Watercolor USA 2026 call for entry is now open!
Watercolor USA is a prestigious national competitive exhibition celebrating excellence in water media painting. Now in its second year at Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, Missouri, the exhibition continues a remarkable legacy that began at the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri, where it was hosted from 1962 through 2023. Spiva is deeply honored to once again steward this historic exhibition and carry forward its tradition of showcasing outstanding water media artistry.
The exhibition will run from Saturday, May 30, through Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex, home of Spiva Center for the Arts, with an opening reception and awards presentation on Friday, May 29, 2026.
“George A. Spiva Center for the Arts is honored to once again host Watercolor USA,” states Heather Lesmeister, Spiva’s executive director. “Bringing this prestigious exhibition back to Joplin in 2026 is incredibly meaningful for our community, and we look forward to working with the Watercolor USA Honor Society and so many talented water media artists to present an inspiring national exhibition.”
We are also thrilled to welcome Carol Carter as the juror for Watercolor USA 2026. Her distinguished career and expertise bring an exciting perspective to this year’s exhibition. Carter is an internationally recognized artist whose career has spanned more than 35 years. She has taught workshops for over 30 years, as well as in university. Her paintings have been in many national and international exhibitions, both juried and invitational. Carter has been featured in global publications including, International Arts Magazine, Art of Watercolour, Watercolor Artist, and L’Aquarelle Magazine. She has frequently served as a juror in art exhibitions both on national and international levels. She is on the advisory board of the American Watercolor Weekly. View more about Carol Carter and her work at www.carol-carter.com.
Call for Artists Now Open
Artists working in water media are encouraged to submit their work for this historic exhibition. Entries are now being accepted through the CaFÉ™ platform. Complete prospectus details and submission guidelines can be found at https://bit.ly/wcusa2026apply.
Important Dates:
January 9 Online entry begins – APPLY ON callforentry.org HERE
February 16 Entry deadline at midnight CST.
March 16 Juror results notifications via email from Spiva and on your Call for Entry account.
- Every artist receives an email notification of acceptance or non-acceptance. Check your inbox, junk, or spam folder, or (better) check online at callforentry.org
March 19 – April 18 Shipped artwork may arrive at Spiva.
April 14 – April 18 Hand delivered work may arrive at Spiva between 10AM – 4PM
May 29 Opening reception and awards
May 30 Watercolor USA 2026 opens to public
July 25 Exhibition closes, 5:00 PM
July 28 – July 29 Hand deliveries may be picked up between 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
July 28 – July 29 Shipped artwork is packed and shipping in process.
Spiva is proud to uphold the legacy of Watercolor USA, continuing its mission to highlight the diversity, innovation, and technical mastery of contemporary water media artists from across the country. For more information, email exhibits@spivaarts.org or visit spivaarts.org.