Pastels Only

Open to all soft pastel artists. All subjects and styles are acceptable, but PSME reserves the right to reject any works deemed inappropriate. Paintings must be the artist's original design and composition, not copied from any other artist's work, and not painted in a class or workshop under instructor supervision. Work must be completed after January 2020 with a visible painting surface that is 80% soft pastels. Oil pastel is not permitted.

All work must be for sale; no NFS or POR allowed. Price changes after acceptance of submission are not allowed. If accepted work is sold prior to the show, it becomes disqualified from the competition and the artist is banned from PSME juried exhibitions for two years. Paintings that have won top awards (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) in any National or International juried pastel competition may not be submitted. Paintings previously shown in Pastel Society of Maine juried competitions may not be submitted. Do not submit a painting that is simultaneously being shown in another national or international juried art competition.

Size limit is 40" including frame in either direction. Work must be clean, securely framed to gallery framing standards, and ready to hang. No sawtooth hangers, dirty mats, or incomplete framing allowed. If mats are used, neutral colors such as grey, white, off white, or black are permitted. Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files at least 1500 pixels on the longest edge with a maximum file size of 30 MB. Crop images to include only the artwork itself without mat, frame, or background. Ensure images are oriented correctly. Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline of July 31, 2023. Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. For questions, contact Mary Beth Morrison or Sara Ostrov.