Membership FAQs

Who can join NWWS?

Anyone! NWWS members may be professional artists, hobbyists, new to painting, or simply interested in the arts. You may easily join online and pay your annual dues. Membership dues automatically renew, but you will receive an alert email reminding you that your membership is due to renew.

Who can join NWWS?

Anyone! NWWS members may be professional artists, hobbyists, new to painting, or simply interested in the arts. You may easily join online and pay your annual dues. Membership dues automatically renew, but you will receive an alert email reminding you that your membership is due to renew.

When are NWWS general meetings?

General meetings are always hosted on the 4th Tuesday of each month. There are no meetings in December, June, July, and August. View the NWWS calendar for up to date information.

How do I enter an exhibition?

The prospectus for each of two NWWS annual exhibitions will give you all the information you need to prepare your entry. The Waterworks Membership Exhibition is open to all NWWS members and is held in April/May each year. The prospectus is posted online, usually in November. The Annual International Open Exhibition, held in October/November, is open to both members and non-members and is entered by artists from around the world. This exhibition’s prospectus is usually posted online in May or June.

A third exhibition is the Signature Exhibition, held every 2-3 years. Members who have attained Signature status may exhibit in this prestigious exhibition that showcases the immense talents of our Signature Members.

Can non-members join general meetings?

Welcome! You may attend two general meetings as a guest, then if you are receiving benefit from our wonderful artist demonstrations, we ask that you become an NWWS member..

Is NWWS a non-profit?

NWWS as an organization is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation and contributions are not tax-deductable.

The NWWS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and contributions are tax-deductable. 

What is the “Purchase Award”?

The Co-Chairs of the Annual International Open Exhibition, along with the NWWS president, choose one painting from the exhibition to receive the Purchase Award and to become part of the Permanent Collection at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. This award applies only to the International Open. Accepted artists may choose to make their work available for this $1,000 award but are not required to do so. Most artists whose work is selected, however, are honored to become part of the NWWS Permanent Collection.

What social media does NWWS use?

NWWS is active on Facebook (Meta), Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

We have two Facebook pages 

The Northwest Watercolor Society Members Group is a closed page that only NWWS members may join after answering a few questions. Here, you may post your paintings, engage with other members, and participate in monthly painting challenges.

The Northwest Watercolor Society page is used by NWWS administrators for announcements, publications, and general business. We ask that members do not post paintings there, but rather on the group page.