42nd Annual Capitol Rotunda Art Show Visitor’s Choice Award Winners

This year, we received over 1,200 public votes for our 42nd Annual Capitol Rotunda Art Show Visitor’s Choice Awards, the highest participation we’ve seen to date. Even more meaningful, every painting in the show received votes, reflecting how widely the work resonated with visitors!!  We’re happy to share the 2026 Visitor’s Choice Award winners:
1st Place ($200) “Ol’ Blue Eyes” by Carol HasBrouck Browning
2nd Place ($100) “The Poser” by Shelly Johnson
3rd Place (Blick Art Materials Merchandise Award) “South of Cascade” by Sharon Herther
4th Place (The Merri Artist Merchandise Award) “Henrietta the Hedgehog” by Tamara Burnett
Honorable Mentions
5th Place: “The Family That Digs Together” by Beth Trott
6th Place: “Catching Some Z’s XVIII” by Lauren Johnson

A special thank you to Blick Art Materials and The Merri Artist for supporting this year’s awards!!! And a sincere thank you to all participating artists. This show is entirely volunteer driven and truly a labor of love. It exists because IWS artists are willing to share their work with the broader community in such an open and accessible space.

IWS 2026 46th Annual Juried Membership Exhibition, Water’s Edge Gallery at the Riverside Hotel, Boise, ID, May 4 – June 29

IWS 50th Anniversary Founders Art Show and Reception

The Founder’s Art Show – May 8 – July 5 –  will feature artists who were early organizers, leaders, and mentors from across the state. Paintings will hang on the north wall of the ballroom.  The book we are producing will be available for your preview and purchase. It is a pictorial history of 50 years of annual award winners, notable events, illustrious artists, and treasured interviews of members’ voices. The book will be available for on-demand printing.

SHOWS and EXHIBITS

Southwest Members:

Twila Kadel has a solo watercolor show at the Kuna Arts and History Center (270 Orchard Avenue, Kuna, Idaho) from July 24-October 2nd. The artist reception will be held on Friday, August 7th from 5-7 PM.

The City of Meridian selected Anne Watson Sorensen’s painting “We the People” as one of their purchase awards at the current BOSCO show. She is thrilled to be a part of BOSCO’s “Pursuit of Happiness” show at the Initial Point Gallery at Meridian City Hall now through July 31st.  This show celebrates America’s 250th birthday!  Celebrate! Open Mon-Fri 8-5 pm.  33 E Broadway, Meridian.  Third Floor.

Two of Anne Watson Sorensen’s artworks were juried into and now hanging at the Friedman Memorial Airport in the Sun Valley area until October.  A beautiful show!  Fly or drive in! 1616 Airport Circle, Hailey, ID  83333.  Also find Anne’s prints at the Sawtooth Gallery at Redfish Lake (Stanley) now through September.

 Jessica L Bryant, Distinguished Merit Member, has work in the following exhibits this month: Coeur d’Alene Galleries’ 40th Anniversary Exhibit, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Watercolor USA, and the Splash 27 Best of Watercolor publication. For other updates, see Jessica’s newsletter, subscribe at www.jessicabryant.com

 Carrie Cornils will be the featured “Artist of the Month” at the St. Luke’s doctor’s lounge in Boise for the month of July. Carrie will also have a small display on the Catwalk of the Waters Edge Gallery for July and August at the Riverside Hotel.

Shelly Johnson is pleased to share that her painting “The Poser” (the yellow-headed blackbird) was accepted into the 53nd Annual Rocky Mountain National Watermedia exhibition, which will be held at the Center for the Arts Evergreen in Evergreen, Colorado from September 10 to October 17, 2026. Opening Reception and Award Ceremony is September 10, 2026 from 4 to 7 pm.

Deb Carter –   My painting   Forest Fantasy   received the BoldBrush Award for Abstract in the FASO Bold Brush May 2026 monthly competition.    http://faso.com/boldbrush/winners/317

Linda Aman- I am pleased to announce my painting “Beyond the Rim of Light” received the Ed Robinson Award, Idaho Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibition, Juror JJ Jiang. The painting will travel with the other award winners throughout Idaho Galleries.

Eastern Members:

Gloria Miller Allen and Linda Aman will have a two woman show at the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho. Opening is July 24, and it will run through late September.  They will debut their book. CLEVER ENDEVORS at their exhibit. The book will sell for 35.00. Sold through Amazon. The book is educational, has full color images of their work; with mini essays, poetry, inspiring words, personal stories,, and bits of humor.

View the 2026 IWS Juried Membership Exhibition, juried by nationally renowned artist, JJ Jiang. Click any image to enlarge it and view in the slide show. 

Partners, Sponsors, & Donors

IWS would like to thank our partners, sponsors, and donors for the 2026 Juried Membership Exhibition

Partners: Roots Family History; The Riverside Hotel and Water’s Edge Gallery

Sponsors: Blick Art Materials; Jerry’s Artarama; M Graham and Co.

Donors: Catalyst Arts Collaboration; Cheap Joes Art Stuff ; The Merri Artist; Idaho Art Gallery; QOR Artist Watercolor; Holbein; Studio 77; Princeton Art Brush Co.; Strathmore