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ATTN: Mountain Plains Artists – NIC Fest Opportunity

By All IWS Info
To all Idaho Watercolor Society members:

The Nicolaysen Art Museum (The NIC) in Casper, Wyoming is reaching out to you in order to present your members with the opportunity to sell their gorgeous watercolor artwork at our city’s premier annual arts and culture festival: NIC Fest!

As members of the Mountain Plains Museum Association, we are contacting you to spread the word to your own local artists about this chance to showcase their artwork and sell to a new audience. You are also welcome to host a booth yourself to showcase your various local talents. (If your city has a festival, please feel free to reach out with the same!)

Booth spaces (10x10ft) are $300 for three days, June 6-8, 2025. I’ve attached printable paper applications and I am including a link to the online application form (https://forms.gle/hhvK54AG3W5Z6omPA), both of which have all the details. If you’d prefer to talk, please do not hesitate to call us at (307)235-5247 and ask for Cassie or Kelby, our event coordinators, or email them at [email protected] or [email protected]. Printed applications can be scanned and emailed to Cassie, as well. Our regular business hours are 10am-5pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Our exhibitions technician, Mark, may call to follow up and make sure this email went through to you alright.

Give your artists their time to shine in a new community! It’s a great networking opportunity, as well.

Thank you for your time, and we look forward to partnering with you and/or your artists for NIC Fest 2025!

Will Davis (he/him)
Collections & Registration
Nicolaysen Art Museum
400 E Collins Drive
Casper, WY 82601

Will Nelson Newsletter Article Correction

By Newsletter

Will Nelson Biography
1/8/25

By Nancy Inaba, IWS History Project and 50th Anniversary.

(3.20.25) This article about the esteemed artist, Will Nelson, is being re-sent to you with my apologies.  The article had so many formatting issues it was difficult to read, and the picture attached to the article was not the correct picture. 

Introduction:

IWS will be celebrating its 50th year anniversary in 2026.  This interview and biography are part of IWS’s history project to preserve our stories and photos of the last 50 years.

I have come to learn of Will’s many contributions and accomplishments, along with many artists who contributed to create the artistic landscape that is Idaho. I became interested in the history of IWS when Craig Collette of Roots Family History, offered an award for the Annual Show in honor of Will Nelson.

The article below is a biography of Will Nelson. He created a foundational artistic standard to the arts in Idaho.  He was a contributor, a mentor and an inspiration to the arts in Idaho and around the world. The information is based on contributions from multiple sources and an interview with Elaine Nelson, his gracious wife, along with Joyce Green, Pam Grant and me.

The interview (below in italics) is called Lessons in Still Life, written by Craig Collette and has direct quotes from Will.  Lessons in Still Life illustrate his artistic motivations, method and passion for painting.

Lessons in Still Life

Written by Craig Collete, from interview with Will Nelson

 

            “Still life requires research…Everything that fascinates me the most becomes the subject for my next painting…It’s an ongoing learning process, every subject that I see, I have to delve into and study.
            I’ll see an object that looks like something that should be painted. And I think, well, can I relate to it to make a composition.  Putting all those pieces together, I would hope that anybody looking at it might spark an interest in that period of time.”

            Craig observes a great deal of thought and intention has been the mastermind of these creations and I’m anxious to hear the thoughts of a man whose life story captured in decades of artwork.  Will explains to me that everything has a past and a future.  It has a story to tell. His shelves are full of books he calls “subjects. Everything that is, he learns is paintable, everything that is painted is first learned.” 

            A particular painting catches me eye.  It features a French helmet and other early 19th Century objects.  He teaches me, “You can compose a story, like this piece in the hall, when I went to the antique shop, when I found that helmet.  I remember I asked the lady, are there any other related pieces that go with this? I want to do something that relates to the time of that helmet. That became a Napoleonic story.  I’ve always tried to do that, tell a story with the objects…One piece supports another, and another.”

            Craig observes the story comes to life while my eyes move from the helmet to French War books, and a marble death mask sculpture of the Frenchman…Each object is of the greatest pictorial fidelity.

