The Minnesota Watercolor Society is pleased to announce their spring juried exhibition “REFLECTIONS” will be held April 10, 2025 – May 16, 2025, at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts.
| Key Dates: 2025 Spring Exhibition “Reflections” | |
| Registration Opens | Saturday- February 1, 2025 Information provided during registration may not be changed once submitted |
| Registration Closes | Monday- February 17, 2025 at 8pm. No late entries will be accepted. |
| Jury of Selection | February 20-28, 2025 |
| Notification of Acceptance | After March 3, 2025 by email or check MNWS Website for List of Accepted Exhibitors |
| Drop-off date | Saturday-April 5, 2025 10am-1pm (No early or late drop offs) No substitutions of artwork are allowed. Title and prices must match entry information. |
| Exhibition dates | April 10, 2025-May 16, 2025 |
| Opening Night/Awards | Thursday – April 10, 2025 6:30-8:30pm- Light refreshments will be served. |
| Exhibition Closes | Friday – May 16, 2025 |
| Pick-up Date | Saturday – May 17, 2025 10am-1pm (No late pick-ups) |
| MNWS 2025 Prospectus: Spring Exhibition Entry Rules | |
| Participant Age | Must be 18 years of age or older |
| Eligibility | Entrants must be a Minnesota Watercolor Society (MNWS) member with dues paid through the current membership year. Entrants may join MNWS or renew their membership during the online entry process. |
| How to Enter | Registration is available ONLINE ONLY through the MNWS website. Images must be sent via email according to the instructions in the entry form. Do not send images before entering. |
| Digital Images | A high-quality digital image, in .jpg format, must be submitted for each entry. Images must be cropped to exclude any mat, frame or background. This image is used by the juror during selection. Make it the best you can! The image must be at least 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side. Max 3.5MB Note: Do not photograph images through glass or plexiglass as it distorts the image rendering it unusable for the juror. |
| Number of Entries | Up to 2 works per artist may be entered. Juror will determine which pieces are accepted into the exhibition |
| Entry Fees | Single Entry $30; Two Entries $35 Entry fees are non-refundable |
| Creation Date of works | Only artwork completed in the past 24 months is eligible. Works shown in previous MNWS exhibitions are ineligible. |
| Originality | Artist’s original work only. No class work. No work done under supervision. No copies or likenesses of another artist’s work including published source or reference work not attributable to the artist. No work generated with or assisted by AI (artificial intelligence) may be submitted to the exhibition. |
| Reference Photos | When using reference photo(s) for your work, they MUST be taken by you. Photos taken by friends, family members, or obtained online or from other sources are not allowed, even if usage permission has been granted by the photographer. AI generated reference photos are not permitted |
| Primary Medium | The primary medium used must be Water-based media. Acceptable mediums: Watercolor, Acrylic, Gouache, Egg Tempera, Casein No impasto textures. |
| Acceptable Enhancements | Soft Pastels, Crayon, Watercolor Pencil, Charcoal, Graphite, Wax accents/resists, Ink, Metallic and luminescent paints, Gold Foil. |
| Collage | Collage images must be 100% created by the artist and follow the acceptable medium and surface rules. Any collage used cannot dominate the painting. Found materials (leaves, twigs, petals, jewelry pieces, buttons, etc.) can NOT be used. |
| Surfaces | Acceptable Surface: Watercolor paper, toned watercolor paper, YupoTM or similar synthetic papers, Rice Paper, AquaboardTM, ClayboardTM, Canvas or Wood. Surfaces can be coated or treated with products such as gesso or gel medium, to accept water-based media |
| Actual image Size | Images may not be larger than 40” on any side. No Diptych, Triptych or other composite style work. |
| Pricing | All work for the spring exhibition must be for sale. Price should include consideration of the gallery commission as well as framing costs. Gallery handles all sales. (Insurance value must exclude any mark-up added to cover the gallery commission) |
Artwork selected for exhibition must adhere to the rules to present a cohesive professional look across the exhibition. The following information will help you showcase your art in the best manner possible while meeting the rules. MNWS exhibition chairs reserve the right to reject any piece that is non-compliant or request remediation.
| MNWS 2025 Prospectus: Exhibition Participation Rules | |
| Framing | Simple Wood or Metal frames with flat faces and squared off profile. Frames may not exceed 2” in width and 1 1/2” in depth Frames must be in solid, sellable condition. No cracks, dents or chips. Unsealed/ unvarnished paintings must be under glass or plexiglass. Frames must not have carving, gilding, embossed, or relief designs. |
| Frame colors | Black, Gray, White, Cream, Silver, Gold, or Natural wood tones. No colored frames. |
| Matting | Top mat must be clean in off white, or white. A narrow colored liner is allowable. Mat widths should be appropriate for the image size. |
| Cradled Art | Work on unframed canvas and cradled boards must be sealed or varnished with painted or sealed edges. The finished depth of the board or panel must be at least 1” thick and should not exceed 2” thick. |
| Finished Size | Exterior finished size cannot exceed 44” on any side. |
| Hanging | All work must include a hanging wire that is 2 inches down from the highest point at the top of the frame, canvas or board. No sawtooth hangers. Rubber pads must be affixed to both lower corners. |
| Hanging Label | Paintings must include the MNWS ID label affixed to the back in the upper left-hand corner. Business cards or other identification labels are not allowed in lieu of the MNWS label. Access a MNWS label here. |
| Commission | The gallery where the exhibition is held takes a percentage of the sale price as their commission for handling the sale. The MTCFA gallery commission for 2025 is 40% if you are a member of MTCFA or 50% for non-members. Any pieces sold within 60 days after the show are subject to a Gallery commission of 20%. The Gallery will require a consignment form to be completed and dropped off with your art. This form will be sent to you just prior to the exhibition. |
| Painting Delivery and pick-up | Paintings must be delivered to and picked up from the gallery in person, on the specified dates. If you are unable to do this yourself, you may ask someone to deliver or pick up on your behalf. No Shipments are accepted by the gallery. |
Usage Permission and Agreement to the Rules
- By entering the exhibition, entrants give MNWS permission to store digital images of submitted paintings for MNWS archives. These digital images may be used online on our website, in exhibition catalogs, in future prospectus applications and/or for publicity. Images may also be shared with the gallery for advertising purposes.
- Artists are required to acknowledge that they have adhered to all MNWS Exhibition Rules at the time of online registration and that they will frame their piece in accordance with the rules.
High Resolution Digital Images
Accepted artists may be asked to provide a higher resolution image if the entry receives an award. Using the highest setting on a digital camera including most smart phones camera when taking a photo of the painting usually works to get a high-resolution image. This is often described as 2084 pixels at 72 ppi (pixels per inch) or more. 300 dpi is another way to describe a high-resolution image. Another option is to take the painting to a copy business such as FedEx Office or OfficeMax and request a high resolution scan.