Lowcountry artists are invited to submit their works of art for The Society of Bluffton Artists’ (SoBA) 25th Annual Judged Show.
To be eligible for an award, a minimum of seven pieces must be displayed in any one of the following categories: acrylic, mixed media, oil, pastel, photography, watercolor or 3D. Winners will be awarded first, second and third place cash awards.
Pre-registration is required by stopping by the gallery, located at 6 Church Street in Old Town Bluffton or by registering online at http://bit.ly/SoBAJudgedShow2019. The cost to register is $25 for SoBA members and $45 for non SoBA members. The deadline for entries is from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, March 4 at the Center for Creative Arts, located next door to the SoBA gallery at 8 Church Street. During this time, artists are asked to deliver their art and required paperwork. Label information for the artwork will be emailed after registration and the fee are received. No entries will be accepted after 11 a.m.
Registration and a full list of rules are available online at http://bit.ly/SoBAJudgedShow2019.
The Judged Show exhibit will display from March 5-31 at the SoBA gallery with an awards ceremony from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 6.
The judge for this year’s show is internationally renowned watercolorist Judi Betts. Her 
paintings have appeared on national television, wine labels, CDs and DVDs, and in more than 35 books. She has served as juror or judge for more than 150 regional, national and international competitions. In 2009, Betts was on the awards jury for the American Watercolor Society’s 142nd International Competition. Additionally, she had presented more than 425 workshops, as well as invitational sessions for watercolor societies in Norway, Puerto Rico, Sweden and Canada. Betts is a signature member of the American and National Watercolor Societies, members of both the National and Salmagundi Art Clubs in New York City, and she’s listed in “Who’s Who in American Art.” Betts’ paintings are included in corporate, university, museum and private collections.
Judi Betts of Baton Rouge, LA is a well-known watercolorist whose award-winning career includes globally recognized workshops, private and public collections and published works. Her paintings were selected for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Invitational Exhibitions of Contemporary International Water-Media Masters, sponsored by the Jiangsu Watercolor Research Institute in Nanjing, China. Her work is included in the E. Gene Crain Collection in Newport Beach, CA. Betts’ painting “Fresh Start” was selected to for the 2009-2010 Exchange Exhibition between the Japan Watercolor Federation and Watercolor USA Honor Society. The exhibit was displayed in Tokyo in the Japanese National Art Center in April 2010. Louisiana U.S. Sen. Russell Long and commissioned Betts to paint the Russell B. Long Federal Building for their private collection. Her painting of the Louisiana Old State Capital hung in the Rotunda of the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion when Mike Foster served as governor. Additionally, Betts’ paintings are in the permanent collections of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Springfield Mo. Art Museum. For more information, visit judibettsaws.com.
SoBA is the heart of the flourishing art hub in Old Town Bluffton’s historic district at the corner of Church and Calhoun streets. As a non-profit art organization, SoBA offers regular art classes, featured artist shows, exhibitions, scholarships, outreach programs and more. Please visit www.sobagallery.com for a complete calendar of events and other information or call 843-757-6586.
The paintings above are all by Judi Betts.