            “I paint one object at a time.  I got a lot of criticism from other artists for doing that. I’ve always felt a need to complete as good as I can, each section of a painting.”

            “It’s the initial drawing where I try to correlate it all.  Today I tell my students that drawing is critical.  Most of the trouble that you find as you’re painting is because you didn’t draw it properly.  To correct that in paint is really hard to do.  When you’re drawing something, and it’s a challenge to draw, and you bring that line along that’s nice and clean, and it’s exactly what you had in your head, that’s very satisfying.”

            Will’s first love in art is, Still Life.  The many thousands of paintings reflect thousands of hours of study from thousands of books. …If you have the opportunity to ask Will yourself which is the greatest masterpiece of them all, he’ll kindly let you know, “My next one.”

 
Biography of Will Nelson:

Will Nelson was born in 1932 in Twin Falls, Idaho.  “Will grew up on the Lazy J-L cattle ranch nestled in the quiet open country of Southern Idaho. The wildlife, terrain, and seasons of the high desert country provided an endless source of inspiration of his interest in art.”

Will was an early influence in the Idaho Art world, along with Gaye Hoopes, Dwight Williams, Dr. Stephen Beck and John Kilmaster. He taught watercolor painting at the Maple Grove Grange. Many IWS members took watercolor classes from him. He was a successful artist and lived by his motto, “Where there’s a Will, there’s a way.”

He graduated from the Art Center College in Los Angeles and joined the illustration staff at Stephens Biondi DeCicco Studio in L.A. When starting as a new grad, he was dubbed “The Wonder Kid.” His work took him far and wide.  Over the last 50 years his illustrations have appeared in national and international publications such as National Geographic Society, Smithsonian Institute, Time Life, McGraw Hill, Splash 12 the Best of Watercolor.   He was chosen for the Duck’s Unlimited Idaho, state print for 2004, and the Salmon and Steelhead Unlimited, state print in 2006.  Idaho Forest Products Commission chose him to illustrate a poster “Look to the Forest” to be used in all Idaho public school libraries.  He earned many other awards and exhibitions.

He returned to Idaho in 1963, He began teaching watercolor painting in the 80’s in addition to his art practice. His intention for teaching was to “Create a love of Art.”  He and his wife Elaine raised three daughters and enjoy 9 grandchildren. His house is filled with books, resources, scientific studies and interests ranging far and wide.  He knew his subjects deeply and in great detail. For example, he grew a large garden to accurately include the plants included in his art work.

China opened its borders in 1987 to the west, for a scientific expedition to the Wolong Panda Preserve in Northern China.  Will was chosen as the artist for this elite expedition.   He painted the Giant Panda and cub, which led to environmental paintings for Chevron Corporation and the Bradford Exchange.  He went on to paint over 20 endangered animals. His prints were sold worldwide as a limited edition.

Will’s last inspiration:

Will Nelson passed away in 2014 surrounded by loved ones.  Elaine, his wife allowed one of his young students to visit him at his bedside.  The student mourned that she would never be able to paint again without him. In response, he advised her to “Paint from your heart.” Will left the world a more beautiful place.

ArtCall Announcement for the IWS 2025 Annual Juried Membership Exhibition

By Annual Juried Exhibition, ArtCall

Greetings IWS Members!

Registration on ArtCall for the IWS 2025 Annual Juried Membership Exhibition closed last night at 9:00 PM.

This year we had 159 submissions from 95 entrants!  That is an incredible and deeply satisfying response to our call for artists.

There are fewer problems each year as we become more accustomed to the site, and this year was the best yet.  We satisfactorily resolved each of the six or so small matters that required special attention.

We also opened up the requirements for substrate and that may have had an impact.  We will see how it goes and consider its success for planning next year’s prospectus.

We will be notified of the juror’s decisions regarding the exhibit by April 1.  This will give nearly 4 weeks to have your accepted entry matted, framed, and delivered to The Riverside Hotel by the deadline of April 29.  Easy peasy.

(I’ll make a special announcement at the end of the first jurying process with hotel address etc. so you don’t have to save this message for a month.)

