PWS Awards & distinctions

Signature Status

Signature membership is offered to those regular members in good standing who have been accepted into two of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society's Juried Exhibitions within an eight year period. Upon acceptance, the member receives a special PWS pin and a certificate and is entitled to use the signature initials PWS after their name.

Keystone Medallion

The Keystone Medallion and $500 award is available to Pennsylvania artists as one of the many awards given at the annual Juried Exhibition.

Sylvan Grouse Guild (SGG), Recognizing Excellence in PWS Annual Juried Exhibitions

The Sylvan Grouse Guild (SGG) recognizes sustained artistic achievement by Pennsylvania Watercolor Society Signature members who receive awards in PWS Annual Juried Exhibitions.

Signature members earn points based on awards received in the Annual Juried Exhibition. Points accumulate from year to year, and a member who earns a total of six (6) points achieves Sylvan Grouse Guild status.

How Points Are Earned

Under the current PWS award structure:

Award	SGG Points
First Place	5 points
Second Place	4 points
Third Place	4 points
Fourth Place	3 points
PWS President’s Award	2 points
PWS Board Award	2 points
Special Recognition Award	2 points
Society Award of Excellence	2 points
Award of Merit	1 point
Other sponsored, merchandise or material awards	1 point

Historical Awards

SGG points are cumulative from the first PWS Annual Juried Exhibition to the present.

Because PWS award names and categories have changed over the years, awards received under previous award structures retain their historical SGG point value. Older awards are matched to their equivalent level of recognition when necessary.

This allows artistic achievements from different periods in PWS history to be recognized consistently.

Achieving Sylvan Grouse Guild Status

When a Signature member accumulates six points, the member is inducted into the Sylvan Grouse Guild.

SGG recipients receive:

·      A special Sylvan Grouse Guild medal

·      A certificate of achievement

·      The privilege of using the designation PWS-SGG after their name

Members must maintain current PWS membership to use the PWS-SGG designation and be recognized as active members of the Sylvan Grouse Guild.

Tracking SGG Points

PWS maintains the official record of points earned by Signature members. Records are updated following each Annual Juried Exhibition.

Points accumulate over time, so they do not need to be earned in a single exhibition or within a specific number of years.

Six Points. A Lasting Distinction

The Sylvan Grouse Guild honors Signature members whose award-winning work demonstrates a continuing record of artistic excellence in Pennsylvania Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibitions.