52nd Annual Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Open International Exhibit

The Pittsburgh Watercolor Society 2026 Aqueous Open International Exhibit is open to all artists 18 or older working primarily with water-based media on a paper.                                     

This year, this exhibit will be online via our website: www.pittsburghwatercolorsociety.com and also in person at the Manos Art Gallery   200 Freeport Rd. New Kensington, PA. 15068 

November 7th, 2026 through November 28th, 2026.        

Important Dates:

• Deadline to enter: October 10th by 11:59 pm. EST.
 Shipped work must arrive at the Manos Art Gallery by October 24th, 2026 
• Hand delivered work: Friday October 23rd (from 11am-4pm and Saturday 10/24 (From 11am-4pm)                                                        
• Opening Reception: November 7th,2026 (5pm - 8pm) at the Manos Art Gallery   200 Freeport Rd, New Kensington PA. 15068                     
• Pick up/shipping of unsold works:  December 2nd (From Noon-6pm) and   December 3rd (From 11am-4pm) 

Enter online at CaFE by October 10th, 2026.
Artists may enter up to two (2) pieces for consideration and both may be accepted.
• Go to www.callforentry.org
• Create a free artist profile and upload your digital images (1 or 2) to your portfolio. The CaFE site will resize images uploaded to the required sizing.
• Click “Apply to Calls” and search for “2026 Aqueous Open International Exhibit"
• Follow entry instructions, click to enter and pay securely by credit card or check.

Digital Files: Images must be professional quality, showing only the painted image, and be accurate for color catalog reproduction. All files must be saved in high-quality (maximum) jpg format. The dimensions
must be 1920 pixels or greater on the long side.
Resolution should be at least 300 dpi and the file size must be 3.5 MB or less.
For detailed instructions on preparing and sizing digital files, visit the PWS website: www.pittsburghwatercolorsociety.com/Digital-Entry-Help. A useful online resource for resizing images is at: www.picresize.com.

Accepted Work: All work must be framed and ready for hanging (with wire). Absolutely no sawtooth hangers.
Hand Deliver Work to the Manos Art Gallery:
Friday 10/23 (From 11am - 4pm)           Saturday 10/24 (From 11am - 4pm)

Ship Work: Acrylic/Plexiglas only; NO GLASS. Do NOT pack work in “popcorn”.
Ship to: The Manos Art Gallery, 200 Freeport Rd. New Kensington, PA. 15068 
• No shipped work will be accepted after October 24th, 2026 
• Domestic work and international work shipped through a domestic clearinghouse must include pre-paid, pre-arranged return shipping documents and instructions.
• International shipments must contain all completed return documentation, airbills, customs forms, and appraisal (if value is over $300).
 

Framing:
• Matting must be white, off white, light gray. No colored matts and no double matts.
• Frames should be simple and black, gray, silver or gold, no more than 1 ½" wide. The work must be wired and ready to install. No sawtooth hangers.

Awards: Awards are selected from received work.
The Best of Show award was $1,400.00 last year with over $5,000 in total cash and prize awards. Awards announced at the Opening on Saturday November 7th, 2026.

Sales: All work must be for sale at current market value and not concurrently in another exhibit.
Sales will be handled through PWS. Artist will receive 70% of sale price (after sales tax), The Manos Art Gallery will receive 20% and Pittsburgh Watercolor Society will receive 10%. If purchased, the artist will be responsible for shipping the painting to the buyer, so price accordingly. Paintings must remain installed until the close of the show on December 2nd, 2026.
Buyers may pick up work:  December 2nd, 2026 (From noon-6pm) and December 3rd (From 11am-4pm) 

PWS Membership Eligibility: Artists exhibiting in Aqueous Open three years out of five become eligible for PWS membership. Members who get accepted in Aqueous Open three out of five years become Signature members. 

Inquiries reqarding membership to: 
membership@pittsburghwatercolorsociety.com

Rights, Responsibilities and Liability: PWS has the right to refuse any work that does not meet specifications or is not accurately represented by the digital image. Sending an entry implies an agreement with all conditions set forth in this prospectus and
grants the right to PWS to reproduce the work for the catalog and publicity. All accepted artists must complete a waiver of liability on acceptance of their work to the exhibition.

Pick-up/Return of unsold exhibited work:      Hand delivered work must be picked up on December 2nd from (Noon – 6 pm) and December 3rd (from 11 am - 4 pm)

Shipped work will be returned as promptly as possible.

PWS and The Manos Art Gallery will not be responsible for any return shipping charges. A prepaid, return shipping label must be included when the accepted work is shipped to the exhibit.

