BWS Highlights Newsletter • May 2026

From the Archives: The 1925 Exhibition—The Beginning of a 37-Year Collaboration with the BMA

by Jim Sandford, Mid-Atlantic Exhibition Chair

The 29th Annual Exhibition of the Baltimore Water Color Club (BWCC, the predecessor to the Baltimore Water Color Society) was held March 11 - April 5, 1925 at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA).  It was the first collaboration between the BWCC and the BMA after a string of a dozen annual exhibitions at the Peabody Art Gallery.  (The annual exhibitions began in 1892, but a few years were skipped for various reasons, including the 1904 Baltimore fire.)

The BMA was founded in 1914 as part of the city’s master plan for rebuilding after the 1904 fire, but it did not move into its current Wyman Park location until 1929.  In 1925 the museum was at a temporary location in Mount Vernon at the former home of its prime benefactor Mary Elizabeth Garrett at 101 West Monument Street.

An article in the Sun on March 1925 introduced the jurors and explained the plans for the exhibition.  The exhibition was held concurrently with an exhibition of oils and watercolors by the late Swedish artist Anders Zorn.

BWS Seeks Student Members!

Do you know of a young art student who could benefit from joining the BWS?

If they are between the ages of 16 and 25 and are interested in art or are pursuing an art degree or certificate, they are eligible to join BWS for the discounted membership fee of only $20.

Benefits of student membership include: BWS social activities, programs, and workshops, plus receipt of the monthly newsletter. Students may also participate in those BWS exhibits that include student members.

Let’s encourage our student artists in their pursuit of the watercolor medium! We look forward to their participation and, as with all members, their fresh ideas on possible activities and directions for BWS.

Support BWS Sponsors

American Frame Alliance Discount

The more members spend, the more BWS will receive in merchandise certificates to be used for a Mid-Atlantic Award.

Please be sure to log into American Frame to sign up. 

STEP 1:
Before purchasing a frame at American Frame, each BWS member should go to the American Frame Alliance discount website at https://learn.americanframe.com/alliance-discount, register by filling out the form "Sign up to Receive your Discount," select Baltimore Watercolor Society in the drop-down list of “Arts Club or Organization” and press "submit."

STEP 2:
You will receive a reusable discount code as well as earn credit for your purchases for BWS. Be sure to check ‘Agree to Terms and Conditions.’ Once your American Frame account is linked to the Alliance Program, all of your orders will benefit BWS, even if you choose another discount to use for that order (e.g., free shipping). 

If you are having trouble, American Frame’s phone number is 1-800-537-0944.

American Frame is a second-generation, woman-owned, family-run company, dedicated to serving artists like yourself since 1973. Our mission is to provide excellence in custom framing products, fine art printing and related services while advancing a socially responsible company that gives back to the arts. As such, we are proud to be counted among the list of donors to the BWS Mid-Atlantic Regional Exhibition. If you need design assistance or have questions about the website, we are here to help. We offer free samples, phone support, as well as face-to-face ‘zoom style’ consultations via our Virtual Showroom. Our goal is to serve you in the way that makes you most comfortable.

Volunteer Opportunity: Mid-Atlantic Exhibition Awards Chair

We are seeking a dedicated Awards Chair to lead our sponsorship and prize efforts for the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Regional Exhibition. This 8-month position (starting in December) is essential for securing the medals, cash prizes, and merchandise that make our exhibition so prestigious.

Key duties include:

• Coordinating with local and national donors for sponsorships.

• Managing the prize database and awarding process.

• Preparing certificates and presenting awards at our June reception.

This is a fantastic role for someone who is highly organized, enjoys networking, and wants to play a vital part in rewarding the talent in our society.

Interested? Please contact Janet Freeman at janetfreeman@baltimorewatercolorsociety.orgto learn more or apply.

Membership

Welcome New Signature Members

Leslie Carson, Annapolis, MD

Catherine Champion, Baltimore, MD

Nadine Charlsen, Baltimore, MD

Patty Cunningham, West Chester, PA

Chris Engnoth, Herndon, VA

Carol Kurtz-Stack, Baltimore, MD

Jack Robbins, Fallston, MD

Craig Wright, Fairfax, VA

Welcome New Associates

Ellen Davis, Potomac, MD

Trish Deford, Chestertown, MD

Carl R. Ference, Fallston, MD

Nanette Fitzgerald, Timonium, MD

Gina Hylton, Catonsville, MD

Tatyana Kliorina, Arlington, VA

Brianne Maiorana, Odenton, MD

Sandra Palmer, Vienna, VA

Lisa Pitts, Towson, MD

Mary Jane Sasser, Columbia, MD

Mary Severino, Newark, DE

Nitish Thakor, Clarksville, MD

In Memoriam

Donna Ashbaugh, Harpers Ferry, WV

Thanks to all members who paid their 2026 dues. We hope that all of you who have not yet paid and are now lapsed will rejoin soon so as to not miss out on any events. Remember, prior to registering for any upcoming events you will need to pay your dues.

 

If you have not paid, please pay online with a credit card. To log on and pay your dues go here.

 

You can also pay by sending a check made out to the “Baltimore Watercolor Society” and mailing it to:

 

Janice Hendra - Membership

103 Avondale Circle

Severna Park, MD 21146

 

Signature Artist dues are $40, Associate dues are $30, and Student dues are $20.

 

Contact membership@baltimorewatercolorsociety.org with any questions.

We very much appreciate your continued interest in BWS.

Other Art Organizations’ Events and Opportunities

Call for Entries for 2026 Appalachian Nature Art & Photography Competition and Exhibition

A juried regional competition celebrating nature across Appalachia

Eligibility: Artists and photographers age 18 and older who reside in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC are eligible to enter. There are over $2000 in prizes. Eligible submissions include two-dimensional artwork and photography depicting nature in Appalachia—landscapes, plants, wildlife, and other natural subjects. While eligibility is limited to residents of the four-state region, entries may portray nature from any Appalachian state.

Jurors: The competition will be juried by Terry Miller (art) and Steven David Johnson (photography). Miller is an accomplished graphite artist whose work, Icebound—a fox in the snow—won Best of Show at the Arcadian Gallery’s American Wildlife Art Competition & Exhibition in 2025. He is a Distinguished Member of the Society of Animal Artists and a Master Artist of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin. Johnson is known for vivid Appalachian imagery ranging from intimate macro scenes to wildlife behavior, and he is a longtime advocate for conservation. His photography has appeared in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, National Wildlife Magazine, Nature Conservancy Magazine, and many other places. He is a Professor of Visual Communications at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

Organized by: The Arcadian Gallery, Cumberland, MD. Director: Christopher Sloan, former Art Director of National Geographic Magazine. Selected works will be exhibited in person at the Arcadian Gallery in downtown Cumberland. 

Key Dates

•   Opening Reception: Friday, May 15, 2026

•   Exhibition Dates: May 15 – June 20, 2026

 

For more information go to arcadiangallery.com.