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Current Prospectus

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The Minnesota Watercolor Society
is pleased to announce

The 36th Annual Fall
Non-juried Member Exhibition

"Alchemy of Light"

August 6 - September 12, 2026


Hopkins Center for the Arts


Call for Entry!

Open for submissions: June 29 - July 12, 2026

Please read full prospectus before submitting to ensure art meets requirements:

Download Prospectus

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Lois Rhomberg, Judge and Jurist

Lois Rhomberg is a Minneapolis based fine artist specializing in painting and sculptures of people. Her work is known for sensitive drawing, lively color and emotional presence. She is also a seasoned theatrical scene designer and painter, designing at Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, NM and the Fargo-Moorhead Opera in Fargo, ND, among other companies. She has also painted as the lead scenic artist at regional theaters such as the Guthrie, Minnesota Opera, the Cleveland Playhouse and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Lois was the tech director and design teacher for 11 years at South High School in Minneapolis. She also taught scenic painting at the University of Minnesota and classical drawing and painting at the Atelier in Minneapolis and the Minnesota River school of Fine Art in Burnsville, MN. As a commercial artist, Lois has been a mural painter and designer, a book illustrator, and a decorative painter and illustrator for retail stores and restaurants. She is currently the co-founder of Studio Pintura, a fine art studio, gallery and arts programming space in NE Minneapolis producing gallery shows, hosting workshops by nationally known artists, and producing varied arts events.

LoisRhomberg1@gmail.com
Info.StudioPintura@gmail.com
Key Dates: 2026 Fall Exhibition "Alchemy of Light"
Registration Opens Friday, June 29, 2026 – Entry will be done in our new Club Express system. NOTE: Information provided during registration may not be changed once submitted
Registration Closes Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 8pm. No late entries will be accepted.
Notification of Acceptance  First 65 entries will be accepted. Registration will be disabled once maximum entries are met.
Drop-off Date Monday, August 3, 2026 5-8pm (No early or late drop offs). No substitutions of artwork are allowed. Title and prices must match entry information.
Exhibition Dates August 6 - September 12, 2026
Opening/Awards Thursday, August 6, 2026, 6-8pm - Light refreshments will be served.
Exhibition Close September 12, 2026
Pick-up Date Sunday, September 13, 2026 - Time TBD (No late pick-ups)
 Prospectus: 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 must join MNWS or renew their membership prior to starting the online entry process.
How to Enter Registration is available ONLINE ONLY through the MNWS website. High quality digital images must be attached in the entry form prior to completing the entry. 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. 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.
Number of Entries One work per artist may be entered.
Entry Fee Entry Fee $35. Entry fee is non-refundable and must be paid during the submission process.
Creation Date 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 If using reference photos, photography must be the original work of the artist. 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.
Acceptable Surfaces 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 44” on any side. No Diptych, Triptych or other composite style work.
Pricing In general, all pieces 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.
 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 and 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. A label template will be sent via email two weeks prior to drop off.
Commission The gallery where the exhibition is held takes a percentage of the sale price as their commission for handling the sale. Hopkins Center for the Arts will retain a 30% commission for art sold. 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 Drop-off 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

  1. By entering the exhibition, entrants give MNWS and Minnetonka Center for the Arts permission to store digital images of submitted paintings. 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.
  2. 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


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 cameras, 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.

Questions?


Contact us: 
fallshow@minnesotawatercolors.com