Maryland Pastel Society

Dear Members,

Don't forget that our biennial national show, Shades of Pastel, opens on Saturday, September 26th at the Strathmore Mansion in Bethesda. There is some amazing work in this show, and you won't want to miss it. And remember, this year we are introducing the new Members' Choice Award! You can review all 99 works and, based on your personal assessment of technique and your emotional response to the work, vote for your favorite pastel painting, using one of the two ballot boxes set up at the Strathmore, one on the first floor and one on the second. Just decide which piece you like the best, fill out a ballot, and place it in the ballot box. As its name implies, this is a members' choice award, and only Maryland Pastel Society members may vote: one ballot per person. You will be asked to write your name on the ballot, but that's just so the we can make sure you're a member -- rest assured that no one will be tracking who votes for what! You can submit your vote any time from the September 26 opening day up until about 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 4, the day of our artists' reception and awards ceremony. Just before the awards ceremony begins at 1:45, we will collect and count the ballots; this is so that we can announce the Members' Choice Award winner at the ceremony. We want to encourage all our members to turn out to see the Shades of Pastel National Juried Exhibition, and we sincerely hope you'll enjoy this opportunity to recognize excellence and have a voice in the awards process.