AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY INC

What AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY INC does

The American Watercolor Society, Inc. (AWS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded on December 5, 1866, in New York City as the American Society of Painters in Water Colors and later renamed to its current form. It is one of the oldest continuously operating watercolor societies in the United States, holding annual international exhibitions since 1867 with the stated mission of promoting watercolor as a serious fine art medium and supporting watercolor education. AWS serves professional, semi-professional, and amateur watercolor and water-media artists (including acrylic, gouache, casein, and egg tempera on paper) through a two-tier membership model: Associate Members who pay $60 in annual dues and Signature Members who earn the AWS designation after three acceptances into the Annual International Exhibition.

AWS's core products are its three exhibition programs—the Annual International Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in Greenwich Village, NYC (which receives over 1,000 submissions annually and selects approximately 150 works by Signature-member jurors, distributing over $54,000 in 39 awards in 2026); the Associate Members Online Exhibition (hosted on the AWS YouTube channel with cash prizes of $500–$1,500); and a Traveling Exhibition that sends approximately 40 works to multiple US venues for one year. Supporting offerings include the Art Instructor Scholarship Program and the Art Students League Scholarship (each providing up to $1,000 in tuition support), the Dolphin Fellowship point program for Signature Members, twice-yearly newsletters, and exhibition catalogs sold in digital and printed formats. There is no proprietary technology platform; digital operations are limited to a WordPress website, a member portal, and standard social media channels.

Revenue is generated through four streams: Associate Membership dues ($60/yr, subscription), exhibition entry fees ($55 for non-members, $30 for Associate Members, transaction-based), exhibition catalog sales ($10–$20 per copy), and tax-deductible donations directed to a Demo Video Fund or Operating Fund. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on the society's 159-year reputation, recurring exhibitions, scholarship programs, and watercolor demonstrations to acquire and retain members. AWS distributes through its own e-commerce site, in-person at the Salmagundi Club, traveling exhibitions across the United States, and its YouTube channel for online exhibitions. The society operates from 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, with an Executive Director and a volunteer board governing operations.

Name

AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY INC

Legal name

American Watercolor Society, Inc.

Website

https://americanwatercolorsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Watercolor Society, Inc. is a 159-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that promotes watercolor and water-media art through annual international exhibitions, membership tiers, scholarship programs, and educational demonstrations for a global community of artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual sustaining associate membership dues of $60 per year provide recurring revenue. Members receive the newsletter, exhibition prospectuses, exhibition catalogs, reduced exhibition entry fees, and invitations to opening receptions and annual dinners.
2. Exhibition Entry Fees: Non-member exhibition submission fee is $55; Associate Members pay a reduced fee of $30. Thousands of submissions are received each year from artists worldwide, with approximately 150 works selected for the annual international exhibition.
3. Catalog Sales: AWS sells exhibition catalogs dating from 2017 to 2026, priced from $10 to $20 per copy. Digital and printed formats are available. Shipping costs apply for printed copies.
4. Donations and Contributions: AWS accepts donations through a dedicated donation page, including options to direct gifts to the Demo Video Fund, Operating Fund, or to dedicate donations in honor or memory of someone. AWS is a nonprofit organization and contributions are tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American Watercolor Society (AWS) is a nonprofit arts organization that promotes watercolor and water media art through an Annual International Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York City, an Associate Members Online Exhibition, and a Traveling Exhibition that visits venues across the United States. The society operates a membership program (Associate and Signature tiers), distributes over $50,000 in annual awards, runs scholarship programs for art teachers and students, and sells exhibition catalogs.

Product overview

The American Watercolor Society operates a portfolio of programs centered on promoting watercolor media and advancing education. The core offering is the Annual International Exhibition, an in-person show at the Salmagundi Club in NYC that attracts over 1,000 submissions annually and distributes over $50,000 in awards. This is complemented by the Associate Members Online Exhibition (a separate annual online showcase), and the Traveling Exhibition (which takes 40 works from each Annual Exhibition to venues across the United States for one year). Supporting offerings include scholarship programs (AWS Art Instructor Scholarship and Art Students League Scholarship), exhibition catalogs (available in digital and print), newsletters (published twice yearly), the Dolphin Fellowship Program (an awards-based recognition system for Signature Members), and AWS Watercolor Evening Demonstrations. The society maintains two membership tiers: Associate Members (who pay $60 annual dues and can submit to the online exhibition) and Signature Members (who have achieved three acceptances into the International Exhibition and may use the AWS designation).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual International Exhibition Premier in-person annual exhibition held at the Salmagundi Club in Greenwich Village, NYC, typically in April. Open to artists worldwide working in water-soluble media, attracting over 1,000 submissions with approximately 150 works selected by Signature member jurors.
• Associate Members Online Exhibition Annual online exhibition open only to AWS Associate members, held June-August, with cash prizes from $1,500 to $500 and merit awards.
• Traveling Exhibition
• AWS Art Instructor Scholarship Program
• Art Students League Scholarship
• Exhibition Catalogs
• Dolphin Fellowship Program
• Associate Membership
• Signature Membership
• AWS Watercolor Evening Demonstrations

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $50,000 in awards distributed annually to exhibiting artists
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• M. Graham (paint company)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerM. Graham, an Oregon-based paint company, partners with AWS as part of the Art Instructor Scholarship Program. First-time Art Instructor Scholarship recipients receive a set of watermedia materials supplied by M. Graham. This partnership supports watercolor education by equipping art teachers with quality painting supplies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• International Watercolor Society: Global watercolor organization with affiliated chapters worldwide. Overlaps with AWS in mission, member services, and exhibition programming but operates at broader international scale.
• National Academy of Design: Historic NYC art institution founded in 1825 where AWS held its first exhibition in 1867. Both organizations share NYC art world connections, exhibition programming traditions, and overlapping member constituencies.
• American Artists Professional League: AAPL is a national art society hosting annual exhibitions and providing member services similar to AWS, though with broader medium coverage. Both compete for member artists and exhibition visibility in the US art community.
• Salmagundi Club: NYC-based arts club founded in 1871 where AWS holds its Annual International Exhibition. Shares significant overlap in member base, NYC art community presence, and exhibition programming.
• National Watercolor Society: Founded in 1920, NWS is another major US watercolor society that hosts annual exhibitions and awards. It directly competes with AWS for members, submissions, and prestige in the watercolor community with a near-identical operating model.
• Transparent Watercolor Society of America: TWSA focuses specifically on transparent watercolor, hosting annual exhibitions and awarding Signature member status. It serves the same artist community as AWS but with a more specific medium focus.

Others

• Art Students League of New York: Historic NYC art school founded in 1875 where AWS provides annual scholarships to watercolor students. Connected through the scholarship program and shared NYC art community, but its core focus is art education rather than exhibitions.

Regional players

• Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours: UK-based equivalent organization that hosts annual watercolor exhibitions and awards. Operates with a similar mission and programming model to AWS but focused on UK-based artists and the British art market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@americanwatercolorsociety5490
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanWatercolor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-watercolor-society-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/american.watercolor.society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY INC