Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions

Planning your entry? Please read carefully the strict entry criteria listed below. Every year otherwise eligible paintings are disqualified before the jurying process because the artist submitting did not attend to the entry criteria. Do not let this happen to you. Read the rules.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY FOR OPEN WATER 2025

Open Water is open to all artists age 18 and over (see below for Youth Division).

  • Artists may submit up to two images. However, only one painting per artist may be accepted.
  • All work submitted must be for sale, except entries from the United States. Given the possibility of the imposition of tariffs between the US and Canada, American artists submitting work may choose to designate their work as Not for Sale (NFS).
  • Artists must submit their own paintings in their own name.

Allowable media:

  • Paintings must have been painted using water based media.
  • Paint used must be resoluble in water.
  • There may be a visible drawing made by hand with graphite or India ink.
  • Allowable media:
    • artist’s quality watercolour paint applied opaquely or transparently
    • gouache applied opaquely or transparently
    • watercolour ink
    • watercolour crayon
    • watercolour pencil
    • workable fixative
    • Clear wax as a resist is permitted.

Allowable surfaces:

  • archival fibre paper, which includes watercolour paper
  • watercolour paper glued to wood/composite panel
  • watercolour paper glued to canvas
  • canvas prepared for watercolour
  • watercolour board

Only media listed above are permitted.  

Application must be by hand, brush or any tool by the artist without digital or mechanical assistance. Airbrush is not permitted

Paintings must be protected by plexiglass, varnish or wax. No glass is permitted.

Not allowed (media and surfaces)

  • Egg tempera, casein, acrylic paints or mediums, water based oils or archival felt pens
  • Yupo is not accepted as a painting surface.

Size of work:

  • Submit the size of the work based on the visible portion of the painting.
    • The dimensions of the painting exposed in the mat opening is what you enter in your submission.
    • Do not submit size based on the outer margin of the sheet of paper unless the entire sheet of paper is visible.
    • Do not include the size or depth of the frame in your submission.
  • Maximum allowed painting size is 22 inches x 30 inches (55.88 cm x 76.2 cm).
  • Minimum allowed painting size is 10 inches by 14 inches (25.4 cm x 35.56 cm).
  • Painting sizes within the allowed minimum and maximum dimensions are acceptable.

Additional Criteria: 

  • Paintings must have been created within the last three years.
  • Paintings may not have been exhibited in a previous Open Water International Juried Exhibition.
  • Paintings must be entirely an original work, created by the artist who is submitting.
  • Paintings must not have been created under instruction, including but not limited to workshops, classes or mentorship program.
  • Paintings must not be derivative or based on the work of others or in any way an infringement of copyright.
    • Using stock imagery or photos taken by professional photographers IS NOT permissible, even in the case of permission granted or paid licensing from the photographer.
  • AI (artificial intelligence) and/or computer generated artwork in full or in any portion is not permitted.
  • Mechanically printed images are not permitted.

CONDITIONS OF EXHIBITION:

Sales:

  • All work that is submitted must be for sale. No NFS. (Exceptions: American applicants and Youth Division).
  • Artists will receive 60% of sale price with the other 40% going to Teichert Gallery and CSPWC. Please take this into consideration when setting your price. Prices cannot be changed once accepted to the exhibition
  • Artists who remit sales tax to Revenue Canada will be required to supply Teichert Gallery with their HST number.
  • Paintings must be priced in accordance with the artist’s current pricing structure.
  • When a painting sells, the shipping costs are the responsibility of the purchaser.
  • Accepted entries will remain on display and available for sale until the end of the exhibition on October 2, 2025.

Framing:

  • Paintings must be framed in a professional manner, using archival materials. They must be wired for hanging. No sawtooth, loop hangers or similar permitted.
  • Paintings must be protected with either acrylic glazing (such as plexiglass) or varnish or wax. Glass is not permitted.
  • If mats are used, they must be white or off-white. Maximum mat border width of 4 inches (10.16 cm). Mats must be archival.

Additional Criteria: 

  • Shipping instructions will be sent promptly to accepted artists upon acceptance.
  • Artists must carry their own insurance
  • The Exhibition Chair and Jury reserve the right to not exhibit any painting which does not conform to all the rules and conditions of the exhibition.
  • If an accepted artist withdraws their work after adjudication they will not be eligible to enter Open Water exhibitions for three years.
  • Accepted paintings will persist in an online exhibition on the CSPWC website, www.cspwc.ca. The CSPWC reserves the right to remove any posted painting at any time for any reason.

YOUTH DIVISION CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:

The conditions for Open Water as outlined above apply to the youth division entrants with the following exceptions:

  • The youth division is only open to residents of the Atlantic provinces ages 16 to 19 years of age. (Artists ages 18 or 19 may enter in the main Open Water or in the Youth Division, not both.)
  • Youth artists may enter one image only
  • Youth Division entries may be designated as “Not for sale” or NFS
  • Youth entrants who wish to offer their work for sale must frame their work in a professional manner as per the conditions listed above under Conditions of Exhibition.
  • Youth Division entries must be totally their own work and must not have been created under instruction, as per Conditions of Entry listed above.
  • All other Conditions of Entry and of Exhibition must be adhered to.
  • Youth Division entries will be eligible for the Youth Division awards only.
  • The Youth Division portion of the exhibition shall be made up of a limited number of paintings, subject to the decision of the Chair(s) and jury.
  • Acceptance into the Youth Division does not count toward Elected Membership.

Entry Fee: (for up to two images)

Non-members: $55 
CSPWC Elected Members and Associates: $40
Note: Membership fees must be up to date prior to entry.
Youth Division: $10
Entry fees are in Canadian Dollars and are non-refundable. 

Image Requirements:
• Minimum of 960 pixels on longest side.
• Maximum of 4800 pixels on the longest side.
• Maximum file size of 4 MB.
• Image to show only the painting, show no mats, frames or background.
• Images that are incorrectly formatted may be excluded from jurying.

Submission Details:
Submissions open on April 14, 2025
Deadline for submission of entries is June 16, 2025 at noon Eastern Time (Toronto, Ontario
Canada time zone).

Shipping Information:

  • Shipping instructions will be sent promptly to accepted artists upon acceptance.  You will have the choice of:
    • shipping your painting to the CSPWC designated receiver in Halifax, to arrive between August 11 and 28, or 
    • delivering your painting personally to the gallery between September 2-6, by appointment.  
    • Please note that a handling fee of $25 will be charged on all shipped paintings.
  • Shipping of paintings to and from the exhibition is the responsibility of the artist.  This includes shipping costs, brokerage fees and any taxes or duties payable. 
  • Although the utmost care will be taken in handling works of art, CSPWC and/or CSPWC’s representatives and Teichert Gallery will not be responsible for damage or loss, whatever the cause. Accepted artists release CSPWC, CSPWC’s representatives, and/or Teichert Gallery from all liability with respect to loss or damage to the artist’s works of art.
  • Artists must carry their own insurance.

Note:
By submission of entry, the artist agrees to comply with all the terms and conditions of entry as per this Call to Entry and grants the CSPWC the following:
• the right to use the image of accepted for publicity, education and reference purposes
• the right to archive their work on the CSPWC’s website

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