Board of Directors


President: Katherine Zarull
1st Vice-President: William Rogers
Treasurer:Karin Isenburg
Past President: Peter Marsh


Directors at Large:
Heidi Burkhardt
Gil Cameron
Marilena Isacescu Carlea
Marlene Madole
Virginia May
Rosemary Randell
Elizabeth Roberts
Maurice Snelgrove


Regional Directors:
Eastern Ontario: TBA
Northern Ontario: Ellen Catherwood
Western Ontario: Joanne Lucas Warren
British Columbia: Heidi Lambert
Alberta/Prairies: Jean Pederson
Quebec: Norma Bradley-Walker
Atlantic Canada: Nora Gross

The Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) was founded in 1925 by some of the most illustrious artists in Canadian art history who passionately believed in the importance of watercolour as a medium. The CSPWC encourages experimentation while honouring the transparent tradition of the medium.

    With a strong base of volunteers,the CSPWC:
  1. honours excellence in watercolour through Open Water an annual juried exhibition with major awards, open to all artists.
  2. presents regional, national and international exhibitions of work by members.
  3. organizes workshops and demonstrations across the country.
  4. collects contemporary and historical Canadian watercolours.

Education is an important part of our mandate. Since 1991 we have been sponsoring Awards for Excellence in Watercolour at Colleges of Art & Design in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta. There is also the Ethel Racius Award available at the hight school level.


CSPWC meeting in the Library of the Grange, Toronto c. 1932.
Left to right: Joachim Gauthier, Franklin Carmichael, A.J.Casson, Thomas W. MacLean and Conyers Barker.
Photograph by Charles Comfort.