His work is represented in the permanent collections of the San Diego Museum of Fine Art, the Hilbert Museum of California Art, the San Diego Museum of Natural History, North Carolina’s Hickory Museum of Fine Art, and the Zuo Wen Museum in Qingdao, China

Goldman is the author of seventeen instructional books on acrylics, pastels, charcoal, and artistic anatomy, and he is a president emeritus of the National Watercolor Society.

For more information, please visit goldmanfineart.com or CaliforniaWatercolor.com.

Ken Goldman  - an internationally recognized artist, author, teacher, and art juror. A recipient of numerous awards, he has exhibited extensively in both group and solo exhibitions across Holland, Paris, Italy, Greece, China, Colombia, Mexico, New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. In China, his work has been featured at the Shanghai International Biennial, two Shenzhen International Biennials, and in exhibitions at five universities: Jimei, Quanzhou, Tsinghua, Qingdao, and Shanghai University.

A founding instructor at the Athenaeum School of the Arts, Goldman has taught plein air landscape painting, figure drawing, portraiture, and artistic human anatomy since the school’s inception in 1986. 

Read Entry Requirements in the Prospectus

Click to read the Prospectus 

How to Enter

All artists must have an account on our website to enter the exhibition. Current and expired SDWS members can log into their existing account (LOG IN) and follow the below links to enter. If you are a new non-member, you can either register for free or join SDWS. (CREATE AN ACCOUNT)

Entry Fee:
SDWS Members: $45/two paintings
Non-Members or Expired Members: $55/two paintings


Questions? Email pleinairshow@sdws.org for more information.

Forms & Instructions

Accepted artists can access the forms & instructions link below for important information about the show. Artists should download, print, and complete the required forms. Artists shipping their artwork have additional requirements and forms to complete.

List will be available HERE for the 2026 List of Accepted Artists
contact us at Email pleinairshow@sdws.org for Forms & Instructions (Accepted Artists Only)

Click HERE for the 2026 Tenth Annual Plein Air Exhibition Prospectus

Important Dates

Exhibition Timeline 2026

• March 1                  Call for entries open for online entry

• April 25                  Call for entries closes midnight, PST.

• May 2                     Acceptance notifications

• May 3                     Accepted artists will be sent instruction for shipping and delivery

• May 3- June 6         Window for shipped art to arrive (see Framing subhead if you need to ship unframed work)

• June 13                   Local delivery -  accepted paintings can be hand delivered to SDWS gallery during hours of 11am-3pm

• June 30                   Award winners notified via personal email. All accepted artists will be         notified of awards given

• July 1                      Exhibition opens in Gallery and online at SDWS.org

• July 5                      Exhibition reception is Sunday, July 5^th from 1-3pm. All visitors and artists are welcome to attend 

• July 30                    People’s Choice award winner will be notified after public votes are tallied      

• July 31                    Exhibition closes at 3pm

• August 1                 Artists can pick up any unsold paintings in gallery. Unsold pieces will be shipped back as needed

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at Email pleinairshow@sdws.org.