societies and guilds. The WFWS encourages and recognizes artistic excellence and works to increase visibility of watercolor as an artistic medium through our annual juried exhibitions.

On view from February 2 to May 4, 2025, the show was selected and will be judged by renowned watercolorist, Ken Call. Member artists of each of the ten Western Fed societies were entitled to enter the show. The exhibition is on view at the Museum of Texas Tech University, 3301 4th Street, Lubbock, Texas 79415 on the southeast corner of 4th Street and Indiana Avenue. It is open from Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 - 5:00 pm and Saturday from 11:00 - 5:00. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. The awards for this year's exhibition will be presented at the Gala Awards Dinner in Lubbock on Saturday, April 12. 


Current WFWS member societies include Arizona Watercolor Society (AWA), Colorado Watercolor Society (CWS), Idaho Watercolor Society (IWS), New Mexico Watercolor Society (NMWS), San Diego Watercolor Society (SDWS), Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild (SAWG), Southwestern Watercolor Society (SWS), Utah Watercolor Society (UWS), Watercolor Society of Oregon (WSO), and West Texas Watercolor Society (WTWS).


Artworks were accepted by artists from the ten participating Western watercolor societies. Sixty-one SWS artists entered. Only nineteen artists had paintings accepted. These are the SWS artists whose paintings are included in the exhibition: Shahrzad Afshinpour, Court Bailey, Valerie Batchelder, Monica Bell, Scott Bodell, Kay Byfield, Sondra Carr, Radha Chatterjee, Yenipher Chung, Sheilagh Cooper, Bill Dale, Mary Elle, Charles Hendrickson, Leslie McDonald Jr., Christina Mewhinney, Gaylord O’Con, Kay Smith, Laura Stamp and Don Taylor. We are proud of all the artists who were chosen to have works included in this competitive show.


To see images from the 50th annual exhibition, go HERE

WFWS 50th Logo
Slideshow
2025 Small Works Exhibition

The Small Works Reception On Saturday, February 15, 2025


Southwestern Watercolor Society hosted a reception for the thirteen SWS artists who were included in the Small Works Exhibition hosted by the Box Gallery under the leadership of Dr. Nancy Ferrell at the Royal Lane Baptist Church.


The Box Gallery was a most beautiful venue and boasted a most wonderful hanging structure that allowed our artists’ artwork to truly shine. The exhibition showcased the great talent encapsulated within the Southwestern Watercolor Society by nonsignature members and was wonderfully attended by the artists, as well as over 50 friends, family members, SWS members as well as members from Royal Lane Baptist Church.


A great time was had by all viewing the beautiful paintings, visiting with friends old and new, enjoying snacks and libations and generally celebrating watercolor in all its glory. We celebrate these artists and their passion for painting. A most grateful thank you to Dr. Nancy Ferrell, the Box Gallery and the Royal Lane Baptist Church for this opportunity to showcase our members’ art. Since everyone had such a good experience members thought it would be great to do it again in the future.