Welcome to the 31st National Exhibition Online! Thanks to all who entered and supported this magnificent endeavor.
Juror James Turner Statement
I am a watermedia artist with more than 25 years experience, have entered and been accepted (and rejected) from multiple local and national shows, and have achieved signature status in several organizations including AWS. I paint in traditional studio based watercolor on paper, in plein air events, with significant success (and often failure), and work and teach painting on YUPO. I paint in both representational and abstract modes, and enjoy exploring new and experimental techniques. In other words, I am nominally qualified to jury a watermedia show.
Having said that, it is extremely humbling to be asked to do so, since I have a clear understanding of how individual and unique we all are as artists, and how personal and difficult it is to compare one painting with another. I am honored to have been asked, and strive to do the jurying and judging with thoroughness and great care, knowing that an equally qualified juror would make different and equally valid choices.
The entries in this show were of overall exceptionally fine quality, making the job even more challenging. For those selected to be in the show, know that you have already ‘won’ by being in the top 25% of entries, If you were not selected it does not mean that you did not create a valued piece, only that one person (me) selected other work for the show. Judging is at it’s heart a very personal job, and as one who has had work I considered to be among my best rejected, I feel your disappointment. Anyone who has entered multiple shows will know that a good painting can be rejected from one and win top honors in another. In the end, the best and only real judge of your work is you.
Thank you for the honor of jurying and judging this beautiful show.
Video of Juror Evening reviewing the winning entries
Video of Entries
A magnificent compilation of all the entries and winners in our 31st National Show Online.
All paintings in the video show the title, artist, size and price. Any prizes are mentioned separately on the image. Apologies to the two artists whose names are misspelled in the video – names and details are correct below.
If the video does not display for you, please follow this link
Award Winners
Congratulations to the award winners! And thanks to our juror Jim Turner who had a very hard job of selecting a richness of wonderful art from a large pool of entrants. An amazing show of the talent and creativity found within our member pool.
| 2023 RRWS Award | Artist Name | Painting |
| Gold ($1300) + Air Float System | Christine Alfery | Mask |
| Silver ($1000) | Z Feng | Foggy Creek |
| Bronze ($800) | Chris Kupinski | Plated Fruit |
| Excellence ($500) | Yidan Guo | Women Who Are Asian Immigrants Series -Pratikshya |
| High Water ($500) | Susan Seaborn | Don’t Touch That |
| Red River Regional ($500) | Cheryl Sachse | King of the Jungle |
| Distinction ($300) | John Salminen | Lingering Autumn |
| Merit ($100) | Catherine Hearding | Peace Like a River |
| Merit ($100) | Judy DeBoer | Blue Rose of Sharon |
| Merit ($100) | Mei Shu | Snow Day |
| Merit ($100) | Suzanne Accetta | Empty Sorrow |
| Merit ($100) | Ken Call | First Ride |
| MERCHANDISE AWARDS | ||
| Cheap Joe’s ($50 Gift Card) | Georgia Kandiko | Exploring the Coral Reef |
| Holbein ($50 paint) | Melissa Van Egdom | Enlightened Curiosity |
| Holbein ($50 paint) | David Williams | Final Days of the Silver Dollar Tavern |
| Golden ($250 Qor Paint) | David Belling | Cedar Creek |
| Dick Blick ($50 gift certificate) | Jan Johnson | On the Edge |
| Dick Blick ($50 gift certificate) | Marilynne Bradley | Dock of the Bay |
| Dick Blick ($50 gift certificate) | Ellen Jean Diedrich | Roadside Stop |
Sponsors and Donors
And this event would not be possible without the support of our sponsors and donors.
The Members of Red River Watercolor Society
John Rowell & Claudia Murphy
Lyle and Marsha Songstad
Industrial Builders
Northwestern Bank
Robert and Barbara Deraas
John and Anne Kaese
Matching funds from BSNF Railway Foundation
Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC
Material Award Donors:
Dick Blick
Cheap Joe’s
Holbein
Golden
Air-Float
And thanks to the volunteers:
President Anne Kaese
Treasurer Barbara Deraas
Secretary Shanna Cramer
Board Member Missy van Egdom
Board Member and workshop chair Susan Seaborn
Board Member Lisa Burns
National Exhibition Chair Anastasia Kenner
Assistant Chair Aric Gjervold
Signature Status Karen Bakke
National Exhibition Workshop Chair Susan Seaborn
Donations Lisa Burns and Ellen Diederichs