Color in Hand - The Art of Soft Pastel

Soft Pastel is a dry painting medium in stick form, requiring neither liquid nor a brush to apply. The color is held in hand and applied directly to the painting surface. For these reasons, many artists love the immediacy.

Color in Hand - The Art of Soft Pastel

An Exhibition at Sebastopol Center for the Arts 

Exhibition Dates: Saturday October 24th thru Sunday November 29th 2026

Soft Pastel is a dry painting medium in stick form, requiring neither liquid nor a brush to apply. The color is held in hand and applied directly to the painting surface. For these reasons, many artists love the immediacy.

Pastels are made with pure pigment, the same raw materials as other artists’ paints such as oil and watercolor. The pigment is ground to a fine powder and mixed with just enough binder and water to be formed into sticks. To make a painting, pastels are dragged across a rough paper surface. Artists build up many layers of color over the course of creating a work. The expressive possibilities of pastel are unlimited.

This exhibition is co-sponsored by the Pastel Society of the West Coast, whose mission is to promote and encourage the use of pastel through education, community, and artistic excellence. PSWC provides workshops, demonstrations, regional paint-outs and paint-ins, annual competitions with significant awards, scholarships for students and members, and a triannual magazine featuring pastel artists, techniques, and events from across the pastel community.

Call For Entry:

Call Opens: August 13th, 2026 

Call Closes: November 13, 2026 10:59 PM PST 

Jurying dates: November 14th- 19th, 2026

Notifications to artists: November 20th, 2026

Deadline for shipped artwork to arrive at SebArts: Thursday December 31st, 2026 

In Person Drop Off: Sunday, January 3rd, 2027 2:00-4:00, Tuesday, January 5th, 2027 10:00-3:00 p.m.

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 9th 2027, 2-4 PM

SebArts Mission statement:

Sebastopol Center for the Arts is committed to cultivating creativity and inspiring appreciation for the transformative power of art. We produce, promote and present artists - local, national, international – through curated gallery exhibits, artists open studio events, arts lectures, poetry readings, concerts, adult and youth education, a state of the art ceramics studio and an acclaimed documentary film festival. We are dedicated to honoring diversity, encouraging creative excellence, and providing a welcoming gathering place for the community to:  Experience Art, Make Art, Share Art and Celebrate Creative Thought.

Questions? Damian Estrella at destrella@sebarts.org or 707-829-4797 x 1003

Entry-Fees:

$35 per application (with 2 detailed images)

$10 for a second application (with 2 detailed images)

$10 for a third application (with 2 detailed images)

Medium, Dimensions & Framing:

 All subjects and genres are welcome, from realism to abstraction. Works must be in soft pastel—no oil pastels. The artwork’s final surface must be at least 80% soft pastel. Your work must be original and based on your own references, not copied from other artists or published material. All works must be framed and under glass for safety.  Work must be produced in the last 4 years. May not exceed 4 feet wide.

Work must be framed, wired and ready to hang. No sawtooth hangers accepted. 

Eligibility 

Open to artists worldwide.

This call for entry allows up to 3 entries. $35 for one application including 3 detailed images. Additional $10 for each additional application (including 3 detailed images). All work must not have been previously shown in the SebArts Gallery. PSWC members’ entry fee will be discounted (available through organization communications). 

Please Note: SebArts goal is to promote currently working artists, so we ask that you only submit work produced in the last 4 years.

Entry Requirements

Submissions must be entered online only 

Please ensure that all images are 5MB or less in size and are in JPEG format. 

Please submit a high quality image that best represents your work. Work that differs from the submission image may not be included in the exhibition.  

Awards: 

Best of Show $400 Sponsored by the PSWC

First Place $300

Second Place $200

Third Place $100

2 Coordinator Awards at $50 each

Commission 

Artists will receive 60% of the sales price of the work sold, SebArts will receive the remaining 40%. This greatly helps SebArts continue to put on exhibitions and display these wonderful works for our community. SebArts main focus is to uplift artists.

Shipping Specifications: 

All work must have the artist’s name/contact information attached to their piece

Ship to ATTN: VISUAL ARTS TEAM SebArts, 282 S. High St, Sebastopol, CA 95472 

Shipped work must arrive by Friday December 31st, 2026 

Artists are responsible for all shipping and handling costs to and from the exhibit. 

Each shipped entry must be packaged in a reusable container for the return of work: Include installation and re-packing instructions as necessary. 

So that we may return your unsold art, each shipped entry MUST include a prepaid return label and form (UPS or FedEx). 

Unsold work, with valid return shipping forms will be shipped within 15 days of the last day of the show. 

PLEASE unpack and inspect your returned artwork immediately and communicate any concerns with SebArts within 14 days of receipt. 

SebArts is not responsible for damage to art after 15 days. 

Hand Delivered Art

Must be dropped off:

Sunday, January 3rd 2:00-4:00, 

Tuesday, January 5th 10:00-3:00 p.m.

Must have artist name and contact information on the back of the work.

Selected work must be on view for the duration of the exhibit. Work may not be withdrawn prior to close of the exhibition. 

Work must be picked up:

Monday February 15th, 2027 10-3PM 

Please Read the Fine Print

Selected artists agree to allow their work to be photographed for media use, for educational and publicity purposes. 

Artists receive 60% of the sales price of work that is sold. 

Indicate clearly on form if not for sale NFS. 

Shipped or hand delivered artwork left 30 days after the closing of the exhibition will be considered SebArts property  

Notifications 

Artists will be notified by email of acceptance by November 20th, 2026

SebArts reserves the right to make minor amendments to the juried choices to balance the needs of the exhibitions in our gallery.

Questions? Email Damian Estrella at destrella@sebarts.org or 707-829-4797 x 1003