American Watercolor Society
A nonprofit American membership society that promotes watercolor painting through exhibitions, juried recognition, and professional community.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The American Watercolor Society is a nonprofit membership organization devoted to the advancement of watercolor painting in the United States. It was established in 1866 as the American Society of Painters in Water Colors by eleven painters at a time when watercolor was seeking greater recognition as a serious fine-art medium. The organization developed around exhibitions, professional standards, peer judgment, and the cultivation of a national community of watercolor artists. The society's central activity has historically been the presentation of juried exhibitions. Artists submit work for review, and acceptance is based on artistic merit and the judgment of the society's selection process. Over time, admission as an active member, now generally described as signature membership, came to signal that a painter had developed a sustained professional practice and demonstrated notable skill in watercolor. Artists who attain this status may use the designation "AWS" after their names in biographies and promotional materials, while associate membership identifies other participants in the organization. A characteristic value associated with the society is transparency in watercolor painting. In transparent watercolor, the paper remains visible through the applied pigment and becomes part of the visual structure of the work. This emphasis reflects the medium's particular technical demands and distinguishes the society's historical identity from organizations focused primarily on oil painting, sculpture, or other media. Applicants have commonly been expected to demonstrate professional standing, including recognition in juried exhibitions, before receiving the society's highest membership status. The organization's institutional history also reflects changing attitudes toward gender and participation in the American art world. In its early decades, the society faced difficulty attracting members, in part because some artists opposed the admission of women. The New York Water Color Club was founded in 1890 partly in response to the society's exclusion of women and its exhibition practices. The club accepted women as members and officers, mounted its own jury-selected exhibitions, and became an important parallel institution in New York's watercolor community. The American Watercolor Society did not admit women until 1897. The two organizations increasingly cooperated, including by sharing exhibition venues between 1922 and 1931. They eventually adopted a new constitution and merged in January 1941 under the name American Watercolor Society. Roy Henry Brown, then president of the American Watercolor Society, led the merger effort. The resulting organization carried forward the older society's national identity while incorporating the New York club's history of broader participation and organized exhibition activity. The society has been associated with many prominent American artists, including William Merritt Chase, John La Farge, Lydia Field Emmet, Rhoda Holmes Nicholls, Emily Maria Scott, Paula Eliasoph, George Henry Clements, and others. Catherine Tharp Altvater became the first woman to hold office in the society. In the modern period, leadership has continued to be exercised by elected or appointed officers drawn from the watercolor community; Jim McFarlane assumed the presidency from Janet Walsh in 2008. Today, the American Watercolor Society is best understood as an artist-led professional and cultural institution rather than a commercial product brand. Its role is to sustain standards for watercolor practice, provide exhibition and recognition opportunities, preserve the medium's institutional history, and connect artists through membership. Its archival history is also represented in research collections, including records held by the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
History
The American Watercolor Society originated in New York in 1866 under the name American Society of Painters in Water Colors. Its foundation reflected a broader nineteenth-century effort to establish watercolor as a respected medium within American professional art. The society's model emphasized organized exhibitions, peer evaluation, and the creation of a continuing institutional network for artists working in watercolor. Recruitment and participation were difficult in the society's early years. One major issue was the exclusion of women, which reflected prevailing gender barriers in the American art establishment. In 1890, the New York Water Color Club was created as a separate organization that admitted both women and men as members and officers. The club also held its own exhibitions and used a jury-selection system, giving it a distinct institutional identity. Childe Hassam served as its first president. The New York Water Color Club was based at the American Fine Arts Building at 215 West 57th Street in New York and participated in the city's wider network of cultural organizations. It was represented in the Fine Arts Federation of New York and maintained connections with other art and architectural bodies. By 1918, the club had 175 members and its annual exhibition included 581 works by 301 artists, the large majority of them watercolors. These figures illustrate the scale of organized watercolor activity in New York before the two societies formally united. The relationship between the organizations gradually moved from rivalry and separation toward cooperation. They shared exhibition venues from 1922 through 1931, creating practical and professional links between their memberships. The American Watercolor Society also changed its name during the early twentieth century to American Water Color Society. Meanwhile, the older society began admitting women in 1897, reducing one of the original distinctions between the two institutions. In 1941, the New York Water Color Club and the American Water Color Society merged after preparing a new constitution. The combined body adopted the name American Watercolor Society. Roy Henry Brown, who was president of the American Watercolor Society, played a leading role in bringing the merger to completion. The consolidation created a stronger institutional platform for exhibitions, membership recognition, and the promotion of watercolor in the United States. Membership has remained one of the society's defining functions. Artists are evaluated before receiving active or signature status, and the designation AWS has become a professional marker associated with established achievement in watercolor. Applicants have generally been expected to show a record of success in juried exhibitions and a consistent body of work. Associate membership provides another form of affiliation for artists who have not attained signature status. The society's aesthetic culture places particular importance on transparent watercolor, in which the white or natural surface of the paper remains visible and contributes to the image. This approach highlights the medium's technical discipline and differentiates watercolor from opaque painting methods. The society has included artists with varied subjects and styles, but its institutional identity has consistently been tied to the distinct properties of watercolor and to standards maintained through juried display. Among the artists associated with the organization are William Merritt Chase, John La Farge, Lydia Field Emmet, Rhoda Holmes Nicholls, Emily Maria Scott, Paula Eliasoph, George Henry Clements, William C. Fitler, and Alex F. Yaworski. Catherine Tharp Altvater was the first woman to hold office in the society. The organization's records and exhibition history have also become resources for scholars of American art; records of the New York Water Color Club are held by the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. In the modern era, the society has continued as a nonprofit membership institution serving watercolor artists and audiences. Leadership has included Janet Walsh and Jim McFarlane, who succeeded Walsh as president in 2008. Its enduring functions are the organization of exhibitions, the recognition of artists, the maintenance of professional community, and the promotion of watercolor as a significant American art form.
- 2008
Presidential transition
[1]Jim McFarlane succeeded Janet Walsh as president.
- 1941
Merger creates the modern American Watercolor Society
[1]The New York Water Color Club and the American Water Color Society merged under a new constitution and adopted the name American Watercolor Society.
- 1922
Joint exhibition period begins
[1]The New York Water Color Club and the American organization began sharing exhibition venues, a practice that continued through 1931.
- 1918
New York Water Color Club reaches 175 members
[1]The club reported 175 members and an annual exhibition containing 581 works by 301 artists.
- 1897
Women admitted to the society
[1]The American Watercolor Society began accepting women as members after an earlier period of exclusion.
- 1890
New York Water Color Club established
[1]The New York Water Color Club was founded as a parallel organization that admitted women and men as members and officers.
- 1866
Society founded
[1]Eleven painters established the organization in New York as the American Society of Painters in Water Colors.
Products and positioning
A longstanding professional art society centered on watercolor excellence, juried exhibition standards, artist recognition, and the preservation of watercolor's place in American fine-art culture.
Professional membership
Signature membership
The society's highest commonly described artist-membership status, awarded after review of an artist's work and professional record. Signature membership indicates that the painter has achieved recognized competence and developed a consistent practice in watercolor. Members may use the AWS designation after their names in professional biographies and promotional materials.
Artist membership
Associate membership
An affiliation for artists who participate in the society but have not attained signature status. It provides a connection to the organization's professional community and exhibition culture without representing the same level of formal recognition as AWS membership.
Art exhibition · 1866
Annual juried exhibitions
Competitive exhibitions in which submitted works are reviewed and selected by a jury. These exhibitions are central to the society's mission and provide public visibility, peer recognition, and opportunities for artists working in watercolor.
Sources1 sources
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