Prospectus

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Prospectus

NMWS PAINTING ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:  (please read carefully)

  • Artists MUST be a current NMWS member to participate in the 2023 Fall Exhibition.  To become a member, visit Join NMWS
  • Minimum IMAGE size (without mat or frame) is 80 Square inches, for example 8” x 10”.  Maximum IMAGE size 22” x 30”. 
  • Each artist can enter up to 2 paintings—juror’s selections will be ‘blind’.
  • All works must be original and completed within the last two (2) years.  "Original" means that the work must be from the hand of a single artist; pieces that originate from a workshop or a class under the direction of a teacher are not eligible. 
  • Exact or largely similar compositions to published material such as published photographs or other artists' work are not considered original and are not eligible for entry.  By entering, you represent and warrant that your entry is your original work, that your entry does not infringe the rights of any third party, and that you have all rights necessary (such as written permission from third party) to submit the entry and to assign the rights in the entry. 
  • You may NOT enter the same painting in two shows at the same time, whether the exhibit is juried or open submission. As a penalty, the artist could be banned from entering shows for a year.
  • Only works NOT previously accepted or shown in National Shows, Western Federation, Masterworks of New Mexico, or either of the NMWS Fall or Spring shows, may be entered.
  • Failure to deliver/mail an accepted painting to a NMWS Exhibition will result in a two (2) year exclusion from all NMWS Exhibitions.
  • Failure to maintain availability for purchase of an accepted painting or selling the accepted painting elsewhere prior to the NMWS Exhibition will result in a two (2) year exclusion from all NMWS Exhibitions.
  • Paintings selected by the guest juror (from digital files) for display in the exhibition, which are found, upon physical inspection by members of the Exhibition Committee, not to meet or conform to the NMWS Exhibition Prospectus-Acceptable Materials and Presentation Standards and Guidelines (described below), may be rejected and denied Exhibition entry,

ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS

Pigments and Media: 

  • The use of high quality, professional grade materials is always encouraged
  • Copies, prints, and digitally produced materials of any kind are not allowed.
  • The dominant medium must be watercolor, though some minor use of other media may be acceptable.  You must specify any other media used in addition to watercolor in your entry.
  • Gouache, egg tempera, casein, watercolor pencils and crayons, pigmented inks that are lightfast and water-soluble, as well as Fluid Acrylics are accepted additional mediums
  • “Texture” in a painting may be created by thin layer collage or gesso.  “Texture” created by thick application of any media itself is NOT allowed. That is, NO heavy-bodied acrylics or gel mediums of any kind are acceptable for this exhibition.  No water-based oils.
  • Collage is only acceptable using plain white papers or papers painted by the artist with approved water media.  No printed or embedded three-dimensional objects, commercial papers and computer-generated art, encaustic, wax, woven, or dimensional build-up of textured materials or photography of any form is allowed.

  • ty, professional grade materials is always encouraged
  • Copies, prints, and digitally produced materials of any kind are not allowed.
  • The dominant medium must be watercolor, though some minor use of other media may be acceptable.  You must specify any other media used in addition to watercolor in your entry.
  • Gouache, egg tempera, casein, watercolor pencils and crayons, pigmented inks that are lightfast and water-soluble, as well as Fluid Acrylics are accepted additional mediums
  • “Texture” in a painting may be created by thin layer collage or gesso.  “Texture” created by thick application of any media itself is NOT allowed. That is, NO heavy-bodied acrylics or gel mediums of any kind are acceptable for this exhibition.  No water-based oils.
  • Collage is only acceptable using plain white papers or papers painted by the artist with approved water media.  No printed or embedded three-dimensional objects, commercial papers and computer-generated art, encaustic, wax, woven, or dimensional build-up of textured materials or photography of any form is allowed.

Papers and Supports:  

Supports allowed in the exhibition are 100% Cotton Rag paper or board, Oriental papers and Yupo.  Ampersand Aquabord™ and Gessobord™ and ClaybordTM are also allowed.  Canvas products such as watercolor canvas and regular canvas are not allowed in this exhibition. 

PRESENTATION

Accepted paintings can be presented for display in either a traditional or alternative presentation as described below.  All paintings must have a hanging wire that is firmly attached and peaks at 3 1/2 inches from the top of the frame or the eligible supports.

Traditional Presentation:

Accepted paintings must be framed in metal or wood frames, with white or off-white mats and covered with plexiglas.  Thin one color liners (inner mats) are acceptable and should not exceed 1/4 inch. Maximum total mat size, including thin liner is 3 1/2 inches.  Top mats must be white or off-white and covered to gallery standards with Plexiglas. Use of glass is not allowed.  All water-soluble work that is unvarnished must be matted and under Plexiglas.  All paintings must have sealed/finished backs and hanging wire (coated is recommended) that peaks at center 3 1/2 inches from the top of the frame. Mats must be clean, protected by Plexiglas, and have no debris between the Plexiglas and the mat.

