Pastels USA 2022 will be the 36th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL OPEN EXHIBITION by the Pastel Society of the West Coast. This year’s show will be LIVE in Morro Bay! We are excited to be back! As we did last year, we will choose 99 paintings over 3 categories. These categories are explained below. The prospectus is available below and on ShowSubmit.com
At PSWC we recognize that art has many voices. Pastels USA – 99 Voices! – will jury just 99 works of art into our exhibition, 33 works into each of 3 categories of specialty. The categories will be:
Ultra–Modern and Experimental
Contemporary Realism
Contemporary Impressionism (which will include plein air)
Each entrant must select the Category of Submission for their entries. Up to 5 entries total allowed. While an artist may enter into more than 1 category, any particular individual-painting may be entered into only 1 of the 3 categories.
NO MULTIPLE CATEGORY ENTRIES PER INDIVIDUAL WORK OF ART.
The Pastel Society of the West Coast does not want to curtail the creative voice of any artist by defining the artist’s right to self-definition of expression. We encourage all artists to become cognizant of their work by category choice, and we offer the following only as a general guideline.
· Ultra Modern – Experimental: This is non-objective painting. It may be abstract, abstract collage, conceptual, and experimental painting that is non-representational. It does not represent specific objects, people, or other objects found in the natural world.
· Contemporary Realism – This is objective painting founded in traditional academic training that depicts easily recognizable subject matter. It may be figurative, landscape, collage, or still life. It represents objects, people, or other objects found in the natural world.
This category includes work that is created in the realistic manner, using traditional techniques to define the subject matter in a sense that closely defines the actual subject in the observed world. This is the straightforward, realistic approach to representational work.
Plein air work in the actual sense of the definition refers to that impressionistic, field study that was the precursor to studio painting. However in the current popular world of plein air painting, both representational and impressionistic works exist. Please, if entering plein air work in this exhibition, chose either the realilsm or the impressionism category, whichever fits your style of plein air work.
~Bonnie Griffith, Art Instructor
· Contemporary Impressionism (includes, but not exclusive to plein air painting) – This is objective painting based in expression or an impression of realism. It also depicts easily recognizable subject matter. It may be figurative, landscape, collage, or still life. It too represents objects, people, or other objects found in the natural world.
This category includes work that is done in the spirit of the early impressionistic artists of 130 years ago, using less definition and defined lines of clear realistic forms that is seen in the realistic approach to art. Consider this taking the subject matter beyond the actual, observed sense while using values and light to define the subject.
~Bonnie Griffith, Art Instructor
Please view the 2021 show to see the types of work in each category.
Judge and Jurors
We will have one juror (overall) for awards, and 3 jurors of expertise, one appropriate to each category. The category judges will separately jury into the exhibition 33 works of art each – respective to the entries in their specialty and will nominate 3 of the 33 as potentials for 1st place in their category. That will create a top field of 9 works of art.
From that field of 9 our distinguished juror of awards will choose one work as Best in Show, and a first place specific to each of the 3 categories followed by the remaining awards of recognition placed throughout the entire field of accepted entries. All jurying will be by content, not by authorship.
Our judge for the show is Dr. Luis A. Zona, Executive Director, Butler Institute of American Art-Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
Ultra-Modern and Experimental – Isabelle Lim, PSA, MP of Societe des Pastelists de France
Contemporary Realism – Lyn Diefenbach, Master Pastelist-Pastel Society of Australia, Eminent Pastelist- IAPS
Contemporary Impressionism (includes plein air) – Clarence Porter, Master Pastelist-Pastel Artists of Canada, Instructor at Dundas Valley Schoo of Art
Only 33 entries will be accepted into each of the three categories. You can find the Prospectus below
