The Miami Watercolor Society, Inc. was formed in 1974 to educate and showcase a broad spectrum of water media painters who are professionals, teachers, and those who paint for the sheer joy of expression. Their membership organization provides exhibitions, community education, student exhibitions, activities for seniors, artistic demonstrations, and publications. The MWS welcomes both beginner and established watercolor artists into their relaxed and supportive organization.
“You don’t have to have a lot of experience, just come by and get your feet wet,” said MWS member and co-director, Andi Miller.
MWS relies on their membership for a number of activities such as events, meetings, exhibitions, workshops, and the MWS newsletter. Watercolor classes are taught to members by professionals who are themselves members of the Society. Many instructors teach privately and at such facilities as Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, Pinecrest Community Center, or in their private studios. Instruction addresses a number of subjects and includes the exploration of watercolor and acrylic media.
The organization also plans and holds exhibitions of their members’ artwork through the season. These highly-regarded and well-attended events allow members to showcase their work at local galleries and help to recruit more members to the Society.
MWS focuses on art education for teachers and students alike. Through a partnership with the Miami-Dade County Public School and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the Society holds a one-day workshop for art teachers taught by MWS members. Founded in 1999, the program instructs teachers in the watercolor technique, which they, in turn can teach their students. Teachers are invited to have their students’ art entered into the “Impressions in Watercolor” annual show sponsored by MWS. The teachers also earn Master Plan Points for state recertification. Both the workshop and the exhibition were established and led by artist and member, Dottie Green for decades, who was a passionate visionary serving the art community.
The “Impressions in Watercolor” exhibition which began in 1986 has evolved into one of most prestigious student shows held during the school year. It typically features more than 300 watercolor paintings by kindergarten through twelfth grade students. MWS confers on students more than $2,000 in awards and honors an art teacher each year. The teacher is invited to attend a workshop sponsored by MWS with a nationally known watercolor artist and he or she can bring one student
to the workshop.
For more information about the Miami Watercolor Society, visit https://miamiwatercolor.org. They meet at the Pinecrest Community Center located at 5855 SW 111 Street, Pinecrest.
Donna Shelley
