49th International Watermedia Exhibition

You are invited to apply to the 49th International Watermedia Exhibition (IWE) on CaFÉ which showcases watermedia artists from around the world in a judged and juried gallery exhibit in Houston's popular Museum District. In March 2026, entries selected by renowned artist, juror and judge, Don Andrews, will receive maximal exposure in a month-long gallery exhibit as well as in an online exhibit that will last through the end of 2026. In addition, participants will have a chance to win awards totaling $10,000 and obtain WAS-H Signature Status. 

Founded in 1975, the Watercolor Art Society–Houston (WAS-H) is known for presenting exceptional monthly exhibits, supporting dedicated community outreach and offering a vast array of educational art programs taught by world-class instructors year-round. 

Visit our website for information about membership, WAS-H signature status, and to view the IWE 2026 Prospectus. https://www.watercolorhouston.org/International-Watermedia-Exhibit.

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Watercolor Art Society - Houston

49th International Watermedia Exhibition

IWE 2026 Prospectus

Registration opens: October 1, 2025

Registration closes: January 10, 2026, 11:59 pm MST

Artist Notification:  January 30, 2026

Deadline to Receive Shipments:  February 26, 2026, 3:00 pm CST

Awards and Gallery Reception:  March 1, 2026, Sunday, 3:30 pm CST

Gallery Exhibition Dates:   March 1, 2026 to March 29, 2026

Juror and Judge:  Don Andrews

IWE Director:  Lynn Rodriguez

IWE Contact Info: iwe2@watercolorhouston.org or (713) 942-9966

Printable IWE 2026 Prospectus: https://watercolorhouston.org/International-Watermedia-Exhibit

Prizes: $10,000 in cash awards

• 1st Place $2,500
• 2nd Place $2,000
• 3rd Place $1,500
• Ten Merit Awards of $150 each
• Odette Rubin Memorial Award $1000
• ET Kraycirik Award $500
• Margaret Scott Bock Award $500

WAS-H Signature and Elite Signature Status

Signature Status and Elite Signature Status are honors awarded to WAS-H members whose artworks have been selected for multiple years' participation in the WAS-H IWE.  Signature artists have exhibited their work in three IWEs; Elite Signature artists have exhibited their work in five or more IWEs.  Once designated, artists may add the credential "WAS-H" after their signature to indicate their status. 

To be eligible, an artist must be a WAS-H member at the time their artworks are submitted into the IWEs, however, there is no requirement for an artist to retain ongoing membership in WAS-H.  A "Signature Status Artist" retains that honorific for life regardless of membership. 

Juror and Judge Don Andrews

Don Andrews is a nationally known watercolor artist and workshop instructor. He is a graduate of Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida, and a resident of Bastrop, Texas. He 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 has conducted painting workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe for over 35 years. He is the author of the books, "Interpreting the Figures in Watercolor", "Interpreting the Landscape in Watercolor", and "Rough Sketches: Short Stories of a Traveling Artist". He has also created two DVD sets that follow his figure and landscape workshop curriculum as well as his DVD, "Making Watercolor Glow", taken from his original video. Don is featured in the Watson Guptill publication "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Watercolor" and the North Light book, "Confident Color". He has had numerous feature articles published in American Artist magazine and the Watercolor issue of American Artist.

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY 

Printable IWE 2026 Prospectus: https://watercolorhouston.org/International-Watermedia-Exhibit

For questions about the exhibition and/or entry, 

Contact IWE Director: Lynn Rodriguez at (713) 942-9966 or iwe2@watercolorhouston.org

Please submit early, so we can assist you with any technical issues in the entry process. Submissions and payments are done through CaFÉ.

