Oil Painters of America’s 2024 Western Regional Exhibition
OPA’s 2024 Western Regional Exhibition is being hosted by Phippen Museum, located in Prescott, Arizona, October 12, 2024 through January 5, 2025. The Opening Reception will be held on Friday, October 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with the awards presentation at 7:00 p.m.
Founded as a gold mining town, Prescott, AZ is surrounded by mountain ranges and offers a variety of activities for visitors. Horseback ride on trails ridden by Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp, hike or motor bike in the Prescott National Forest, or pan for gold. Consider visiting the Sharlot Hall Museum, with the Governor’s Mansion, built of Ponderosa Pines, other historic buildings and gardens. Or visit one of the museums devoted to Western art and life as well as Native American history or take a walking tour of one of
the Victorian-era neighborhoods.
Our goal is to assemble approximately 100 of the finest display of representational oil paintings. The focus in the jurying process will be to select paintings that show the highest quality in draftsmanship, color, and composition, emphasizing a diversity in representational style and subject matter.
The total awards will be approximately $11,500 in cash and merchandise, including a $4,000 Best In Show.
The awarding juror will be OPA Signature member Steve Atkinson.
Artists eligible to compete are current 2024 OPA members who are citizens of the United States, Canada and Mexico who reside in Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Manitoba, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Oklahoma, Oregon, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Yukon Territories, and all of Mexico.
Members who are citizens, both natural born or otherwise, of the United States, Canada, or Mexico are eligible to participate regardless of where they live. For sake of convenience, citizens who reside elsewhere will compete in the region that corresponds with their last place of residence within North America.
Nonresident aliens who currently live in the above states of the United States, Canada or Mexico, are eligible to participate provided that they have been physically present at the address provided to OPA for eight of the last twelve months and that the residency is considered to be their permanent domicile and that they are 2024 OPA members. Nonresident aliens whose North American residency is in question will be asked to provide proof of residency including, but not limited to, employment history, references, and utility bills in the individual’s name. The decision of the Board is final.
Awards and Jurors
- Awards: The total awards will be approximately $11,500 in cash and merchandise, including a $4,000 Best In Show.
- Jurors:
The awarding juror will be OPA Signature member Steve Atkinson.
Show Information
- Entry: SUBMISSIONS DUE: Friday, July 12, 2024 Canvas size: Maximum size not to exceed 1,200 square inches (unframed). Example: 30” height x 40” width = 1,200 sq. in. Maximum entries three (3). However only one (1) painting may be accepted. Paintings must be created on one singular flat substrate and framed and wired for hanging. Multiples are unacceptable – i.e., diptychs, triptychs. The substrate must not exceed the maximum size set forth in the prospectus. Be sure to read each prospectus carefully, as the acceptable size of the substrate changes depending on the gallery/museum. Copyright infringement of any kind is unacceptable. It is unethical and against OPA policy for artists to submit work created from another person’s drawing/painting/photo or other artwork. Purchased reference material that transfers copyright to the artist is unacceptable. Digital apps and programs may be used for cropping your reference photos, etc., but no digital, mechanical, photo, or other transferring to the substrate of any kind is acceptable. You must draw and/or paint the image on your substrate yourself. Your submission must be originally conceived: your own reference, your own drawing, your own concept and must have been self-painted. No direct copies of stock images, historic photos, or of any reference to which you do not hold total copyright are allowed. You must be able to provide signed documentation of total copyright should OPA request. Paintings created in an instructional setting, including but not limited to workshops and art classes are not considered original artwork. A painting created from a group photo shoot set-up by another artist is not considered original artwork. Paintings created in an open studio where artists share the model are acceptable provided there was no instruction being given of any kind. Painting must have been created within the last 3 years. An artist may not submit a painting for a Regional Exhibition that has previously been accepted into a Regional Exhibition, Salon Show or an OPA National Exhibition. The artist retains copyright to his/her image(s). However, accepted images do become part of OPA archives and may be used for future OPA event promotion. All work must be for sale. No NFS. Paintings that do not reflect the artist’s current pricing structure may be disqualified from the competition. An artist who withdraws an entry after acceptance into the exhibition shall not be eligible to enter any OPA exhibitions for the next two years.
- General Information: Our goal is to assemble approximately 100 of the finest display of representational oil paintings. The focus in the jurying process will be to select paintings that show the highest quality in draftsmanship, color, and composition, emphasizing a diversity in representational style and subject matter. The total awards will be approximately $11,500 in cash and merchandise, including a $4,000 Best In Show.
- Show Rules: ACCEPTABLE SUBSTRATES: Any primed, smooth, flat substrates including: primed canvas or linen, stretched or on a panel, wood, gesso board, acrylic gessoed dibond, aluminum, aluminum composite panel. Acrylic primer is acceptable. Oil primed paper is acceptable if adhered with archival adhesive to a proper archival substrate. Paintings should NOT require being placed under glass. UNACCEPTABLE SUBSTRATES: Any textured surface including decorative copper, tooled aluminum, natural stone, barn wood or three-dimensional objects. A substrate containing any printed image or photograph is prohibited regardless of whether it is your own or someone else's image/photograph. Paintings should NOT require being placed under glass. ACCEPTABLE FRAMING: All paintings must be framed and wired for hanging. When framing deep-edged paintings (museum/gallery wrap canvas or deep board), the frame must be of adequate depth that the substrate does not extend more than half an inch beyond the back of the frame. Floater frames are acceptable for paintings on museum/gallery wrap canvas or deep board panels FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE PAINTING CRITERIA, PLEASE CLICK HERE. Questions should be emailed to: mail@oilpaintersofamerica.com, or call 815-356-5987.
- Eligible Artists: Artists eligible to compete are citizens of North America who reside in: Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Manitoba, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Oklahoma, Oregon, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Yukon Territories, and all of Mexico, who are 2024 OPA members. Members who are citizens, both natural born or otherwise, of the United States, Canada, or Mexico are eligible to participate regardless of where they live. For sake of convenience, citizens who reside elsewhere will compete in the region that corresponds with their last place of residence within North America. Nonresident aliens who currently live in the above states of the United States, Canada or Mexico, are eligible to participate provided that they have been physically present at the address provided to OPA for eight of the last twelve months and that the residency is considered to be their permanent domicile and that they are 2024 OPA members. Nonresident aliens whose North American residency is in question will be asked to provide proof of residency including, but not limited to, employment history, references, and utility bills in the individual’s name. The decision of the Board is final.
- Liabilities and Responsibilities: Oil Painters of America and Phippen Museum will not be responsible for loss or damage of any artwork, no matter what the cause. By submitting artwork to this exhibition, each artist will be deemed to have concurred with this agreement. Artists pay for shipping both ways. We suggest that you provide insurance to cover the full value of the artwork while in transit. Good Luck and Good Painting
- Opa Membership: Not a member and want to enter the Western Regional Exhibition? Learn how to become a member
Events
- August 2, 2024