The Watercolor USA National Honor Society’s (WHS) competitive exhibition, Watercolor U.S.A. 2009, opened last Saturday at the Springfield Art Museum in Missouri, featuring 155 paintings in watermedia. This is one of the biggie juried exhibitions—659 entries by 357 artists from 42 states were submitted this year—so if you’re in the Springfield area, get to it (the show runs through August 2).
 
Also on display (through August 2) at the Springfield Art Museum is Japan Watercolor Foundation, which showcases contemporary Japanese watermedia paintings. This exhibition is an exchange program between the WHS and the Japanese Watercolor Foundation; next April, 30 paintings from WHS will go on display at the National Art Center in Tokyo.

Also, Missouri State University’s Art & Design Gallery (also in Springfield) hosts the Honor Society Member Invitational, a watercolor exhibition of work by the WHS Members, through July 17. Exhibiting artists are: Wayne Conyers; Kathleen Kuchar; Bob Mejer; Ellen Murray-Meissinger; Karen Poulson; Susan Puelz; Camille Rendal; Sarah A. Riley; Sandra Schaffer; Carol Ann Schrader (who was featured in the June 2007 issue of the magazine); Bruce Thayer; Elizabeth Yarosz-Ash; and Peggy Zalucha.