Established 1979

Our Mission... is to encourage, promote and advance water media painting on paper through the education of artists and the general public. History In late March 1979 a group of 12 Pennsylvania watercolor artists led by Nick Ruggieri established the Pennsylvania Watercolor society. The first show was held in Strawberry Square, Downtown Harrisburg. Of the 311 entries for the show, 132 were hung in the exhibit. Gold Silver and Bronze medals, cash and prizes were awarded. Since that time, many other awards and prizes have been established. Shows The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society sponsors two annual shows: a juried show open to all artists and a non juried show open only to members. The juried exhibition receives national recognition and participation. Slide entries for this show are judged by a nationally known watercolor artist. Well over 600 slide entries are received each year. From these entries between 90 and 120 paintings are chosen to be exhibited in a designated location. This location is changed each year so that the best of watercolor art is presented to the general public in different regions of the state. This also gives the artist an opportunity to become better known in these regions. What we do PWS represents artists working in water media on paper. We sponsor a juried and a nonjuried member show each year. Both are held in different locations across the Commonwealth. A workshop open to all artists at all levels is held in Central Pennsylvania every year. Nationally-known watercolor artists conduct the popular workshops. Costs for these workshops is kept at a reasonable rate in order to encourage diverse enrollment. A lending library of instructional video materials can be checked out and used by members for the cost of shipping and handling. An archive of all slides from each of our juried shows is available to individuals, schools, universities and organizations. These slides are accompanied by comments written by the artists who juried the shows. PWS publishes a quarterly newsletter which is distributed to the general membership and notifies members of upcoming events within and outside of the State, recognizes members and their achievements and publishes topics of general interest. One open meeting for all members is held each year to elect officers. Who We Are General membership of PWS is open to all artists working in water media on paper. Although most of our members come from Pennsylvania, membership is offered to artists nationwide. We also have a few international members. As a nonprofit organization, reasonable dues are charged to help defray expenses. The business of the Society is performed by an executive board located in Central Pennsylvania. This board of watercolorists arrange the details for workshops, juried shows, member shows as well as publish a quarterly newsletter and maintain a lending library. An executive director is appointed by the board to oversee the budget and keep all organizational needs on track. We welcome any artist working in water media to join. Anyone interested in membership applications, video lending library, locations for local exhibitions, or use of our slide presentation should contact the PWS Director at P.O. Box 626, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. Awards From the beginning of the Society, members have earned signature status by being accepted into two juried shows. This status is maintained through membership. Click the links below to learn more.