Baltimore Watercolor Society Exhibition Agreement

Liability Statement

I acknowledge that, in the event of damage, loss or theft, neither the Baltimore Watercolor Society, Inc., nor its officers, volunteers, nor any receiving agent or gallery will be held responsible. Insurance, if desired for shipping, exhibition, or any other reason, is the responsibility of the individual artist. BWS will not be responsible for any painting not picked up at the designated time.

Rules for BWS Member Only Exhibits (not Mid-Atlantic)

These rules are governed by the honor system and BWS reserves the right to reject any painting deemed unacceptable based on these rules. You should also know that BWS will take every precaution to make sure your paintings are handled with care and that we will promote each show as best we can through our newsletter, our website, and any other means at our disposal.

These rules apply to BWS Member Only shows; they do not apply to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Exhibition.

• Paintings must be your original work
  
• Works must be watermedia paintings (i.e., watercolor, gouache, acrylic, egg tempera, casein, and ink) on natural or synthetic paper or paperboard; paper canvas, fabric (e.g., cotton or linen) canvas, Aquabord, Claybord or Gessobord.
  
• No pastels or water-soluble oils. Collage elements are permitted, but must be original work executed on watermedia paper.
  
• Although acrylic and acrylic mediums are included: as a watermedia society the expectation is that the paint and acrylic medium are applied in a fluid manner, not in thick, impasto applications.
  

• Photographs upon which your painting is based must be free from any copyright infringement and be your own composition.
• Works painted in a workshop are permitted as long as the work was painted from your own source and no part was painted by the instructor.
• No prints of any kind, including enhanced giclee prints, are permitted.
• There are no restrictions on when the painting was completed or how many times it has been previously exhibited in a BWS Member Only Show.  If a painting receives an award in a BWS Member Only Show, it will not be eligible for an award in another BWS Member Only Show.
• Size restrictions, if any, are dependent on the venue where the exhibit is held and will be specified in the registration information and instructions.

Framing/Presentation Options

• Framed with mat and glass/Plexiglas
• Plexiglas™ must be used for paintings larger than a half sheet or 330 square inches. Glazing (glass or Plexigas™) must be clean, without noticeable scratches.
• If a mat is used, it must be plain white, cream or light gray with an optional colored liner. Mats must be clean.
•  If a mat is not used under glazing, spacers are required to prevent the glazing from touching the painting surface.
• For paintings framed without mat or glass/Plexiglas or on Cradled (e.g. Aquabord, Claybord) or Gallery Wrapped paintings without a frame:
• A waterproof coating or protective sealant is required. Paintings must be mounted on a rigid substrate
• All painting edges must be finished with no staples or other hardware visible.  
• All Presentation types (framing, cradled, gallery wrapped, or mounted work) must be professional in appearance without visible damage and must be wired and ready to hang; no saw-tooth hangers are allowed. 
  

Sales

• It is recommended that paintings be for sale although it is not mandatory unless required by the hosting gallery.
• Paintings must be committed to the exhibit for the duration. Paintings that sell during the exhibit may be removed only after the end of the exhibit.
• The commission is determined by the venue where the exhibit is held and will be specified in the exhibit information and instructions. A 20% commission is submitted to BWS for sold paintings when the gallery does not take a commission.  The artist is responsible for submitting the commission within one month of the sale.

Liability

• In the event of damage, loss or theft, neither the Baltimore Watercolor Society, Inc., nor its officers, volunteers, nor any receiving agent or venue will be held responsible. Insurance, if desired, is the responsibility of the individual artist.
• BWS will not be responsible for any painting not picked up at the designated time.
• BWS and the host gallery, may use images of paintings for promotional or educational purposes.