On a cold December evening in 1866 a group of eleven artists met in Gilbert Burling’s studio in the New York University Building. In those post-Civil war days New York was in the process of revival. Central Park was just a meadow and the streets were muddy and filled with horse-drawn carriages. The purpose of the meeting was to promote watercolor painting in America. Those eleven artists founded what is now the most prestigious juried international watercolor show extant.

We are happy to announce that this year George Harkins has been selected to be included in the 143rd Annual International Exhibition (April 6 – May 2, 2010) and will receive a medal for his outstanding painting. The show will travel to museums in North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, California, Texas and Maryland. Catalogues and CDs are available through the American Watercolor Society.