38th Tri-State Juried Water Media Exhibition, 2026 Prospectus

May 28- July 25, 2026, Tallahassee, Florida

Artists from Alabama, Florida, and Georgia are cordially invited to participate in this watercolor juried show.

Venue: Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts (MOFA)

With support from: COCA

CALENDAR OF EVENTS, 2026

January 23: Submission window opens

March 20: Submission deadline

April 24: Notification of acceptance

May 4-13: Shipped paintings accepted at MOFA

May 18, 11AM-1 PM: Hand-delivered paintings accepted at MOFA

May 26, 27, & 28: Don Andrews Workshop, Tallahassee State College

May 28, 5:30-7:30: Opening reception, MOFA

July 27, 11 AM-1 PM: Pickup paintings

Artist Eligibility:

Artists over 18 years of age residing in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, are eligible to obtain membership in the Tallahassee Watercolor Society (TaWS) and enter this exhibition. TaWS membership dues must be current for 2026 to participate in this event.

If you are not already a member, go to https://tallahasseewatercolorsociety.org or join when you submit your Tri-State entry.

Work Eligibility:

  • Artists may enter up to three original watercolor paintings.

  • Paintings must be executed on or after January 1, 2023.

  • Eligible artwork is limited to watercolor or gouache (no water-soluble oil products, pastels or acrylics).

  • Paintings may be created on surfaces specifically for water media and framed under

  • Plexiglas (acrylic) or sealed with varnish. Canvas board is not acceptable.

  • Collage is acceptable only if all elements were made using watercolor and created by the artist.

  • Paintings must be original, which means the painting is the artist’s own composition in concept and design and is not copied in whole or part from another artist’s work. No artwork created by AI (Artificial Intelligence) is allowed. Copies of work, including published photographs and paintings by persons other than the submitting artist will not be accepted. If an artist uses images by someone other than the artist, written permission is required and must be submitted with the accepted painting.

  • Artwork must be created entirely by hand. Painting on or enhancing a pre-printed

  • image is not allowed. Air brush renderings are not allowed. Digital printing in any

  • form is not allowed as part of the final product.

  • Works must have been completed without supervision by an instructor in a class or workshop.

  • Framed works may be no larger than 60 inches on a side and the painted images no smaller than 10 inches on a side.

  • Diptychs and triptychs will not be accepted unless they are in one frame.

  • Works previously shown in any juried Tallahassee Watercolor Society exhibition or at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts are not eligible.

  • If a painting does not meet the criteria as defined in this prospectus, the TaWS Board will immediately withdraw the painting and/or award.

  • TaWS reserves the right to refuse, upon arrival, any painting of unacceptable quality or those damaged in shipment.

  • A painting that does not match it’s submitted digital image will be returned. If the juror or the TaWS board have any questions regarding the authenticity of the work or a painting meeting the stated guidelines, the Board reserves the right to dismantle the framed piece for closer inspection. Paintings deemed ineligible will not be hung in the exhibition.

Award Selection

The juror will select works for the show from digital JPEG/JPG images. However, awards will be chosen by the juror when they are on site from the actual paintings. No more than one prize will be awarded per individual artist.

Juror and Workshop Instructor Don Andrews is a nationally known watercolor artist and workshop instructor. He has conducted painting workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Africa for over 35 years.

Don is an active member and past board director of the American Watercolor Society. His paintings have received numerous awards in national watercolor competitions, including three awards from the American Watercolor Society, and two Best of Show awards from the New England Watercolor Society.

Don is the author of the books, "Interpreting the Figure in Watercolor", "Interpreting the Landscape in Watercolor" and "Rough Sketches: Short Stories of a Traveling Artist".

Juror, Don Andrews

WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP WITH DON ANDREWS

May 26, 27, & 28, Tallahassee State College

Join Don Andrews and fellow watercolor artists in a three-day workshop to be held on the campus of Tallahassee State College. Don is a seasoned instructor having conducted many informative workshops. His paintings are bold and colorful. Learn how he approaches a painting and treat yourself to a workshop from this accomplished painter. The cost is $350 for TaWS members and $400 for non-members. Sign up at: Tallahassee Watercolor Society

Guidelines for Image Submission

  • Artists must submit digital JPEG/JPG files through the online application. (Suggestion: Prepare your digital images before starting the online application.)

