There are milestones in every artistic journey, and a big one for me was achieving Signature status in the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS). I feel very blessed to have reached this goal in such a short time – the first show I entered was in 2010.
What is Signature Membership, and why was that status in this organization so important to me? Signature status allows me to add “NWWS” after my name on my website, business cards, paintings and marketing materials. It’s a signal to buyers, gallery owners and other artists that my work has been recognized by some of the top artists in the country. As I begin to teach and offer demos, it lets interested attendees know that I have been painting at a high level for a number of years.
To receive Signature Membership, an NWWS member must be accepted into two International Open Exhibitions, or two Waterworks (members only) and one Open. The NWWS has very high standards for jurors, and most have multiple Signature memberships of their own in regional and national organizations.
The NWWS has been recognized by The Artists Magazine as one of the ten most prominent regional watercolor societies in North America. While most members reside in Washington, Oregon and California, the organization has recently begun to accept membership from international artists. Shows typically receive hundreds of entries, so to be one of the 60-75 paintings accepted is quite an accomplishment.
The title, show, year and the juror for qualifying shows are:
Illumination* | Waterworks 2011 | John Salminen, NWS, AWS.DF
Flight | 75th International Open 2015 | Judy Morris, AWS, NWS, NWWS
A Taste Of Spring | Waterworks 2016 | Fealing Lin, NWS, WW, SDWS
*Illumination received the President’s Merit Award
