BWS Highlights Newsletter • April 2024

President’s Palette

On a very windy March day in Annapolis I stood curbside in front of the Maryland House of Delegates, wearing an easy to see red poncho. I was waving to greet a mini bus coming from Mercy Ridge, a retirement home in Towson, Maryland filled with passengers coming to view the Baltimore Watercolor Signature Members Exhibition inside. They especially wanted to see the painting that won Second place by one of their own residents, Mr. Iams, a 95 year old Baltimore Watercolor Society Signature member.

Once the mini bus arrived and we got all of the walkers arranged on the sidewalk, we entered the building. Showing our photo IDs we began walking through the metal detector. After the alarms went off for the fourth time because of all of the replacement hips, knees and other joints, the guard allowed the rest to bypass this check point. We slowly found our way down the long halls, elevators and passageways to the exhibit.

Seeing how much everyone enjoyed the exhibit, especially the wonderful painting that Mr. Iams had done, I asked him to discuss how and why he did his painting. He then, as requested, did a lovely critique of other paintings in the exhibit including one of mine. Little did I know that I had asked a lifelong artist and teacher to do what he loves most – talk about painting Watercolor.  You see, 96 year old Mr. Iams is James Drake Iams, a legend in Baltimore watercolor history. During his 30+ year career teaching art and art history at Towson High School and also beginning and advanced adult watercolor courses at venues around the state, he has taught/inspired many past and current BWS watercolorists. Well known for his both plein air and studio paintings of Delmarva maritime scenes, he is a long time Signature member of AWS and a BWS-MWE, achieving Signature status in March of 1958 (66 years ago) and exhibiting in the Mid-Atlantic 14 times over a 32 year period, winning 4 awards - one of them the Silver Medal. It is no wonder he spoke with such expertise.

Our paintings can bring such joy to others. We can continue to learn from and support one another in their efforts of creative expression. Does it get better than this?

I am grateful to have been able to share this day and experience with all of you. At the end of the visit, before boarding the mini bus I was invited by Mr. Iams to visit the art studio at Mercy Ridge and have a beer. I can’t wait!

Happy painting!

BWS President

Congratulations to seven of our Baltimore Watercolor Society members:
Anni Matsick, Rachel Collins, John James, Alexis Lavine, Ann Pember, April Rimpo, and Annie Strack,
who had their paintings selected for the 63rd exhibition of Watercolor USA 2024, a national, annual juried exhibition recognizing contemporary American watermedia painting. Watercolor USA 2024 will feature 77 works from 77 contemporary artists working in watermedia, representing 31 states. This year’s exhibition was juried by Carole Hennessy, President of the Watercolor USA Honor Society (WHS).

Some History of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition
by Jim Sandford, BWS Mid-Atlantic Exhibition Chair

It is often pointed out that the history of the Baltimore Watercolor Society goes back to the 1885 founding of the Baltimore Water Color Club (BWCC), but did you know that the Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition has a history that goes back almost as far? BWCC’s First Annual Exhibition took place at the Peabody Art Gallery in 1897, and consecutively numbered exhibitions were held most years through 1968, when the BWCC’s 64th Annual Exhibition was held. At least 29 exhibitions were held at the Baltimore Museum of Art between its opening in 1923 and the early 1960s. It has been a juried exhibition at least as far back as 1920.

The current Mid-Atlantic nomenclature evolved between 1976 and 1983. The 1983 exhibition was the first to use the exact title Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition. Beginning in 1976 the exhibition numbering was also reset—the 2024 exhibition will be the 49th exhibition using this numbering sequence.

You are invited to be a part of this deep history by submitting your work for consideration to the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition which will run October 11, 2024 through January 5, 2025 at the Arts Barn and Kentlands Mansion Galleries in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Russell Jewell (AWS, NWS, TWSA, ED.D) will be this year’s juror and workshop instructor.

The CaFÉ (Call for Entry) system will be open for applications from June 7 through August 7, 2024. Applicants may submit one or two paintings, of which one may be selected for the exhibition. A detailed exhibition prospectus (very similar to last year’s) will be available by early May.

And please watch this space for more information about the history of the exhibition. If you have information, comments or questions you’d like to submit for consideration, please feel free to contact me at midatlanticexhibit@baltimorewatercolorsociety.org.

All images are the property of the artists and protected by copyright. No image can be used without the written permission of the artist.

Membership

Welcome New Associate Members

Other Organizations’ “Call for Entries”

The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society
45th Annual International Juried Exhibit
August 3 - September 15, 2024
Lancaster Gallery of Art, Lancaster, PA
Application deadline: May 15, 2024
https://www.pawcs.com/2024-Juried-Exhibition

International Society of Experimental Artists
33rd Annual International Open Juried Exhibition
September 7 - October 31, 2024
Central Park Place, Grand Haven, MI
Application deadline: April 30, 2024
https://iseaartexhibit.org/Venue-Based-Exhibits/

Potomac Valley Watercolorists’ invites visitors to view
A Celebration of Watercolor Art Exhibition and Sale
April 30 - June 23, 2024
Opening Reception: May 5, 2024
Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria, VA
https://www.potomacvalleywatercolorists.org/