Download the membership application here: IWSmember_app (Adobe pdf format)
| Associate | $35 |
| Signature | $35 |
Mission
The mission of the Illinois Watercolor Society is to advance the education and caliber of watercolor painting throughout Illinois.
This is accomplished by several means:
- Encouraging the practice and appreciation of water based media at all skill levels
- Publication of a newsletter
- Providing a general meeting for socializing, demos and lectures
- Providing a website for members to use as a learning and promotional resource
- Providing a national and a member exhibition
Artistic Education
The IWS will provide essential information regarding the further educational advancement of its members by means of this website and newsletter. Artists of all skill levels are encouraged to join IWS. Resources are equally available to all members.
Promotional Tool
The IWS seeks artistic development by sponsoring and promoting group painting sessions, exchanges of information between members, and other programs designed to expand members’ skills, creative expression and technique.
Annual National Exhibition
This annual event is a juried show open to all watercolor artists living in the US. A Juror of Selection and Judge of Awards will be responsible for selecting the entries into the exhibit and for selecting finalists to be presented with awards. Award winnners paintings will then be featured on the website and newsletter.
Annual Members’ Show Exhibition
This annual event is an invitational show for all IWS members that is judged for awards. Award winnners paintings will then be featured on the website and newsletter.
Membership Dues Schedule
The IWS Membership term is from May 1 thru April 30 of the following year. Dues are payable from February thru April and will cover the following year. Membership deadline (the postmarking of letters) is April 30.
Associate Membership
Associate membership benefits include: entry into the annual show at a reduced rate, a quarterly newsletter, their name, email address and web link published on the website, invitation to show on the members online gallery and IWS event notices. Renewing Associate members fee is $35.
Signature Membership
Signature (active) membership retains all of the benefits of Associate membership plus the privilege of using the initials ‘IWS’ after their signature. Only those qualifying signature members who pay their annual dues each year will be authorized to use IWS after their signature. View all the current signature members here.
Qualification for Signature Membership
Signature membership will be granted to members (whose dues are current) and non-members by acquiring a total of eight points through several means:
5 points . . . . Juried into IWS Annual Open Exhibition plus Best of Show or Award of Excellence
4 points . . . . Juried into IWS Annual Open Exhibition plus any type of award
3 points . . . . Juried into IWS Annual Open Exhibition only with no award
Signature points are not awarded at the Members show. They are only awarded at the Juried Open National Show. Non-members that are juried into the IWS exhibitions are eligible for points to attain signature status. To become eligible for signature status a person must sign up for membership at the time of qualification and then must keep their dues current.