Again this year we will be allowing non-accepted artists to send in their SUBMITTED painting(s) for exhibition in a separate but very visible area.  You may sell your painting even if it is not a “winner”!  We had several artists benefit from this opportunity last year and we are happy to make it possible for you again this year.  Please remember only one submission per artist can be accepted into the exhibit proper.

We will again allow the jurist to select 65 paintings (for the exhibit proper) from which to choose the final 20 for the travel show.

Since we couldn’t know in advance how many entrants we would have, we have not determined how many submissions in total we can exhibit, so hang tight for that information.  We may be able to show only one per entrant, accepted or not.  I’ll let everyone know as soon as I know.

As soon as the judging for the exhibit is completed, I’ll send everyone a link to the web page of all entries.  The body of works submitted this year is spectacular, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Good luck to all of you and I hope to see in you the Treasure Valley in June for the awards presentations.

Thank you!

Scott

Scott Muscolo, IWS Annual Juried Exhibition Chair

805-795-0252

2025 Annual Rotunda Visitor’s Choice Awards

By Rotunda Show

Dear IWS Members,

We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Visitor’s Choice Awards! With over 1,100 votes cast—the highest participation since the award began in 2022—it’s clear that the public was deeply engaged with our exhibition. The enthusiasm and excitement from visitors were truly inspiring, and the results reflect the incredible talent on display.

Congratulations to our 2025 Visitor’s Choice Award winners!

1st Place – Drenda Duff – On a Memory ($200 Cash Prize)

2nd Place – Sharon Herther – Corner of Rainbow and Kokanee ($100 Cash Prize)

3rd Place – Carol Browning – Watching and Waiting ($100 Blick Art Materials Gift Certificate)

4th Place – Don Belts – Our Comfortably Rough Home Nestled in the Palouse – Fond Memories ($50 Merri Artist Gift Certificate)

A huge congratulations to these artists for capturing the admiration of so many visitors! Your work resonated deeply with the public, and this recognition is well deserved.

This award would not be possible without the dedication of Bonnie Liles, who came to the Capitol daily to collect votes and took on the daunting task of counting them all—ensuring that every visitor’s voice was heard. Thank you, Bonnie, for your hard work and dedication!

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s show—whether as an artist, volunteer, or enthusiastic supporter. The Visitor’s Choice Award is a celebration of the connection between artists and the public, and this year’s overwhelming response proves just how meaningful that connection can be.

Cheers,
Beth Trott
IWS Capitol Rotunda Art Show Coordinator

 

ArtCall registration ends on Thursday March 20

By Annual Juried Exhibition, Prospectus

Greetings IWS members,
Please keep in mind that Thursday, March 20, 9:00 PM is the end of the ArtCall registration period for the IWS 2025 Annual Juried Membership Exhibition.

I have received phone calls from several of you to iron out small problems, but all in all the process has been quite smooth. Please keep in mind, I am available to answer your questions and help you with any ArtCall issues as we near the end of the registration period.

Thanks very much, good luck to all of you, and I hope to see you in June!

Scott Muscolo
805-795-0252
[email protected]

Link to ArtCall

Link to IWS 2025 Juried Exhibition Prospectus

Last WFWS Reminder . . .

By WFWS

Last Reminder – WFWS

WFWS deadline to register is March 10. Also, some people have registered but not paid their invoice. Please check your email to make sure that the invoice is not in your spam folder. If you have questions about your registration or haven’t received an invoice, please contact Nathalie Kelley at [email protected].

Hello Friends!

You are invited to the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 50th Anniversary Awards Banquet hosted by the West Texas Watercolor Society in Lubbock, TX on April 13, 2025. We hope that you will be able to attend and spend some time getting to know our city and all it has to offer. Lubbock is well known for its home grown musical talent, wineries as well as farming and ranching history. The Lubbock Arts Festival, always a highlight in the arts community, will be in full swing during the gala weekend. For more information about Lubbock and various venues, please click on the links below.

Links to the WFWS50 registration pages have now been added to the wtws.org website, the deadline to register for the banquet and weekend activities is March 10. The hotel links are also provided on your registration page. The reservation deadline to get the WFWS50 hotel rate is March 20.