Entry Details

• Participant Age: Must be 18 years of age or older.
• How to Enter: Artists must submit their artwork digitally through CaFÉ. File type: jpg, 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side, max 5MB. Images must be cropped to exclude mat, frame, and any background.
  • Set up a CaFÉ profile at https://www.callforentry.org
  • Direct link to register: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=16102
• Number of Entries: Up to three (3) works per artist may be submitted. Only one (1) work per artist may be selected for the exhibition. Not all artists will have works selected.
• Entry Fees: 1 entry = $40; 2 entries = $55; 3 entries = $70. Gold Level WAS-H members enter for free. Entry fees are nonrefundable.
• Creation Date: Only artwork completed on or after January 1, 2024 is eligible. Artworks may not have been accepted in any previous WAS-H Annual Members Exhibit (AME) or previous IWE.
• Originality: Artwork must be original and created without instruction. No works will be accepted that were created in a class or by other media instruction (Book, DVD, YouTube, etc.) or in collaboration with other artists or Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Reference: Reference photo may be used only if the photo was taken by the artist. No artwork will be accepted that was created from photos taken by others or photos in the public domain.
• Watermedia: At least 80% aqueous media including: watercolor, acrylic, gouache, egg tempera, casein, ink, metallic and luminescent water-based paint.
  • Unacceptable Media: oil paints; water‐miscible oil paints; oil pastel; oil stick; pastel; colored pencil; impasto; fabric; digital media or digitally enhanced images; multiple edition prints; sand; glitter; gold or metal leaf; collage from printed materials, newspaper, magazines, etc.; photography; reproductions; 3D media.
• Enhancements (Acceptable media up to 20%): soft pastel; watercolor pencils; charcoal; graphite; wax accents and resists; water-based monotypes and monoprints; embossing; No digital, copies, giclee, photography, prints, or fabric. No glitter, gold or metal leaf.
• Collage: Collage images must be 100% created by the artist and at least 80% aqueous media on archival materials. Commercially printed collage materials are not permitted.
• Acceptable Surfaces: Watercolor paper; toned watercolor paper; Yupo and similar synthetic papers; paper coated with water‐based varnish and gesso (like Gessobord™); Aquabord™; Claybord™; watercolor board; illustration board; textured paper; rice paper.
  • Unacceptable Surfaces: Gallery wrapped or stretched canvas; canvas paper; composite paper, panel, or wood that is coated with embedded materials that are not listed as acceptable surfaces; unmounted canvas or other fabrics; Tyvek; DuraLar; metal; glass.
• Surface size: No smaller than 9 inches (or 22.86 cm) and no larger than 44 inches (or 111.76 cm) on any side in the vertical or horizontal direction. No diptych, triptych, etc. Submission dimensions should not include the frame and/or mat. Must be specified correctly on entry or subject to disqualification.

Invitation, Notification, Acceptance and Shipping:

All artists will be notified whether their artwork is selected by the Juror to participate in the Exhibition.  If your artwork is selected by the Juror to participate, you will receive an invitation. Congratulations!  Promptly accept your invitation, pay the handling fee in CaFÉ, pack your artwork and ship it to Houston.

• Notifications: Sent on 1/30/2026.  All artists will be notified whether their work is selected. Artists whose works were selected will receive an invitation by email. Please double check your spam folder or login to CaFÉ.
• Acceptance deadline: Accept by 2/6/2026. Invited artists must accept or decline their invitation. Lack of response will be treated as declining. Declining forfeits eligibility for gallery participation and awards.
• Agree to online exhibition: Invited artists must agree to participate in the online exhibition as well.
• Selected artwork: Selected artwork must be the same as the digital picture originally entered online.  No substitutions or alterations. Registration information (price, title, entry size, availability) cannot be changed after entry.
• Handling fees: $25 for hand-delivered work, $50 for shipped work; Paid upon acceptance through CaFÉ.
• Shipping: 
  • Shipping period: February 6-26, 2026.
  • Instructions will be provided in the invitation notice.
  • Mailing address is: 1601 West Alabama Houston, TX 77006.
• Shipping Fees: Artists are responsible for all shipping fees and must include pre-paid return shipping labels. 
• Delivery Times: Deliveries are accepted Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am-3 pm.
• Delivery deadline: February 26, 2026. Paintings received after the deadline will not be in the judging.  No exceptions. 
• Intake: Intake and compliance check on February 27, 2026. Works are uncrated and closely examined for compliance with Prospectus regulations. No substitutions or remedies are allowed. The Screening Committee and IWE Director make the final decision regarding the disqualifications. Disqualified works are shipped back to their artists. 
• Location: WAS-H determines the location for hanging and placement for all artworks. No special requests. 
• Exhibition: 3/1/26 – 3/29/26 Artwork must remain on display in the gallery for the entire duration of the Exhibition. Removal of artwork prior to closing will result in penalties assessed by WAS-H and disqualification from entering future shows. 
• Awards: 
  • US residents will be paid via check. 
    • US residents who receive $600 or more in awards will receive a Form W-9 and a Form 1099 in January 2026 for tax purposes.
  • Non-US residents will be paid via wire transfer. 
    • Entrants who are not US residents will receive a Form W-8 BEN (which will be emailed with instructions for completion). Withholding tax will be made from awards in accordance with US tax laws and any existing tax treaty with the entrant's country of residence. No withholding is required on proceeds of a sold painting that was painted outside of the US. 

