CPSA 34th Annual International Exhibition
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CPSA 34th Annual International Exhibition 〰️
Colored Pencil Society Association
The CPSA International Exhibition is an annual juried gallery exhibition exclusively for works done in 100% colored pencil. It is held in a different city each year to provide more people the opportunity to enjoy colored pencil as a fine art medium. Awards include a $5,000 Best of Show and CIPPY Award.
Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery
1100 E Sheldon St. Prescott AZ 86301
Artist Eligibility
Open to living artists 18 years or older, regardless of geographic location. No preferential treatment to CSPA menders versus non-CPSA members.
Entries
Artists may submit up to 3 works completed after January 1st, 2023, and not previously accepted into a CPSA International Exhibition.
Artwork does not need to be for sale. All sales are 30% gallery / 70% artist.
The juror will select no more than one entry per artist.
Entry Fee
$45 CPSA member
$60 non-CPSA member
Acceptance
Selected artists will receive notification by email, and the list of accepted artists will be posted on the CPSA website (ipsa.org) soon after May 1st.
Important Dates
Entry Dates: December 15, 2025 - March 31, 2026 (11:59pm Pacific Time)
Selected Artists Announced: After May 1 2026
Artwork Arrival Window: June 8-19
Exhibition Dates: June 27-August 1
Artwork Return: After August 1
Awards will be revealed during the CPSA annual awards banquet on Friday, July 31, at Prescott Resort and Convention Center. Convention details will be available on the CSPA website soon after May 1. Awards will also be announced on the CPSA Facebook page during the awards banquet for those unable to attend.
Your Commitment to Ship Your Artwork
By submitting an entry you are making a commitment to ship your artwork, if accepted, to the CPSA exhibition for the full duration of the event. Any selected artist who fails to ship artwork to the exhibition will be disqualified from entering the next two CPSA International Exhibitions.
Each selected artwork not sent deprives another artist of the opportunity to be in the exhibition. Do not enter if you are unable or unwilling to abide by shipping and other requirements as detailed in this prospectus.
Artwork Specifications
Execution
Media must be 100% colored pencil on a manufacturer-prepared surface (scratchboard not allowed). Use of any other additional media (watercolor, acrylic, oil, ink, etc.) or artist-prepared surface disqualifies the entry. Acceptable products for the International Exhibition can be found at https://cpsa.org/exhibitions/acceptable-products
Artwork must be two-dimensional. No collage or montage. Matting with multiple windows (diptychs, triptychs) in a single-framed presentation is acceptable.
Artwork must have been completed after January 1, 2023, and not previously accepted into a CPSA International Exhibition
Acceptable additions to colored pencil: solvents (turpentine, odorless mineral spirits) and graphite pencil used under/between colored pencil layers. No pure, exposed areas of graphite are allowed.
Ideation
Artwork Must be solely the original concept and design of the submitting artist.
Not Allowed
Work copied from any copyrighted or published materials.
Work in which the primary subject has been copied directly from someone else’s photograph, even with permission. This includes images from online free-reference sites. Such photos may be used only for incidental compositional elements, not as the main focus of the artwork.
Work created using AI-generated images for reference.
Reproductions such as prints or giclees of the artwork.
Any printed or digitally produced image as part of the artwork.
Alteration of artwork after submission of entry.
Collaborative works executed by more than one artist, including classroom projects and exercises. You may, however, submit artwork of your own design which was worked on in a class or critiqued by others, as long as you are the primary creative force.
Pastiche Requirements
Artwork created as a pastiche (parody of imitation of another artwork) is allowed, provided the artwork is sufficiently altered so as to make the parody obvious and the artwork parodied is not copyrighted.
Framing
Outside frame dimensions may not exceed 40 inches (longer side) and 32 inches (shorter side).
Frames should be simple in design (no ornate frames with three-dimensional or painted effects).
Mats must be neutral (white, off-white, beige, gray or black).
Artwork must be ready to hang with D-rings.
If glazed, use clear plexiglass (acrylic) only. Absolutely NO glass or “clip on” frames.
Disqualification
CPSA, the juror, and the gallery reserve the right to disqualify a selected entry at any time if it is determined that it fails to meet ideation, execution, or framing specifications.
Penalties may include:
Immediate removal of disqualified work from show, not counted for signature and merit honors, and omitted from CPSA website and promotional items.
Return by the artist of any money or goods awarded as prizes.
Forfeiture of any CPSA signature status and merit awards.
Should an artist choose not to ship their selected work, the artist will be disqualified from entering the following two CPSA International Exhibitions.
Additional Requirements:
https://cpsa.org/exhibitions/exhibition-requirements/
CPSA Exhibition Information
Juror: Erin Joyce, M.A.
Erin Joyce, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art from the University of North Texas, studied contemporary art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London and received a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She is on the faculty of the School of Art at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University and currently serves as the Vice President of Public Affairs for the Native Arts + Cultures Foundation.
As a curator and scholar of contemporary art, Joyce has organized over 35 solo and group exhibitions for museums and galleries across the United States. She has lectured on contemporary art and politics and has forthcoming exhibitions at the Sun Valley Museum of Art (2025) and an essay in Digging Earth: Extractivism and Resistance on Indigenous Lands of the Americas (Ethics International Press).
