44th Annual WSI Juried Exhibit

The 44th Annual WSI Juried Exhibit at Newfields/ Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46208
August 28 to October 25, 2026

New this year - all entries must be entered through Show Submit. 

ENTER HERE NOW!

Support

Questions about this exhibition? Contact Juried Exhibit Chair Betsy Scherschel for questions about the Prospectus, WSI, eligibility, artwork requirements, drop-off, pick-up, sales, etc. Log in to view her contact info on the Board of Directors Page. 

Need help with ShowSubmit?
Visit the Help Center or Entry Guide for guidance on image uploads, payments, and managing your entry. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support (support@showsubmit.com). They will respond Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Eastern.

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF IMPORTANT DATES AND RULES VISIT SHOW SUBMIT. You may also read about this exhibit below.

Eligibility - This Exhibit is open only to WSI members who have paid their 2026 membership fee.

Entry Fee WSI Members only: $45 for up to 2 entries.

Rules - Please read carefully as some changes may have been made this year.

1. The Juried Show competition is open to current and former residents of the State of Indiana.
   You must be a current member of the Watercolor Society of Indiana.
2. Artists may submit one or two paintings. If an artist enters two paintings, only one painting can be selected by the juror for the exhibition.
3. No triptychs or diptychs will be accepted.
4. All entries must be the original concept and execution of the artist. No copies of paintings or published photographs, or unauthorized photographs will be accepted.
5. No work produced in a class or under the tutelage of an instructor will be accepted.
6. No work previously exhibited in ANY JURIED SHOW in Indiana will be accepted.
7. A minimum of 80% of the painting must have been executed with traditional watercolor paints.
   Other media, listed below, may be used only to enhance, or embellish the watercolor and cannot exceed 20% of the painting. Collage is acceptable but all elements must be painted by the artist in 80% traditional watercolor paints – no preprinted or computer-generated images. Other media allowed up to 20% of the painting. 

   Gouache

   Graphite (pencil or charcoal)

   Acrylic Paint (thinned and painted using traditional watercolor techniques)

   Colored Ink

   Watercolor Pencil (wetted)

   Brusho\Media other than those listed above are not permitted to be a part of the painting.The painting must be executed on a 2-dimensional surface composed of paper with no impasto effects. Yupo paper is acceptable.

8. No printed image may be a part of the painting.
9. No digital artwork or photography will be permitted.
10. The size limitation is 42” x 36” in any direction, including the frame. No exceptions per Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields’ rules.
11. The WSI Juried Exhibit is a prestigious show in a nationally recognized museum. The matting and framing must have a professional appearance and be free from damage or blemishes. Ensure the painting is clean, meets hanger requirements, and is of stable condition. If in WSI’s judgement the appearance does not reflect favorably on the organization or this event, the artist will have the option to correct this in time for the opening of the show. Otherwise, the artwork will not be hung, and the painting will be withdrawn from the exhibit. If you have questions, please contact Juried Exhibit Chairperson Betsy Scherschel prior to delivery. Contact info is in the online Member Directory and on the Board of Directors page.
12. All work must be matted and framed under acrylic sheet (plexiglass) or similar glazing. No Glass will be allowed. A simple gallery-quality frame with a white or neutral mat is strongly recommended. We recommend that the mat be at least 3 inches wide (4 inches wide on larger paintings).
13. Strap hangers are required. No hanging wire. Sawtooth hangers will not be accepted. The frame must have a strap hanger attached with screws on the back side of each vertical piece of the frame located between 1/3 and 1/4 of the length of the piece from the top of the frame. Download Newfield’s Hanging Requirements Here. If a painting is delivered with incorrect hardware the artist will have the option to correct this in time for the opening. The artist may pay WSI to correct the hardware for them ($25 fee). Otherwise, the artwork will not be hung and the painting will be withdrawn from the exhibit.
14. Titles and prices will be listed as they appear on the entry forms. No changes will be made after entry forms are received.
15. No further work can be done on a painting once it is accepted. The painting will not be accepted if it is different from the original image submitted.
16. Each accepted painting must have a completed WSI Juried Exhibit 2026 Painting Tag attached to the back of the painting when it is delivered. Blank tags will be emailed to accepted artists.
17. If your painting sells during the exhibit, the buyer is responsible to pick it up and the artist is not responsible. Otherwise, if someone other than you or your area representative will be picking up your painting at the end of the show, you must email the WSI Executive Director with the name of the designated individual. ID may be required upon painting pickup. Note that there will be a $45 charge for any painting not picked up during the designated time. Paintings may be claimed at the WSI office when the $45 fee is paid. Unclaimed paintings become the property of WSI 60 Days after the pickup date of the exhibit.

Awards
WSI will award as many cash awards as the 2026 Awards Fund will support. Our goal is to meet or exceed last year’s prize money of $10,000. All members are encouraged to support this fund by donating or soliciting donations. Contributions may be made on the WSI website. All donors are recognized in the Juried Exhibit catalog. Sponsorships are available.

Sales

All sales will be conducted through the WSI website. WSI will retain a 30% commission on each sale. The buyer has permission to pick up the painting on October 26, 2026 with ID. Paintings may be NFS. However, if this painting is sold during the exhibit, the commission must be submitted to WSI in good faith. If this painting is sold within 30 days after the exhibit because of being seen at Newfields, the artist is asked to make a donation to WSI.

Social Security Number

If an entrant receives $600 or more in sales and/or awards per year from WSI, the entrant agrees to provide Form W9 to the WSI office upon request and will receive a 1099 for 2026.

Shipping

If an accepted painting is shipped instead of delivered in person, it must be crated and delivered to the WSI office by 2:00 pm Saturday, July 11, 2026. The WSI office will return unsold paintings in the same packaging in which they were received. The artist must set up an account with FedEx or UPS so that all shipping costs are prepaid. The artist will also be charged a $60 handling and transport fee. If you have a question, please contact the WSI office at (317) 500-2275.

Agreement

All entries are to be submitted with the understanding that accepted work may be photographed or videotaped for educational and/or publicity purposes. All accepted images will be included on the WSI website and social media.

Risk

Watercolor Society of Indiana, Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields and transporters will exercise diligent and reasonable care, but they will not be responsible for any loss or damage. By signing the entry forms, the artist assumes all risks. If you are concerned about the risk of loss or damage, we suggest you get insurance coverage for your painting.

Area Representatives

Contact information for each representative is available on the WSI Board of Directors Page.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on June 29, 2026.

If you do not receive your email, login and view the notification in your account. We cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications.

Image and Filename Specifications

• File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
• Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
• Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
• Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
• File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
• File Size: There is a 30mb maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.

Direct questions about images to Show Submit. You do not need to title the file in any particular format. 

Additional Entry Information

• You will pay for your entry by credit or debit card using our secure checkout system.
• After your entry is submitted and paid for, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (June 19, 2026.)
• Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline.
• Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.

 

All entries must go through the Show Submit Event application. No entries may be mailed. Thank you!

 Download Newfield’s Hanging Requirements Here.