Exhibition Details
Arizona Pastel Artists Association is thrilled to return to the Phippen Museum of Western Art in historic Prescott, Arizona for the 11th Open International Exhibition and Sale. The Phippen houses an outstanding permanent collection and is proud of its role of presentation, promotion, and preservation of art of the American West. The charming town of Prescott, once the territorial capital, is rich with history embodied in its world-famous Whiskey Row, oldest rodeo in the country, and historical landmarks.
Awards
The 11th Open International Exhibition will display 80 pastel paintings and will present approximately $10,000 in awards, including a $1,000 Best in Show Award, generous cash awards for First, Second, Third and Fourth Places and twenty-seven additional cash, gift certificates and merchandise prizes. All accepted artists will have their paintings displayed in the APAA show catalog, on the APAA website and in APAA's social media outlets. There will be an awards reception and pastel demonstration at the Phippen Museum on Saturday, March 13 from 11 – 3 pm. Steve Atkinson will offer a drawing workshop on Sunday, March 14 from 12 – 4.
Judge of Awards
Steve Atkinson is a Signature member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA), winning numerous awards including Gold and Silver Medals and "Awards of Excellence" at regional and national shows. As a Portrait Society of America member, his work received best in animal portraiture. His work can be enjoyed in collections across the United States and Europe and in Illume Gallery West, Trailside Galleries, Black Arrow Gallery and the Phippen Museum of Western Art.
Jurors of Selection
Sarah Blumenschein: the pastel medium is appealing to her because of the immediacy of the color, and the ability to build layers of colors. Her selection of subjects is often based on a desire to find and replicate the way light bounces around a scene or setup.
Margaret Larlham is an Eminent Pastelist of the International Association of Pastel Societies, interested in both landscape and figurative subjects, who regularly paints en plein air and in her garden studio.
Eligibility
- Open to all pastel artists. If you want to become a member of APAA, visit apaa.wildapricot.org/join-or-renew. Membership is $40.
- All work must be original pastel painting completed in the last two years (2024 – 2026) and not previously shown in an APAA exhibition or show. Work that was entered, but not accepted into a previous APAA show may be entered again, provided it meets prospectus requirements.
- Entries must be of original concept and design and if a photograph is used, it must be from a photograph you took.
- The artist must provide the original source photograph if a question arises about the originality of the work.
- All artwork must be completed with 85% dry pastel as a final layer, underpainting as part of the process is acceptable, no oil pastels.
- Size limit: There is no size limit.
- Sales Commission: All paintings must be for sale. No NFS or POR. Artist 60%, APAA 10%, Phippen Museum 30%.
- Work done under supervision, mentorship, or in an instructed class, workshop, online instruction, published step by step instruction, DVD, or any other form of instruction is not eligible.
- The artist retains copyright to their image(s), however permission to reproduce the artist's work for APAA and the Phippen for marketing and publicity purposes is deemed given by the artist with the acceptance of their work.
- Accepted paintings must be identical to the image submitted for entry.
- The prices on accepted paintings for the exhibit must match the price on the artists' website, gallery and other platforms.
Entry Fees
- Members: 3 entries for $45
- Non-Members: 3 entries for $55
- Entry fee is non-refundable whether you are juried into the show or not.
- A maximum of one (1) painting per artist will be accepted into the exhibit.
Phippen Museum
The Phippen Museum of Western art is located at 4701 AZ-89, Prescott, AZ, (928) 778-1385
Accepted Work
Work must be suitably framed in a fine art gallery-quality frame, wired and ready for hanging. No metal frames, gallery wrap canvases or sawtooth hangers.
General Information
- JURORS AND JUDGE OF IMAGES: Two Jurors will select the entries to be accepted for the exhibition and a Judge of Awards, Karen Budan. Jurors of Images for 2026 are Stephie Clark and Margaret Dyer.
- Sold artwork will be shipped to the buyer at the buyer's expense after the show has ended.
- SALES COMMISSION: All paintings must be for sale. Artist: 60%, Phippen: 30%, APAA: 10%. Sales will be handled by the Phippen Museum.
- INSURANCE: The artist will be responsible for insurance of artwork in transit to and from the show.