2026 Signature and Master Signature Members Show
CWA Presents: Wonder of Watercolor
Piedmont Center for the Arts, Piedmont, California
Entry Deadline: May 1, 2026, 5:00 pm PDT
Open to all CWA Signature and Master Signature Members
Awards
1st Place - $700, 2nd Place - $500, 3rd Place - $300
JUROR of SELECTION and AWARDS
Michael Reardon
Michael is a watercolor artist based in Oakland, CA. He is a very popular workshop instructor. He is a signature member of American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society and the California Art Club. He is also a master signature member of CWA. His work has received numerous awards in national and international competitions. Michael has been featured in many magazines. He is the author of Watercolor Techniques, published by North Light Books.
VENUE
The building housing the Piedmont Center for the Arts was originally built in the early 1930s as a home and was subsequently used as a church, and then purchased by the City of Piedmont in 2003. Eight years later, a group of citizens formed a non-profit corporation and signed a 10-year lease with the city to operate the building as a community center for performing arts and cultural activities. In August 2011, the Piedmont Center for the Arts was opened to the public. Since then, the Center has been used for a wide range of music performances, art exhibits, authors, speakers, film presentations, and gatherings for student art. The building is located at 801 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, California 94611.
EXHIBITION CALENDAR
| May 1, 2026 - 5:00 pm PDT 16 |
Entry deadline |
| May 8 |
Acceptance notification |
| May 22 - June 2 |
eceive shipped paintings |
| June 4 - 9 am - 1 pm |
Hand-deliver paintings |
| June 4 - 3 pm |
Awards selction |
| June 6 |
Exhibition opens |
| June 6 - 2 pm - 4 pm |
Awards Reception and Awards Ceremony |
| June 28 |
Exhibition closes |
| June 30 - 1 pm - 4 pm |
ick up hand-delivered paintings |
ELIGIBILITY
The CWA Piedmont Signature Member Show is open to all CWA Signature and Master Signature members in good standing. Paintings must be two-dimensional and primarily of watermedia on a paper surface-Yupo and Tyvek are acceptable. Pastel or collage may be used as long as watermedia is the dominant element. No digital media, photography, prints, or reproductions. Source material and composition must be wholly original and not derived from any published images. Any photo reference material must be taken by the artist. Entries have no age limit, entirely the work of the artist, and not accepted previously in a CWA National/International Exhibition or Member Show. The selling price cannot be changed after entry. No workshop or class work allowed. Artists who fail to provide an accepted entry are disqualified from the next two CWA Member Shows. All paintings must be for sale. Additionally, the Piedmont Center for the Arts reserves the right to reject the display of any work depicting nude or semi-nude or subjects of an extremely macabre nature, due to the regular use of the room for children’s classes.
Minimum image: 140 square inches, no side less than 10 inches.
Maximum outside frame: 44 x 44 inches.
FRAMING
All paintings must be framed in simple, square-cornered frames ready for hanging and protected under acrylic, such as Plexiglass. Glass in frames is not permitted. Mats (optional) must be white or off-white. Colored liner mats are acceptable. Artists outside of the contiguous USA may send artwork framed. Framing will be unavailable. Additional details will be included in instructions to accepted artists.
ONLINE ENTRIES ONLY
Select Members Login on the CWA Home Page; ?select the Signature Member Show link; confirm your information; enter your painting details and upload your images. Entry Fee for Members (nonrefundable): $45 for one image, $5 for each additional image (maximum of three images, $55 total). Entry fees are payable via PayPal using a credit, debit, or individual account.
ACCEPTED ENTRIES
All artists will receive an email with the list of accepted artists. Hand delivery and shipping instructions will be sent to the accepted artists by email. All accepted artists will have a handling fee of $50. Accepted work must match the submitted image; paintings not consistent with the submitted image may be disqualified.
SALES
Exhibited works will be considered for sale at the price indicated during the entry process. All sales will be handled through CWA. The commission is 25%.
CONDITIONS AND LIABILITIES
No work may be withdrawn before the end of the exhibit. CWA and Piedmont Center for the Arts reserve the right to photograph artwork or copy images for promotional purposes. Insurance coverage is the artist’s sole responsibility, both in transit and during the exhibit. Neither CWA nor the Piedmont Center for the Arts insure the artwork and neither shall be responsible for loss or damage to any artwork submitted. Accepted artists must sign a release of liability. The submission of entries to this competition shall constitute an agreement on the part of the artist to the terms and conditions as set forth in this prospectus.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions, please email us at:
SigShowPiedmontquestions@californiawatercolor.org.
Download the Prospectus
