Western Federation of Watercolor Societies

52nd Exhibition

Hosted by WSO Newberg, OR 2027

2027 Annual Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 52nd Exhibition

• Over $10,000 in awards! •

Download Prospectus

The 2027 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies(WFWS) 52nd Exhibition is open to all members of the following regional societies, Arizona Watercolor Association (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)

Artists must be members in good standing and have paid all dues to their society before entering the 2027 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 52nd Exhibition. This exhibition is hosted by the Watercolor Society of Oregon and will be on display at the Chehalem Cultural Center – 415 E Sheridan St., Newberg, OR

Exhibition Dates: JUNE 4 – JULY 30, 2027 Chehalem Center

Key Deadlines

Jan 1, 2027 – ArtCall Entries Open.
Mar 1, 2027 – ArtCall Entry Deadline.
Mar 30, 2027 – Jury Results Released via ArtCall.
Apr 18, 2027 – Paintings Due to Delegates.
July 29, 2027 – WFWS 52 Show Closes
Aug 2, 2027 – Paintings shipped back to artists.

Events

Jun 7–9, 2027 – Kathleen Giles Workshop at Chehalem Cultural Center
Jun 5, 2027 | 6–8 PM – Awards Dinner, Chehalem Cultural Center
Jun 1, 2027 – Exhibit Opening Reception @ Chehalem Cultural Center

For questions or help please contact your society’s WFWS delegate

Juror WFWS 52: Kathleen Giles

About Kathleen

Kathleen’s primary discipline is watercolor and her realistic portrayal of everyday life has won her many awards. The artist is signature member of the American Watercolor Society, a Master Signature of the National Watercolor Society, American Women Artists, the Transparent Watercolor Society, the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, the North East Watercolor Society and the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society. Kathleen is also a member of the Watercolor USA Honor Society, an elected member of the Allied Artists of America and a member of the International Guild of Realism.

The artist’s work is defined by strong values and intense colors on a variety of subjects. She travels the U.S. to teach workshops, in-person and online.

“My art has become such an all-encompassing force in my life that I am always involved in some aspect of it. I am drawn to subjects that are filled with color and dramatic lighting. They can be beautiful but often have an underlying story. My work captures a moment in time. I strive to draw the viewer into my visual narrative and to create an emotional response. For me, realism is the best way to do that. My teaching has allowed me to meet and work with wonderful artists from all around the world. I value those relationships that have enriched my life so much” – Kathleen

The artist must be a dues-paid, current member of one of the societies of the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (WFWS) and may enter through only ONE society.

WFWS Members: Arizona Watercolor Association (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)

About WFWS

The Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (WFWS) was formed in 1976 by the New Mexico Watercolor Society and included 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.

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. The exhibitions are sponsored by WFWS and hosted by a regional member society. Delegates meet annually (usually at the current show) to conduct general business and discuss the next year’s plans. Each society hosts the show on a rotating basis.

Upcoming Exhibition 2027

For ALL of the Information on the WFWS52 Exhibit hosted by

Watercolor Society of Oregon Click Here

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Exhibitions

An annual exhibition of water media paintings hosted on a rotating basis by the ten member societies from the western states. Entries are handled by Delegates from each Society.

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Leadership

Leadership training is one of the hallmarks of our organization. We share knowledge of what works (and what does not) within the various organizations.

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Enrichment

Communities benefit by hosting this excellent rotating exhibition. The hosts receive seed money from alliance dues to help sponsor the exhibition.

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Participation

Members of each of the societies below are automatically members of WFWS. If your group is seeking information about joining one of our Western Fed Societies, please