About the Open Call

Watercolor USA is a national competitive exhibition celebrating excellence in water media painting. Now in its second year at the Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, Missouri, the exhibition continues a remarkable legacy that began at the Springfield Art Museum in 1962. The 2026 exhibition will be juried by internationally recognized artist Carol Carter. All submitted artwork must be original and created within the past three years of the exhibition’s opening date. Digital images should be high quality JPEGs with a resolution of 300 dpi.

What is Offered

Cash prizes awarded by Spiva: 1st Place ($3,000), 2nd Place ($2,000), 3rd Place ($1,500), 4th Place ($1,000). Additional cash and merchandise prizes are awarded by the Watercolor USA Honor Society.

Requirements

Works must be original water media paintings created within the past three years. Minimum of two entries required for the application process. Accepted artists must comply with shipping and hand-delivery schedules for physical exhibition.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online via callforentry.org. There is a two-entry minimum requirement to complete checkout; artists with only one piece may submit the same work twice as a technical workaround.