2026 Hardy Wistuba Watercolor Competition Now Open with $3,000 Prize and Traveling Exhibitions

Original article: Concurso de Acuarela Hardy Wistuba 2026 abre su convocatoria con premio de USD $3.000 y exposiciones itinerantes

In tribute to the renowned Chilean watercolorist Hardy Wistuba, who passed away in 2010, this competition aims to honor his artistic legacy and encourage the development of watercolor as a pure technique, with a special focus on the participation of amateur artists and creators from various regions across the country.

Established as one of the most significant watercolor competitions in Chile, the Hardy Wistuba Watercolor Competition has showcased high-quality artistic works for the past 17 years.

In the 2025 edition, selected works were exhibited at the Association of Architects’ Offices (AOA), the Chilean-German Cultural League, and later at the Museum of Quinta Vergara in Viña del Mar. This year, the exhibition of awarded works will again be itinerant, reaffirming the competition’s commitment to promoting watercolor across various cultural venues in the country.

«We invite all watercolorists in Chile to be part of this new edition. This competition was created to recognize talent, promote watercolor as a pure technique, and provide platforms for artists from diverse backgrounds and regions. This commitment remains at the heart of this call,» says Alberto Collados Baines, director of the Hardy Wistuba Watercolor Competition.

In the 2025 edition, the jury consisted of well-known figures in the artistic and architectural fields: Ian Campbell, Pamela Prado, María Elena Comandari, María Luisa Hernández, Mario Toral, Mónica Álvarez, Juan Sabbagh, and Pancy Wistuba. The jury for the 2026 edition will be announced during the awards ceremony.

Professional and amateur artists may participate with a single work of free theme, created exclusively using watercolor as a pure technique with only watercolor pigments. Mixed techniques, such as watercolor combined with tempera, wash, inks, or other materials, will not be accepted, although preliminary sketches with pencil can be used as long as they are not prominent in the final expression of the artwork.

All works must be executed on a single sheet of paper, with either a rectangular or square format, provided that the shorter side is no less than 24 centimeters. Artists can choose their application tools freely, including brushes, cotton, spatulas, water-soluble pencils with transparent pigments, or other elements compatible with the technique.

Each participant must submit one artwork by sending a digital photograph through the form available at www.concursowistuba.cl. The competition’s directorate will perform an initial selection based on these images, so it is recommended to take high-quality photographs, ideally using natural light and without flash.

The results of this first phase will be communicated on September 30, 2026, via email to the selected artists. No notifications will be sent to those who are not selected.

Finalist works must be delivered between October 1 and 15, 2026, at the AOA headquarters, located at Juan de Dios Vial Correa 1359, Providencia, Santiago, protected with glass and correctly labeled on the back with the author’s name and the title of the artwork.

The exhibition of selected works will be held from October 28 to November 30, 2026, in the exhibition room of the Association of Architects’ Offices (AOA), bringing together some of the best watercolors created in the country over the past year.

The inauguration and awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 8:00 PM in the same exhibition room, concluding with a wine reception.

Awards and Recognition

The competition offers a single prize of USD $3,000, or its equivalent in Chilean pesos, in addition to a diploma for the winning artwork. The jury will also award a First Honorable Mention, a Second Honorable Mention, and a minimum of ten additional Honorable Mentions, all accompanied by diplomas. Artists whose works are selected for the exhibition will also receive a participation diploma.

The winning artwork will be exhibited alongside the other awarded pieces in various exhibition halls around the country before being returned to its creator in 2027, continuing the artistic dissemination spirit that characterizes this competition.

The complete rules of the competition, along with the awarded works and honorable mentions from previous editions, are available at www.concursowistuba.cl.

For inquiries regarding the call and application process, the organization has provided the email [email protected]

El Ciudadano