Color of the Year

EXHIBITION: November 12, 2026 - January 29, 2027 

RECEPTION: November 12 from 4 - 6 p.m.   |   January 16 from 4 – 6 p.m. 

Each autumn, art and design afficionados wait with bated breath as the leaders in fashion, interior, and graphic design industries roll out their Color of the Year announcements for the upcoming year. Far from being a meaningless piece of marketing fluff, the Color of the Year serves as an aesthetic and emotional cornerstone for color enthusiasts working at all levels of the design field. The problem? Many of the recently-proclaimed Colors of the Year have been, to put it bluntly, boring. Tan, beige, landlord white, and demure mauve may have their utilitarian functions, but inspiring they are not. 

And yet, maybe where titans of industry miss the mark is where the creative people of Moscow can shine! No color can speak for EVERYone in EVERYtown, so what’s YOUR color for Moscow? As the fall season approaches, the Third Street Gallery invites artists to create their very own 2027 Color of the Year, in essence to predict, with color, the aesthetic, social, and emotional nature of the year ahead.     

Important Dates 

August 18 – September 25, 2026  |  Submission Period Open

September 30 - October 1, 2026  |  Art Supply Pick-up

October 28, 2026  |  Artwork inventory information due (via Submittable form)

November 3 - 4, 2026  |   Artwork Drop-off (11/3 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., 11/4 from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.)

November 12, 2026   |   Opening reception   |   4 - 6 p.m.

January 7, 2027  |  Artwalk Reception  |  4 - 6 p.m.

November 12, 2027 - January 29, 2027  |  Exhibition Open  |  Gallery Hours 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F

February 1, 2027  |  Artwork Pick Up  |  10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

How Does it Work?

• This call is open to artists of all ages residing in the Palouse region.
• After the pre-registration period has ended, the Gallery will provide one canvas to each registered artist, ensuring that all artworks for the exhibition are identically sized. The canvases will be pre-wired to facilitate installation in the gallery. 
• From October 5 – 28, registered artists will have access to an online form that will gather a photograph of the finished work, the name of the artist’s “Color of the Year,” and an up to 80-word description of the color. 
• The painting must be primarily monochromatic and should not include any representational imagery or text. 
• The color should not be used straight from a commercially-available tube or can, but rather should be layered or mixed to create a hue that is distinctly the artist’s own. 
• The artist is asked to provide a color name and an up to 80-word description of the color. The color name and description should be the artist’s own creation, made to reflect the character of the color and the artist’s vision for how the color will represent the upcoming year.
• Because the Gallery is in a building with offices and public meeting spaces, it cannot accommodate artworks that incorporate battery-operated lights, video, or sound components.

 Phase #1 Submission Requirements (August 18 - September 25)

• Artist contact information

Phase #2 Submission Requirements (October 5 - 28)

• Artist biography 
• Color Name
• 80-word description of the color
• Inventory information: Title, Medium, Dimensions, Date, Sales price/NFS & Insurance value

Loan Agreement

(This text is a sample for reference - a loan agreement specific to the exhibition will be provided to artists by the date stated on the first page of this prospectus)

The Lender must provide an exhibition list declaring the content and value of each object loaned. A distinction will be made, prior to exhibition installation, between the declared value and sales price on all artwork to be offered for sale.

During the exhibition period, the City will take reasonable precautions to avoid damage or theft to the objects loaned. In the event of loss or damage, the City will be responsible to the Lender for the loss based upon the declared value of the objects on the exhibition list. The Lender may be required to provide substantiation of the value of the loaned object(s).

Unless the City is notified in writing to the contrary, it is understood that objects on loan may be photographed and reproduced in publications, for publicity purposes connected with the exhibition, and/or for educational purposes.

Artists may offer objects for sale or list them as NFS (not for sale), but the City cannot accommodate POR (price on request) listings. All sales will be handled through the Moscow Arts Department office. The Gallery receives a twenty percent (20%) commission on all artwork sold and Idaho sales tax of six percent (6%) shall be required on all artwork sold, so objects for sale should be priced accordingly.

The Third Street gallery is in a public, family-oriented space, so the Moscow Arts Commission and Arts Department staff reserve the right to review all submissions to determine the suitability of the artwork shown. The subject matter and content of artworks displayed in the Third Street Gallery must be appropriate for public exhibitions and may not contain advertising, religious references, sexual content, negative imagery, or convey political partisanship. All artworks will maintain compliance with the Idaho Code for publicly-supported exhibitions.

About the Third Street Gallery 

The Third Street Gallery is a space for art in the heart of downtown Moscow. City of Moscow Arts Staff and members of the Moscow Arts Commission have worked together to create artistic direction for the Third Street Gallery since the gallery’s opening in September 1997. The gallery features artworks in a wide range of media, subject matter, and content while presenting a curatorial vision open to all cultures and art forms. The Third Street Gallery exhibits the work of established and emerging makers from the Palouse and the broader Inland Northwest, celebrating the creative excellence of the region in a well-loved public space.

The Third Street Gallery features artwork on the second and third floors inside Moscow City Hall. The building was designed by architect James Knox Taylor in 1911, and was formerly the Moscow Federal Building. Entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as a Second Renaissance Revival brick building, the structure now houses City offices and meeting spaces such as the City Council Chambers. The Third Street Gallery is an essential part of this building, as it brings art into the center of civic life in the City of Moscow.

Third Street Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.

The Gallery is ADA accessible on the east entrance of Moscow City Hall, and the elevator on the north side of the building provides access to the second and third floors.   