Joyce was a 2019 nominee and a 2023 winner of the Rabkin Prize for arts journalism from The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation. Her work has garnered attention from publications and media outlets including Vogue Magazine, The New York Times, The Economist, The Art Newspaper, New York Magazine, Forbes Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Hyperallergic, Widewalls, and The Queens Chronicle.
Shipping
Complete shipping instructions will be sent to the accepted artists by May 1, 2026.
Liability
The gallery, cartage company, and CPSA are not liable for any work delivered in damaged condition. The gallery will take every precaution for artwork in its premises during the run of the exhibition. However, artists should insure their own work while it is out of their possession and are responsible for contacting their own insurance agent.
Sales and Commission
Artwork does not need to be for sale. The gallery handles all sales and retains 30% commission. Take this into consideration when pricing your work. Artwork may not be removed from the exhibition prior to the closing date.
Earning CPSA Signature Status
CPSA members earn signature status (the right to include the letters “CPSA” after their name) when their art appears in three CSPA International Exhibitions within ten years. Any lapse in CPSA membership results in loss of prior acceptances and forfeiture of signature status.
Permission and Copyright
By submitting an entry, the Artist grants permission for CPSA to use the accepted image in its news magazine, To The Point, on its website at www.cpsa.org, for CPSA brochures and promotional materials, and publicity about CPSA. Every effort will be made to maintain quality true to the submitted image, recognizing that the print or electronic medium may affect how the viewer receives the image. The Artist hereby certifies that he or she holds the copyright for this material and the copyright remains with said Artist. CPSA will display a notice that material must not be “downloaded” or copied, but will not be held responsible if artwork is copied. The Artist also certifies that the work submitted is original and does not infringe on any existing copyright. If artwork includes a recognizable image of a person, the Artist certifies that a model release has been obtained.
Exhibition Questions?
Contact Anda Chance, CPSA Exhibitions Director exhibitions@cpsa.org | 407-460-1469 ( 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Eastern Time)
Prepare and Submit Your Entry
1. Prepare images
Prepare your images according to the CaFÉ specifications. Details on their website at:
https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe
For information on how to edit images, see our tips at:
https://cpsa.org/wp-content/uploads/AdjustImageSizesWith-Confidence_CPSA.pdf
Image of Artwork: Show artwork only; do not include mat or frame.
• File format: Save in an RGB color profile as a “Baseline (Standard)” or “Optimized” JPG file.
• File Size: JPG file size must be 1920 pixels on the longest side and less than 5.0 MB. To see the file size, close your editing program, highlight the file, and Get Info or View Properties.
• Number of Images: You may enter up to three artworks, one JPG image of each.
2. CaFÉ account
If you don’t have an account, set one up for free at:
https://www.callforentry.org/
If you already have an account, click “My Profile” and ensure your personal information is up to date.
NOTE: Follow standard rules of capitalization for your name (e.g., Mary Smith) and include your signature designations, if any (e.g. Mary Smith, CPX).
3. Upload images
Click “My Portfolio” to locate or upload the image(s) you want to submit. If an image was previously committed to another show, select “archive” to release it or create a duplicate.
For each work you must provide the following information on the “Add Media” form:
• Artwork Title: Use standard capitalization (first letter capitalized in each major word).
• Medium: Submit only 100% colored pencil artwork.
• Dimensions: Enter the artwork’s unframed height and width (in the correct fields) to the nearest decimal place (e.g., 12.5). Enter ‘0’ for Depth.
• Artwork for Sale? Select “Yes” or “No.” Artwork does not need to be for sale in the 2026 exhibition.
• Price/Value: Enter the sale price (or ‘0’ if not for sale) in whole dollars with no punctuation (a comma will be interpreted as a decimal).
Prepare and Submit Your Entry
Submit your entry between Dec. 15, 2025 and March 31, 2026 at:
callforentry.org
• Primary Discipline and Art in Public Places: These optional fields are not used by CPSA.
• Description: You can use this optional field to provide the juror with a brief background story about your entry, if desired.
• Alternative Text: Identify each image of your art with the first three letters of your last name:title of entry:image number of total number (example: ABC:My Title:2of3).
If an image is already in your portfolio:
Click the image you plan to submit.
Select the Modify option.
Identify your image in the Alternate Text field as shown above.
4. Apply
Search for “colored pencil” to find the 34th Annual CPSA International Exhibition call on the CaFÉ website. Entry period is from December 15, 2025 until 11:59pm Mountain Time on March 31, 2026.
NOTE: If you are entering three pieces, include all in one entry. If you wish to change your submission in any way prior to April 1, contact Anda Chance, exhibitions director, at exhibitions@cpsa.org.
5. Payment
Proceed to “Checkout” when satisfied with your entry. Choose the applicable member or non-member fee (entry fees are not refundable).
You may pay by credit card, or mail a check payable to CPSA to:
Colored Pencil Society of America
PO Box 16
West Linn OR 97068-0016
Checks must be postmarked before March 31, 2026. Include a note that the check is in payment for your 34th Annual CPSA International Exhibition entry and provide your name as entered on CaFÉ.
CaFE Website Questions?
You may call 303-629-1166, click on the “help” tab on the CaFE website, submit their Cntact Us form, or email cafe@westaf.org