Exhibition Know How

New Signatures Exhibitions

The Watercolour Society of SA holds an annual New Signatures exhibition to enable its new members to gain points through submitting watercolour art, and to achieve New Signature status with the Society.

All members who have not yet achieved Associateship may enter up to three paintings for each New Signature exhibition (even if they already have New Signature status).

· One point is awarded for each painting accepted.

· Once six (6) points are achieved, New Signature status is awarded, and one full point is added to the artist’s Associateship points.

· New Signatures standard is not as high as Open, therefore it is easier to get a work accepted.

This is how it works:

• You must be a fully paid up FULL member of the WSSA.
  
  
• Your work must be professionally mounted and covered, or framed, for the Selection. If selected, the work must be framed before sending to Manor Gallery.

How Selection works:

The Branch will organise the selections and will advise you of the dates, as well as supply you with forms to be filled in. See the instructions on each form.

There are five selectors (at least two Associates and two members, plus one outside selector with a good knowledge of art)

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To ensure anonymity the artist’s signature is covered before being displayed to the Selectors.

Each selector awards points out of 10 and the total of all points (by adding up the scores awarded by the five selectors) must total at least 30 for acceptance.

At the end of the Selection, unaccepted paintings are brought back and if the artist has requested a crit, the selectors give their comments which are written down for the artist concerned.

Exhibition:

All selected works are sent to the Watercolour Society’s Manor Gallery in Johannesburg where they are hung for the duration of the exhibition.

Manor Gallery does extensive marketing in order to sell the works it hangs in its gallery.

Unsold works must be collected by the date given by the WSSA for each exhibition.

Transport:

You may send or take your own work up to Johannesburg and deliver to Manor Gallery, or you could get together with other members and send up a bulk delivery. Costs of packaging and transport are for your account.

Important Note:

You should cover your glass with a criss-cross of masking tape. In the event of the glass being accidentally broken, this should hold the glass shards together and prevent the painting being pierced or cut.

Open Exhibitions

The Watercolour Society of SA holds Open Exhibitions twice a year to enable its members to gain points through submitting watercolour art, and to achieve Associateship status with the Society.

Associateship status gives members the right to sign their paintings with the letters AWSSA after their name. This is a status that is internationally recognised by art collectors, and is a prized addition to any artist’s CV.

The difference between New Signatures and Open exhibitions are as follows:

· Open Exhibition standard required is much higher.

· Selections are done in Johannesburg.

· There are five selectors, but three must be at least Associates, one Fellow and one outside judge. These selectors are chosen from a database of trained artists. This selection function is run by the Fellows of the WSSA.

· You need to accumulate 10 points over 8 years to be awarded Associateship. After 8 years, the oldest points lapse, except for the New Signatures point.

This means that you have the cost of getting your work to Johannesburg and back, and it is obviously essential that you send only your best work.

Barbara Moore

2009