HomeAbout SCVWS

About SCVWS

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The purpose of the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society (SCVWS) is to further the interest and appreciation of the art of watercolors, and other watermedia, in the community. The aims of the society are to:

Expand the skills of people interested in painting in watermedia
Educate the general public as to the possibilities of watermedia art
Provide opportunities for dialogue and friendship among people interested in art

Founding of SCVWS

Over the years, our interests and activities have grown, and SCVWS now offers workshops and demonstrations that are open to the public, given by nationally known artists in watermedia, lecture/discussions about art, art exhibits and various social functions. A monthly newletter includes details of the Thursday, Plein Aire painting sites, announcements of upcoming workshops, notices of events and exhibits of special interest to artists in watermedia. A brief article in 1996 describes the purpose and history of the group at that time. The SCVWS website was established as a communication between the organization, its members, and the general public. The Society has donated art videos to local public libraries and has made in-kind donations to non-profit groups. SCVWS also offers an annual art scholarship.

Plein Air Artists painting along a river

Membership:

SCVWS membership is open to all members of the public, and all skill levels from beginner to professional. The predecessor organization to SCVWS was established in 1967 as a group of artists who gathered together to paint outdoors. They initiated a short newsletter that showed maps to the painting sites. As interest in the society grew, they started to invite well-known watercolorists to give demonstrations and workshops.

SCVWS Shows:

The SCVWS Annual Show is a juried show held at the Addison/Penzak Jewish Community Center. Smaller shows are organized during the year at a variety of local venues, such as cafes, libraries and art centers. Members can enter their artwork in our shows, which are open to the public to view.

SCVWS Volunteer Opportunities:

We are 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, or you can sign up to volunteer occasionally (a few hours) to help with last-minute needs. 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 watermedia paintings may be entered in our exhibits.
There are many avenues to bring us together to share the form of art we love.

Non-Profit Status:

Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) educational nonprofit organization on April 16th, 2010. .

Donate:

Your donations help to support the promotion of watermedia art and are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. To donate, send an email to finance email, for the mailing address, and to get a receipt for your donation.