San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition

Congratulations to all of the 2026 46th International Exhibition artists!

SDWS was established in 1965 and is one of the largest and most active in the United States. The International Exhibition is widely recognized for its high standard of excellence in water media art.

For over four decades, the International Exhibition has been an annual highlight for SDWS. The event attracts entries from hundreds of water media artists worldwide. The Exhibition features over $30,000+ in cash and awards and is the best-selling show of the year! 

The Call for Entry concluded on May 22nd. Our Juror, Ana Laura Salazar selected 105 paintings for inclusion in this year's exhibition, which are contained on the list at this link:

 46th International Exhibition Accepted Paintings  

 

We thank Ana Laura for her deep and careful consideration in selecting this year's exhibition. She had the tough job of doing so out of 671 entries by 345 artists from 20 countries and 35 states.  

We also thank each and every artist that entered this year's Call for Entry.  We wish we had space for 100s more in the gallery.  The breadth of talent of the work submitted is truly amazing!

 

Critical Links for Accepted Artists

• 2026 I-Show Artist Instructions - PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS

• 2026 46th International Exhibition Prospectus 

• Framing Requirements - SDWS Standards Committee reviews all paintings against this criteria.  Please comply fully to avoid additional cost or risk of disqualification.  Do not hestitate to reach out with questions.

• Signature & Master Artist Membership Policy: accepted I-Show artists accrue eligibility (3-Signature, 10-Master Artist).  The I-Show Director will reach out to newly eligible and any lapsed membership artists.

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

 

 

Do not miss your opportunity to attend Ana Laura's in-gallery workshop in August as well as one of our newest Signature Members Zoë Evamy's ZOOM workshop in July.  Limited space available on both so register today!

Instructor	When	Where	Link to Info/Register
Ana Laura Salazar	August 10 – 13	SDWS Gallery’s  Education Room	Reality and Imagination
Zoë Evamy	July 18 - 20	ZOOM	Wild Birds in the Spirit of Abstract Realism

 

Key Dates

Acceptance Notifications: June 15, 2026

Unframed Paintings due to Framer: July 13-24, 2026

Shipped Ready-to-hang Paintings due to Artworks: July 20-24, 2026

Hand-delivery Paintings to SDWS Gallery: August 1 - 3, 2026 during gallery hours

Juror Awards Selection: August 8, 2026

Juror's Reception (invite only*): August 9, 2026

First Look & Awards Gala (invite only*): September 26, 2026, 4-8 PM

Artist Breakfast (invite only*): September 27, 2026, 8:30-11 AM

Exhibition Opens to the Public: September 27, 2026, 11 AM

Exhibition Closes: October 31, 2026, 3 PM

* All accepted artists will receive invitiations to these events via evite roughly a month prior to the dates.

 

   2026 Juror

Ana Laura Salazar comes from a family of artists, inheriting her talent from her mother, Martha Orozco. Her artistic training, complemented by various workshops, prepared her to excel in the field of painting, particularly in the watercolor technique. She has been a member of the Mexican Society of Watercolorists since 1987. Throughout her career, she has showcased her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Mexico, Bulgaria, India, China and the US. Her paintings have earned national and international awards. Notably, receiving the Premio Tlacuilo multiple times at the National Watercolor Salon, organized by the National Watercolor Museum in Mexico City, as well as the Premio Tláloc, awarded by the Watercolor Museum of the State of Mexico.

Internationally, she has achieved significant recognition, including serving as a juror of the III International Youth Watercolor Festival held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 2025, being invited as a judge  for the 2nd Kipus Bolivia Exhibition in 2024, being invited to 1st Qingdao International Watercolor Festival held in China in 2023, and winning first place in the San Diego Watercolor Society (SDWS) International Exhibition for two consecutive years 2018 & 2019.

Ana Laura’s artistic journey reflects a passion for watercolor and a commitment to promoting this technique through her acclaimed paintings and workshops.  She is currently fully dedicated to the visual arts, teaching painting techniques in her private studio and is excited to serve as the 2026 SDWS 46th International Exhibition Juror.   @analaurasalazar