General Prospectus

Revised and Approved by the FSWS Board, April 2011, December 2011

General Prospectus for Juried Exhibitions

Eligibility – With the exception of the Signature Members Exhibition, members may submit paintings that meet the definition and criteria of either the Aqueous or Transparent Watercolor Exhibition.  All members’ dues must be currently paid in order to enter an exhibition at the members’ entry fee. Non-members may join at Receiving or they may pay a higher entry fee determined by the Board. In 2011 – 2012 the entry fee for each painting is $20 for members and $30 for non-members. Entry fees are not refundable. Members may enter up to two paintings in a show and up to four paintings when FSWS offers a double show.

General - Paintings shall not be more than two years old and must be the original work of the artist.  Work done under instruction, published photocopies of paintings and copies of other works of art will not be accepted.  A painting accepted in one juried FSWS exhibition cannot be entered in another.  A Compliance Committee will inspect all artwork. Any one artist may only receive one award per show.  Award winners must be present to accept the award (unless prior arrangements are made).

Transparent Watercolor – is defined as a painting executed in traditional watercolor paints, namely water resoluble transparent medium, without the addition of opaque white pigments, the white of the paper being the only white permitted, on traditional watercolor paper, unvarnished, matted and framed under Plexiglas.

Entries painted in other water based media like gouache and acrylics on all non traditional surfaces like Yupo and are not eligible for a Transparent Watercolor Show.

Aqueous Watercolor – is defined as a painting executed in any water soluble medium, including acrylic, ink, egg tempera or watercolor collages (except water soluble oils or pastels), painted on all surfaces created for water media, such as paper, Yupo, clay coated and synthetic surfaces, silk, illustration board and flat watercolor canvas.

Framing – All artwork must be framed under Plexiglass; frames must be secure and wired for hanging.  Loose wire ends must be tapped to avoid injury. The wire should not allow the hanging clip to show above the frame.

Paintings must be under a separate sheet of rigid and clean acrylic plastic (e.g. Plexiglas) – NO GLASS ALLOWED.   The acrylic must be clean and free of scratches. White and off-white mats are the only ones permitted.  A value scale will be used to determine that mats are the right color. Thin colored liners may be used if they add positively to the painting.

Sales – A commission fee, as determined by the host gallery, will be reflected in the sale of any artwork displayed during the exhibition.

Liability – Neither the host gallery nor FSWS will be responsible for loss or damage to any artwork submitted.  The members of the receiving host gallery and FSWS will, of course, exercise the utmost care in handling all submitted artwork.

Pick-Up – Artwork must be picked up on the specified day, during the specified hours, or the host gallery may impose a storage fee.

Board Approval – The General Prospectus may be changed at the Board’s discretion. Members should check the FSWS website for the most up-to-date version

Publicity – The FSWS may photograph all accepted entries, the winners and others at its exhibitions and receptions, and use these photographs on its website, and for any other publicity deemed appropriate by the Board.

Compliance Committee

The Compliance Committee reviews all submissions for compliance with the requirements described in the General Prospectus. Works which do not comply are rejected. They review the entries after all paintings have been received and before the juror begins his / her evaluation. The Committee’s decisions are final. Artists will be notified by phone if their work is not accepted. 

The Committee insures that all art is presented in a stable, clean, safe and appropriate frame. The juror selects an appropriate number of pieces for the show based on the size of the gallery. The juror selects the award recipients.