We are looking forward to April and hope to see you all then!

Invitation.jpeg

Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 50th Anniversary Awards Banquet Registration

By WFWS
Hello Friends!

You are invited to the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 50th Anniversary Awards Banquet hosted by the West Texas Watercolor Society in Lubbock, TX on April 13, 2025. We hope that you will be able to attend and spend some time getting to know our city and all it has to offer. Lubbock is well known for its home grown musical talent, wineries as well as farming and ranching history. The Lubbock Arts Festival, always a highlight in the arts community, will be in full swing during the gala weekend. For more information about Lubbock and various venues, please click on the links below.

Links to the WFWS50 registration pages have now been added to the wtws.org website, the deadline to register for the banquet and weekend activities is March 10. The hotel links are also provided on your registration page. If you registered but did not receive an  invoice, please check your email to make sure that the invoice is not in your spam folder. If you have questions about your registration or haven’t received an invoice, please contact Nathalie Kelley at [email protected].

Delegates will have excursions to the National Ranching Heritage Center and the Windmill Museum Friday afternoon and the Lubbock Arts Festival Saturday, unless they decide to do something on their own.

We are looking forward to April and hope to see you all then!

 

IWS Workshop Entrants

By Annual Workshop
Dear IWS Members,
These are the members from whom we have received requests for inclusion into the Annual Workshop in June. Please check that if you notified us, we have your name down and have the correct email. Please note that we have 27 signed up and only have room for 22, so we will do a lottery on this Thursday.  Last year, we had enough late cancellations that everyone on the waiting list eventually got in, so if you end up on the waiting list, all is not lost.
Jean Ah Fong
 Susan Kluksdal

 

Beth Trott [email protected]
Karen Hickman [email protected]
David Potter [email protected]
Mary Gardiner [email protected]
Ben Sotelo [email protected]
Rachel Linquist [email protected]
Nancy Inaba [email protected]
Cathy Anderson [email protected]
Renee Carter [email protected]
Jane Shimon [email protected]
Loretta Barra [email protected]
Elaine Tyson [email protected]
Frankie Sims [email protected]
Renee Galligher [email protected]
Jamie Landry [email protected]
Gizella O’Neil  [email protected]
Teresa McCully  [email protected]
Vicki Rhodes/Merryweather [email protected]
Betty Jo Evans [email protected]
JoAnn Duffin [email protected]
Cynthia Bowman [email protected]
Roy Gover [email protected]
Yvonne Tanner [email protected]
Katie Harris [email protected]
Katheen Archer [email protected]
Dixie Rogers dixierogersinsurance.com
Janel Williams [email protected]

Idaho SHPO Sponsors Art Contest

By Events

ATTENTION: Call to Artists!

We at SHPO are holding an art contest to find a design for our annual Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month poster. This year’s theme is the Rainbow Bridge over the North Fork of the Payette River. The chosen winner will have their design featured on the poster and will receive $1000 in prize money.

May is Idaho Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month. Each year, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office (IDSHPO) creates a commemorative poster centered around a relevant theme. This year, we are asking for artwork submissions from the public that depict the iconic Rainbow Bridge over the North Fork of the Payette River along State Highway 55.

About The Rainbow Bridge: The bridge is an open spandrel arch bridge designed by Charles Kyle and constructed in 1933. It is the largest bridge of its type in the state and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently at risk, as the crossing is to be redesigned, leaving the fate of the bridge in question.

Artwork may be of any two-dimensional medium, including but not limited to drawings, paintings, prints, and photographs. The IDSHPO will choose one design from the submitted artworks to feature on the May Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month poster. The artist of the chosen design will receive a $1000 prize. Artworks must be submitted by February 28th, 2025 to be considered.

 

For more information, rules, and to submit artwork:

https://history.idaho.gov/iahpm/

Kayla McElreath, M.H.P. (she/her)

Compliance Architectural Historian
Idaho State Historic Preservation Office

210 W Main St.
Boise, ID 83702

Office: 208.488.7473
Mobile: 208.918.0604 

Book time to meet with me

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