Framing, Matting, and Hanging:

• Framing: Artwork must be framed unless it is a cradled panel.
• Cradled panels: (such as Aquabord™ or Claybord™) must have professionally finished sides. Flat panels without a frame or cradle are not accepted.
• Mat: A mat is recommended (but optional) and must be true white (no off-white or natural shades). No colored mats or colored liners. Mat cores must be white. Double mats are allowed but must be the same brand of white. Mat must be clean. No more than two mats.
• Frame material: Must be wood or metal, in a plain, simple (not ornate) style. No frame embellishments (such as carving, edging, accents, distressing, texture, wood graining.
• Frame color: Black, white, brown, gold, or silver are the only allowed colors. Must be one solid color. No bronze, copper, or other colors. No tone changes, mottling, patterns, metal leafing, or obvious wood graining.
• Frame thickness: No thicker than 2.0 inches (5.08 cm) measured from front to back and side to side.
• Stability: Frames must be stable, sturdy, and undamaged. Artwork in loose or damaged frames will be disqualified.
• Hanging: Frames and cradled panels must be wired across the back with sturdy wire appropriate for weight. No sawtooth hangers. Wire must not show when mounted.
• Weight: Framed artwork weight should not exceed 45 lbs.
• Protection: Artwork must be protected by Plexiglass for framed work or varnish for cradled panels. No glass allowed. Artwork must be protected. No artistic embellishments on frame, mat, or plexiglass.
• Exhibition Ready: Artwork must have a professional presentation and be ready to hang when received by the gallery.  Secure the wire across the top third to top quarter of the frame with a slight slack, ensuring the wire is hidden when mounted. Mat(s) must be clean. 

Sales:

Sales of paintings during the Exhibition will be handled by WAS-H on behalf of the artist. Interested buyers may call the gallery at 713-942-9966 or send an email to admin@watercolorhouston.org. 

• Pricing: Art price listed includes the frame and 25% paid to WAS-H. The sales price is specified in the initial entry in CaFÉ and may not be changed after entry. For not-for-sale (NFS) artwork, specify $0 (zero) as the price in CaFÉ. Price is set in CaFÉ in portfolio.
• Discount: WAS-H reserves the right to negotiate up to a 10% discount to close a sale.
• WAS-H Commission: WAS-H receives a 25% commission for paintings sold during the Exhibition. This covers the costs of hosting the event and other operational expenses.
• Sales tax: Sales tax is charged for all sales regardless of artwork country of origin. Sales tax is 8.25%.
• Sold paintings: Sold paintings may not be removed from the gallery until the Exhibition closes.
• Shipping of sold paintings: Artists are responsible for coordinating with buyers the logistics for delivery including any handling and shipping costs.
• WAS-H is not responsible for shipping paintings.

Disqualification Checklist

 IWE Calendar

WATERCOLOR ART SOCIETY – HOUSTON

1601 West Alabama Houston TX 77006
Gallery: 713-942-9966
HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 3 pm

For general questions about the exhibition and/or entry Contact IWE Director: Lynn Rodriguez at iwe2@watercolorhouston.org

WAS-H Membership information: https://watercolorhouston.org/Membership-Application