The solid white walls of the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art are filled with watercolor paintings as the museum welcomed the 77th National Annual Watercolor Society of Alabama Exhibition Sunday to be the museum’s rotating exhibit.
The Watercolor Society of Alabama, WSA, sponsored the exhibit. WSA began in 1939 and is one of the oldest major watercolor organizations in America.
“The objective is to help artists across the state,” said Jaceena Shepard, first vice president and exhibition director of WSA.
WSA holds two exhibitions every year. Because of limited space in the exhibits, a competition is held to select the pieces to be displayed, Shepard said.
Out of 231 submissions, 80 were selected to be displayed in the JCSM. Carol Carter, an artist based in St. Louis and whose art has been exhibited internationally, selected the pieces for the exhibition.
Ninety percent of the pieces within the exhibit are also for sale.
“It helps the artists that way to get their work out there,” Shepard said. “And it’s just a great way to have the community see what America is doing in the latest watercolor art.”
Art framed on the walls captures a large number of moments and scenes – faces from people both old and young, individuals riding camels, jazz bands playing, nature displays, harbor settings and more.
The exhibit is different from other exhibits at the museum because WSA selected all of the featured pieces, Rachel SoloRio, JCSM special event specialist, said.
“I think it’s really unique and kind of special to Alabama that it is here,”
Watercolor is a great medium to work with and can flow well once the artist understands it, Shepard said.
“Art is art,” Shepard said. “We just want to be a part of the art of the United States.”
The exhibit will be on display at JCSM until July 29.
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