About SCVWS
Mailing address: SCVWS, P.O. Box 1065, Campbell, CA 95009-1065
Established in 1967, the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society(SCVWS) is dedicated to promoting interest in watermedia painting. The aims of the society are to
- Expand the skills of our members
- Enlighten the general public as to the possibilities of watercolor
- Provide an opportunity for dialogue and friendship among our members
SCVWS membership is open to all levels from beginner to professional. Originally, one of its main purposes was to encourage artists to gather as a group for painting out of doors. We carry on this tradition today, as we continue to search for artistically interesting places and gather to paint regularly "en plein air".
SCVWS in the News!
SCVWS was featured in an article by Mary Gottschalk in the March 6th issue of the Silicon Valley Community Newspapers
Read the article online
Download pdf, with photos
During the year we offer workshops by nationally known watercolor artists (usually 3 or 4 each year), demonstrations and lecture/discussions about art (3 - 4 per year), and various social functions, including trips to area exhibits. Each member receives a monthly newletter, keeping you up-to-date on the local watercolor scene. The newsletter includes descriptions of the painting sites for the month as well as announcements of classes available, notices of personal shows and exhibits of special interest to watercolorists. This website was established to bring us closer together, so that we may know more about our fellow members and view their current work. While there are no membership-wide monthly meetings, the SCVWS Board meets on the last Monday of every month. Everyone is welcome. There is one annual meeting in November for the entire membership, usually combined with a demo. For more information about memberships, go to our membership page.
Our Annual Show is held at the Rose Shenson Art Gallery on the grounds of the Triton Museum, with around 100 artists participating. Several smaller shows are organized during the year at a variety of local venues, such as cafes, libraries and art centers. Only members can participate in our shows, which are all open to the public to view.
SCVWS is a volunteer organization, and we encourage our members to get involved in running the various activities that we do. There are usually opportunities to get involved at board or committee level, please contact our leader, or any of the committee heads. In most areas, previous experience is not necessary, bring your enthusiasm and be willing to learn!
You need not be a watercolorist to join SCVWS, but only water-media paintings may be entered in our exhibits. There are many avenues to bring us together to share the form of art we love.