The Pastel Society
of the West Coast
BREAKING NEWS
Pastels USA: 99 Voices in Pastels is now accepting submissions! See prospectus below or go to ShowSubmit.com
Our submissions deadline is June 19th, 2023! Let’s get painting!

The Moos 2023 Show is up!
Congratulations to the Award Winners
and all the artists who made it in!
Click HERE to view

We Talk Art is the new quarterly Zoom presentation for members of the PSWC. Bonnie Zahn Griffith will be chatting with well known artists in an informal virtual setting. These distinguished guests will be sharing their stories, processes, tips and more. The link to these interviews will be sent to members and posted on our Facebook page. The series will feature “live” interviews, so participants may post questions and comments during and after the interview.
July 9, 12:00 Noon PST – Featuring Scott Christensen: From Scott’s website: “After nearly three decades at the easel, Christensen is recognized around the globe, as evidenced by his invitation to show in Russia’s Ilya Repin St. Petersburg State Academic Institute for Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. His energy flows through his work, paintings that, in turn, move us, opening our eyes to the beauty of places as varied as the California coast at twilight, and the storied English countryside. They are luscious yet economical landscapes that beg to be explored.”
WORKSHOPS
Go to our workshop page here to see what’s available and go to the Event Calendar to register for a workshop here
Find out about our workshop SCHOLARSHIPS!
WELCOME!
You don’t have to live on the West Coast to become a member! With PSWC members located throughout the United States and around the world, the Pastel Society of the West Coast offers a strong voice for expanding the presence of soft pastel as a major fine art painting medium. PSWC was organized in 1984 to promote pastel artists and the soft pastel medium. Today, PSWC is among the most recognized pastel societies.
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
PSWC provides social media channels for pastel education, communication, and exposure for members.
PSWC sponsors two annual juried exhibitions: the PASTELS USA open exhibition to showcase award-winning pastel artwork in public venues and the MEMBERS ONLY ONLINE SHOW (MOOS)
Our organization publishes the PSWC Magazine exclusively for members. Click here for the PSWC Magazines.
Because our society members are spread far beyond the West Coast, we offer a Regional Representatives program to support regional activities.
We provide optional, individual Members Art Gallery pages connected to our Member Directory.
PSWC sponsors an Art Scholarship for qualifying students interested in the further study of art and pursuing an art career.
Because PSWC is a member of IAPs, our members automatically become IAPS artist members and are eligible for IAPS juried exhibitions at prestigious galleries and on the web, as well as participation in the IAPS Convention at discount rates.
The Pastel Society of the West Coast is incorporated as a non-profit organization. The PSWC is run completely by volunteer Board Members. Endowments and bequests are welcome; please contact our President.
As a PSWC member, you are welcome to join our Facebook Group page and please follow us on Instagram as well!
Note: Artwork featured on the website is from artists who entered recent shows. Please see show art by clicking the Current Shows or Past Shows tabs at the top of the page to see titles and artists.