August 30 – November 1, 2008

Reception: September 13, 2008, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The National Watercolor Society was founded in 1920 and the group remains vehemently dedicated to the study and practice of the watercolor medium. As the country grew, painters found inspiration in the expansive western lands and were, in their way, pioneers of a new spirit. During the period between 1929 and 1948, the activities of the members of the California Water Color Society, both in their group showings, and as individuals, brought considerable favorable critical attention. The movement propelled the society into the national spotlight, and it became one of the two great watercolor groups in the United States, the other being the New York based American Watercolor Society. Since their early days, the NWS has exhibited their work in such institutes as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena Art Museum, Laguna Beach Museum of Art, Brea Civic Cultural Center, Otis Art Institute, the Muckenthaler Cultural Center, and also institutes in but also in Santa Barbara, San Diego, and the San Francisco area. The NWS does not only exhibit their work, but they also educate and give lectures about their craft. In conjunction with the annual exhibitions, lectures and orientation programs are made available to docents of the host museums. Its travel shows visit collegiate and public galleries and museums throughout the United States and Canada. The National Watercolor Society (NWS) brings before the public the best of water media painting, representing a wide range of directions and technique, from experimental to traditional.