Open call · New York, NY
160th Annual International Exhibition
American Watercolor Society
You should apply if you paint in watercolor or other water media on paper — the call is open to artists anywhere, members or not.
About
The American Watercolor Society's 160th Annual International Exhibition runs April 6 to May 7, 2027 at the Salmagundi Club on Fifth Avenue. Each year more than 1,000 paintings are submitted and about 150 are selected by a jury of AWS Signature members plus one invited international juror. Up to $50,000 in cash and medal awards are given, every exhibiting artist receives the exhibition catalog, and about 40 works travel to museums and galleries across the United States for a year afterwards. Entries are made online through an AWS account; selections are announced December 18, 2026, and shipped work is due January 30, 2027.
Eligibility
Open to all living artists worldwide, members and non-members. Water media on paper only (Yupo and illustration board allowed): watercolor, acrylic, casein, gouache and egg tempera. No collage, pastel, digital work or prints. One entry per artist, not previously shown in an AWS International or Associate Members exhibition.
Applications happen on American Watercolor Society's website. Seeke reviews and indexes the listing but does not accept applications.