  • Up to three images may be submitted.

  • Image files must be between 1 MB and 3 MB

  • No digital manipulation or enhancement of the image submitted for review is allowed (except for cropping).

  • Title the digital image in this format: “Last Name_First Name_Title of Painting.jpeg” (e.g. Waxman_Lisa_room_with_a_view.jpeg)

  • Image(s) should be correctly oriented (vertical or horizontal) and should be cropped to include only the painting (no mats or frames). Please skew the corners so that they are square.

Applications: All applications will be completed online.

Go To: Tallahassee Watercolor Society or use the link at the end of this prospectus. Fill out the information and upload your digital images. Then click on “Submit Form” to complete your application. You should then see a “success page” where you can pay your application fee and, if needed, your membership dues. Once that is complete, select Submit.

Entry Fee

An entry fee of $40 for this show is required of 2026 TaWS members. The 2026 TaWS dues of $35 can be paid with this show entry. Nonmembers can enter by becoming members, paying the entry fee of $40 combined with yearly dues of $35. Fees will be paid electronically through PayPal at the time of submission. Those without a PayPal account will still go through PayPal to use a credit card.

Presentation

All paintings must have museum quality framing under Plexiglas/acrylic and be ready for hanging with wire in place. Frames must be simple, unadorned wood or metal in gold, silver, gray, natural wood tones, or black with no decorative corners. No glass will be accepted. White or off-white mats must be used. No color liner is permissible.

Label

Please label all paintings on the back with:

  • Painting Title

  • Medium

  • Artist’s Name

  • Email Address

  • Telephone

  • Price or NFS (Not for sale)

Shipments

Shipments must be sent prepaid and include a Prepaid Return Shipping Label or they will not be accepted. FED-X shipments must include a bar code on the return label. No COD will be accepted. “AirFloat” boxes are recommended for shipping. Please do not use screws with wood boxes, crates, or packing peanuts. Ship only within specified dates (see calendar). Please attach a photo of the painting on the inside of the box so it is visible when repacking to help ensure the correct painting is returned to you in the correct box.

Delivery of Artwork

Paintings may be hand delivered or shipped by carrier to:

The Florida State Museum of Fine Arts

530 West Call Street

Tallahassee, Florida 32306-1140.

(Because FSU is a large university and all buildings have a 32306 zip code, please use the entire 32306-1140 to ensure your package arrives at the museum.

Liability Agreement

Every care will be exercised in the handling of paintings, but neither the Tallahassee Watercolor Society nor the FSU Museum of Fine Arts will be responsible for loss or damage in transit or in packing, unpacking, whatever the cause. Concerned artists should carry their own insurance.

Permission to Use

Accepted digital images will be retained for the TaWS archives. Permission to reproduce accepted images for TaWS publicity purposes and presentations is assumed with the submission of the entry. The submission of the entry form during registration is an agreement to these conditions.

Conditions

Once accepted, it is expected that your painting will be delivered for hanging. Failure to do so will be considered a breach of ethics, and the Tri-State Committee will act to prevent a reoccurrence in future shows. No paintings may be substituted, and none may be removed before the end of the show. The price must remain the same as indicated on the entry form.

Respect of Jurors and Volunteers

The Board of the Tallahassee Watercolor Society has adopted the following policy relating to the respect of jurors and volunteers of juried exhibitions: “Any TaWS member who attempts to influence, intimidate and/or harass a judge, exhibitor, board member, or volunteer may be banned from the current show and from future entry into TaWS exhibitions. The juror’s decision will be final for the accepted paintings as will be the judge’s decision for awards.”

Questions Please contact Lisa Waxman, Tri-State Exhibition Chair, with any questions at lkwaxman@gmail.com.

Application Deadline, March 20; Link to Submission Portal, Click Here

 
 
PDF Version
Apply Now