National Exhibition Details

Prospectus

***All artists will be held to the Terms laid out in the Official 2026 National Exhibition Prospectus.***

General Overview

Venue: Greenville Center for Creative Arts 101 Abney St. Greenville, SC 29611
Entries Begin: May 16, 2026
Entry Deadline: June 28, 2026 11:59 PM EDT No entries will be accepted after this date.
Exhibition Dates: October 2 – November 21, 2026
Juror: David Stickel
Awards: Best of Show $1500. Minimum total cash awards are $3000 with additional prize money and/or
merchandise awards to be determined.
Online Entry: Enter up to two images. Only one may be accepted by an individual artist.

JUROR

From the artist David Stickle:
This concept of ‘excellence’ challenges me, as it once did the great masters–to create representational works through the medium of watercolor that speaks to the heart. It beckons the mind of the viewer into the beauty and creativity of the everyday wonders around us. I especially enjoy creating images that few others would ever consider painting because of their overwhelming complexity.

Known for my representational paintings of reflections–especially of windows–I love how each tells its own story inside as well as outside the window. My goal and passion is to paint an image on a 2-dimensional surface making it look as 3-dimensional as possible.

I draw inspiration for my compositions from my beloved North Carolina as well as two years in Africa, trips to China, Europe, and throughout the U.S. where I have lived or traveled. However, I agree with Andrew Wyeth, who once said there was enough subject matter in his own backyard to paint over several lifetimes.
https://www.davidlstickel.com/

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2025 48th Annual National Exhibition

A Note from the Society

September 15, 2025

The South Carolina Watermedia Society has recently identified works in the National Exhibition that did not meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the prospectus. In keeping with those rules, the artists involved have been notified, their works have been removed from the Exhibition, and they have been
suspended from participating in SCWS competitions during 2026 and 2027.

While this outcome is disappointing, our responsibility is to uphold the standards of the prospectus to ensure fairness and integrity in every exhibition. We remain committed to supporting all of our artists and fostering a community built on respect, transparency, and fair competition.

SCWS is dedicated to protecting the interests of all artists and the integrity of competition. To strengthen this commitment, the Board is reviewing the prospectus to refine and clarify its guidelines. In addition, the Society has created a new Board position–the Compliance Review Chairman–whose sole responsibility will be to review entries for adherence to the prospectus. We are pleased to announce that this role will be filled by Mr. Lee Monts of Columbia.

Award Winning Artists

Enjoy looking through the National Exhibition LookBook, which showcases the award winning pieces selected by judge Alexis Lavine! The LookBook will be posted following the September 12th opening and will remain available for one year.

Accepted Artists

SCWS excitedly congratulates the following artists on their acceptance to the 2025 National Exhibition:

Artists are listed alphabetically by last name.

Suzanne Accetta, Victoria Alger, Joanne Anderson, Sharon Anderson, Gina Noelle Ash, Jefferson Ron Boozer, Frankie Bush, Gina Buzby, Ingrid Carson, Kathy Caudill, Dale Cochran, Rosie Coleman, Gail Cunningham, Jackie Dorsey, Marie Echols, Renea Eshleman, Jeanie Everett, Donald Farrell, Z Feng, Nanette Fitzgerald, Steve Garner, Travis Hicks, Anne Hightower-Patterson, Catherine Hillis, Marian Hornsby, Mary Houser, Xiao Xing Hu, John James, Kie Johnson, Robert Jorns, Maura Kenny, Joshua Knight, Carole Knudson-Tinsley, Anita Laudone Harley, Stacy Lund Levy, Ron Malone, Constance Manley, Rebecca McDuffie, Lee Monts, Kathryn Morganelli, Al Morris, Wesa Neely, Mengjue Jessica Ni, McClain Percy, Susan Perry, Lisa Pope, Trish Poupard, Elizabeth Purcell, Marcia Pyner, Jill Hassall Rees, Nancy Seay, Rosemary Segreti, Mei Shu, Dana Thompson, Lizabeth Thompson, Junco Uras, Rachel Varner, Christine Walker, Gail Watson, Kathryn Wedge, Amber Weeks, and Lori Wilson

Accepted Works