 
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Jeannie McGuire, Juror

McGuire’s creative process is sparked by the gestures and expressions of her reference material, which she transforms through imagined narratives, lived experience, and influences drawn from literature and film. Her figurative paintings unfold in multiple ongoing series—including women, men, dance, and industry—each exploring the physical and psychological presence of the human form.

Her work is held in private collections throughout the United States and Europe, including the Pennsylvania State Museum. McGuire has exhibited widely at national and international venues, including the American Watercolor Society, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (Oregon), and the Grand Palais in Paris. She is the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the American Watercolor Society Gold Medal of Honor (2011).

McGuire’s work has been featured in publications and media such as Watercolor Artist, American Art Collector, Le Grand Livre de l’Aquarelle, Artensity, and the Learn to Paint podcast. She is also a sought-after instructor, leading figurative art workshops and providing individual mentorship.

McGuire lives and works in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and travels frequently to the San Francisco Bay Area.

 
“All work must be for sale exclusively through PWS and not currently being exhibited in another show.  LINK TO CONSEQUENCES FOR FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROSPECTUS GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND ON THE PITTSBURGH WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
WEBSITE: https://www.pittsburghwatercolorsociety. com/exhibitions
 

QUESTIONS? Contact us at
exhibitions@pittsburghwatercolorsociety.com

Enter online at CaFE by October 10th, 2026.
Artists may enter up to two (2) pieces for consideration and both pieces may be accepted.
• Go to www.callforentry.org
• Create a free artist profile and upload your digital images (1 or 2) to your portfolio. The CaFE site will resize images uploaded to the required sizing.
• Click “Apply to Calls” and search for 52nd Annual Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Open International Exhibit.

Follow entry instructions, click to enter and pay securely by credit card or check.
Digital Files: Images must be professional quality, showing only the painted image, and be accurate for color catalog reproduction. All files must be saved in high-quality (maximum) jpg format. The dimensions
must be 1920 pixels or greater on the long side.
Resolution should be at least 300 dpi and the file size must be 3.5 MB or less.
For detailed instructions on preparing and sizing digital files, visit the PWS website: www.pittsburghwatercolorsociety.com/Digital-Entry-Help. A useful online resource for resizing images is at:
www.picresize.com.

Accepted Work: All work must be framed and ready for hanging (with wire). Absolutely no sawtooth hangers.
Hand Deliver Work to the Manos Art Gallery:
Friday 10/23 (From 11am-4pm)                      Saturday 10/24 (From 11am-4pm)

 Shipped Work: Acrylic/Plexiglas only; NO GLASS. Do NOT pack work in “popcorn”.
Ship to: The Manos Art Gallery (200 Freeport Rd. New Kensington PA. 15068    

• No shipped work will be accepted after October 24th, 2026. 
• Domestic work and international work shipped through a domestic clearinghouse must include pre-paid, pre-arranged return shipping documents and instructions.
• International shipments must contain all completed return documentation, airbills, customs forms, and appraisal (if value is over $300).
 

Framing:
• Matting must be white, off white, light gray. No colored matts and no double matts.
• Frames should be simple and black, gray, silver or gold, no more than 1½" wide. The work must be wired and ready to install. No sawtooth hangers.

Sales: All work must be for sale at current market value and not concurrently in another exhibit.
 Artist will receive 70% of sale price (after sales tax), The Manos Art Gallery will receive 20% and Pittsburgh Watercolor Society will receive 10%. 

If purchased, the artist will be responsible for shipping the painting to the buyer, so price accordingly. 

Paintings must remain installed until the close of the show on December 2nd, 2026. Local buyers may pick up work after December 2nd, 2026 during regular business hours at the Manos Art Gallery.

Eligibility: PWS Aqueous Open 2026 Annual International Exhibition is open to all artists 18 or older working primarily with water-based media on a paper surface (YUPO and Tyvek are permitted) and
unvarnished.
No canvas.                  
Mediums include: Watercolor, acrylic, casein, gouache, egg tempera. No pastels, class work,digital images, any form of print or reproductions,
10% collage only.
• Artist’s original work only.
• Minimum size: 12" x 12" image size The reason for the size limitation is due to the exhibit in the online gallery. Small pieces don’t show up well on the walls.
• Maximum size: 40" x 40" framed size
Work must have been completed within the last two
years and not previously shown in a PWS exhibit.
Entry fee: for one or two pieces is $45 (US funds) for non-members and $35 (using a discount code) for Pittsburgh Watercolor Society members. The fee is non-refundable.
You can securely pay online using PayPal, even if you do not have a PayPal account. Instructions for paying by check will be provided online.