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THIRD STREET GALLERY STAFF 

Megan Cherry       

Arts Manager       

mcherry@ci.moscow.id.us       

208.883.7036      

PALOUSE PLEIN AIR is an annual painting event that takes place every September, with experiences including painting workshops and a juried exhibition at the Third Street Gallery inside Moscow City Hall.    

Historic Moscow, Idaho and the beautiful Palouse are the perfect destination for plein air artists, and the annual Palouse Plein Air painting event connects artists with the region’s landscape and culture. French for “open air,” the phrase “plein air” (pronounced plen-air) describes the act of painting outdoors. The outdoor experience on the Palouse is particularly rich, as its rolling hills, rivers, mountains, fields, farms, and homes tell the long history of the landscape.   

Guided by the vision of the Moscow Arts Commission and University of Idaho art professor Aaron Cordell Johnson, Palouse Plein Air began in 2010, and the event continues to grow. A collaboration of community partners makes this growth possible; the City of Moscow Arts Department and the University of Idaho College of Art + Architecture work together to make a great event for artists and art lovers alike.      

Important Dates 

May 1 – September 3   |   Registration will be available online via Submittable. No emailed or paper registrations will be accepted.       

September 4 - 14   |   Painting Period in Latah, Nez Perce, Whitman, and Benewah Counties      

September 16 

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Artwork Drop-off at the Third Street Gallery inside Moscow City Hall at 206 E Third St.   

7:00 p.m.  Juror Lecture on the UI Campus      

September 17 

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Juror Demonstration at the UI Arboretum   

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Reception & Awards at the Third Street Gallery      

September 17 - October 30  

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday  Exhibition open at the Third Street Gallery     

November 2    

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Artwork Pick-up at the Third Street Gallery (No early pick-up of artworks will be allowed.)     

Eligibility  

Palouse Plein Air is a painting competition open to all artists 18 years-of-age or older. All painting media are eligible for competition, including gouache, watercolor, acrylic, oil, and pastel.      

Registration Fees   

$38.11 per participant or $32.45 per student participant (18 years-of-age and older.)    

Painting and Exhibition Guidelines 

• Following registration, participants paint out-of-doors at any location of their choosing within Latah, Nez Perce, Whitman, and Benewah counties. Participants have the option to paint on all days of the competition or any combination of the competition days. No use of electronic, pictorial, or other aids is allowed. All work must be done on location by the individual artist.
• Each artist will submit photos of their completed works along with inventory information and images of the painting on location. This submission will be completed using a Submittable form to be provided by City staff following the close of event registration. This procedure not only generates content for the publicly-viewable online gallery, but also authenticates that each piece was made on location during the Palouse Plein Air competition period. 
• Participants are invited to deliver finished entries to the Third Street Gallery inside Moscow City Hall on September 16 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. No early drop-off of artworks will be allowed. Artworks that arrive at any time other than the stated drop-off period will not be exhibited. 
• Up to 3 (three) paintings will be accepted. Painting sizes accepted will be up to 72” total unframed perimeter inches or smaller. (e.g. a 16” x 20” has a 72” perimeter: 20” x 2 + 16” x 2 = 72”)
• Artworks must be presented for exhibition in sturdy framing with a wire hanger (no sawtooth hangers). Please see the Third Street Gallery presentation requirements for an illustration of wire installation standards. Works submitted without proper framing and wire hangers will not be exhibited. 
• The Best Lil’ Paintings are the fun size candy bar of the Palouse Plein Air experience (mmm....caaandy...!) To participate, participants must select “Yes” to receive a welcome package. The welcome package will include a little canvas and a little watercolor board. Artists are invited to submit one little painting for this award category, and this submission will count toward the artist’s overall allowed total of up to 3 (three) paintings. The little paintings can be presented without frames or wires, but must be labeled as described below.
• Please label the back of each artwork with the following: artist name, artwork title, medium, and date.
• Event organizers reserve the right to determine suitability of all works shown in the Palouse Plein Air exhibition.
• Works may be offered for sale, and any sales will be handled by Third Street Gallery staff. Artwork sales will be subject to a 20% Gallery commission and Idaho State sales tax.
• Works will remain at Third Street Gallery for the entire length of the exhibition.
• Artists shall release the City of Moscow to use photographs and/or video of them and their exhibited art works, for future publicity and promotional purposes without copyright, use fees, or charges.

Juror and Awards  

Erin L. Cassetto of Clarkston, WA is the 2026 Palouse Plein Air juror. Cassetto earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History from Drury University and went on to earn Master of Fine Arts from Washington State University. Cassetto’s award-winning paintings have been recognized in The Art of Watercolour magazine, juried shows, and plein air competitions. Cassetto’s paintings are held in public and private collections, including the City of Moscow, Idaho. When she is not in her art studio in Clarkston, WA, Cassetto spends time with her family hiking and fly fishing. She'll often carry both her fishing equipment and painting supplies with her into remote areas. On days when the fishing is slow, having a paintbrush handy is so rewarding. On days when the fishing is red-hot, she'll remember the scenes and celebrate the day in her studio.     Awards will be announced during the artist reception at the Third Street Gallery. Winning participants need not be present to receive awards. Paintings will be available for sale and are eligible for the following cash and other recognition awards: 

• 1st Place ($500)
• 2nd Place ($250)
• 3rd Place ($125)
• Best Palouse
• Best Downtown
• Best Historical
• Best Lil’ Painting
• Student Awards (2)
• Honorable Mentions (2)
• City of Moscow Purchase Award (1)

Registration Support for Palouse Plein Air  

Megan Cherry, Arts Manager                

206 East Third Street                

Moscow, ID 83843                

208.883.7036                

mcherry@ci.moscow.id.us