Alternative Presentation:

To allow artists to present their paintings in a more contemporary fashion the NMWS Exhibitions Prospectus includes the Alternative Presentation Category.  This category is applicable for paintings presented without Plexiglas and instead sealed with varnish (including the mat if used), with the understanding that all requirements for Painting Entry, Applicable Materials and Presentation as described above in this Exhibition Prospectus have first been met. This category is an expansion of presentation options for eligible water media paintings without traditional matting and plexiglass and is not an “anything goes/experimental category”.  The use of approved materials as described in the main Exhibition Prospectus, is required for all acceptable entries
 
Eligible supports for Alternative Presentations:

  • Deep supports consist of 1”-2-1/2:“ thick, ready to hang “cradled” Aquabord™, Gessobord™ and/or hardwood panels with allowable paper securely attached and sealed with varnish.  If mounting paper to wood, it is recommended that the paper be protected from the acids in the hardwood support.  Golden recommends two (2) coats of GAC-100 to seal bare wood. Suitable glue such as PVA (poly-vinyl acetate) or soft gel (matte), is recommended to mount paper to wood so that it is both archival and secure. Go to:  Lineco Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) - BLICK art materials, or for  product information and technical details refer to Golden Artist Colors, Inc. | Gels and Mediums Tech Sheet .
  • Shallow supports consist of works on approved supports less than 1” deep (boards or panels), and must be framed inside a “floater” frame or a regular frame with or without Plexiglas. If framing without plexiglass and using a mat,  both mat and painting must be varnished, see 2021-08 TS_Varnishing a Watermedia Painting and Mat.pdf (on NMWS Website) for guidance.   If an unvarnished mat is used with the painting, it must be behind Plexiglas. Presentation of unprotected or unsealed paper or mats with any painting is not permitted. 
  • Floated & Framed presentation is also acceptable. This is defined as paintings on approved deep or shallow supports or papers, that are unsealed or floated in a frame with or without a mat, behind Plexiglas (no glass).  This presentation can be used to show off the deckled edges of the paper 
  • Backs of all paintings must be neatly finished: Backs of paintings in wood frames should be finished/sealed with clean paper dust covers, without rips, mars or writing. Cradled paintings with hanging eyelets and wires mounted entirely inside the back are exempt from dust covers.
  • Backs of paintings in metal frames may be: (your choice)
    a) finished/sealed with clean, unmarked paper dust covers, without rips, using double-sided tape (no masking tape), OR
    b) finished/sealed with white artists’ tape, covering the gap between foam core and frame, while neatly hiding exposed staples, clips, brads, or nails. The visible foam core should be otherwise clean, unmarked, and without ragged edges; OR
    c) cut and insert a piece of clean, unmarked foam core, without ragged edges, so that it fits SNUGLY into the back of your painting, filling the space, hiding all staples, clips, brads or nails. The back of the foam core should be flush (even) with the back of the metal frame. Depending on the style of the metal frame, you may need to slightly notch the foam core to accommodate the hanging wire. The “filler" foam core can be adhered to the foam core back of the actual painting (inside and not visible) with double sided tape or glue, so the added foam core doesn't fall out.

    ***If the only foam core you have available at present is marred, has writing on it or is otherwise dented or disfigured, then you may wrap the foam core in brown paper, (like wrapping a gift) so that the visible foam core is completely covered and the paper wraps around it smoothly, with neat edges and corners. The foam core & paper covering should fit securely in the space in the back of your painting hiding hardware, except the hanging wire. Recommended, but not required at present, is to then use wide (2” or wider) artists' tape or brown paper tape, (no masking tape) with good adhesive, to "bridge the gap" between the back of the metal frame and the foam core, (covered with paper or not) to seal the "filler" foam core in place and provide a smoothly sealed painting back.***

OTHER

  • No name plaques or other identification are allowed on front of frames.
  • Repair Fees: If the wire or frame needs to be adjusted or repaired after delivery to the venue, there may be a minimum $5 charge for repair collected at intake.
     

QUESTIONS on PROSPECTUS or on UPLOADING PHOTOS AND REGISTRATION?

Contact NMWS-SC Exhibitions Chair
Laurel Weathersbee, 575-288-5125/ EMAIL laurel.weathersbee@gmail.com

Or NMWS-SC File Manager
Rachel Murphree, 915-217-3698/EMAIL rcmurphree@outlook.com