Nearly 40 watercolor artists who gather twice a month at the Tualatin Heritage Center are putting their work on public display all August, with a free awards reception Saturday, August 1, at the Keizer Art Association Gallery in Keizer.

Wild Over Watercolor – Guild of Artists, known as WOW!, will showcase 60 to 65 original paintings by about 20 of its members, guild president Angela Wrahtz wrote in Tualatin Life.

The show fills the gallery on the second floor of the Keizer Art Center, 980 Chemawa Road NE, and runs through August 31.

The Saturday reception runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Guests can meet the artists, view the work, and enjoy refreshments.

Admission is free.

Beaverton juror picks the winners

Beaverton artist Liz Walker will serve as juror, selecting award recipients from the exhibition. Walker holds Signature Member status with the Watercolor Society of Oregon, the National Watercolor Society, and the Northwest Watercolor Society, where she earned a Gold Medal Fellowship.

She won the Watercolor Society of Oregon's Spring 2026 Award of Distinction for her piece "Fledgling #5," according to her artist website.

A guild rooted in Tualatin

WOW! was founded in July 2009 by seven artists, according to the guild's website. The group has met at the Tualatin Heritage Center for nearly two decades and grown to close to 40 members who paint in styles including traditional landscapes, florals, abstracts, and portraits.

Wrahtz wrote that the board recently debated whether to drop "guild" from its name, as other Oregon arts organizations have rebranded. The board kept it.

"The more we reflected on that definition, the more we realized how perfectly it describes who we are," Wrahtz wrote. "The discussion ended there."

How to visit and how to join

The gallery advises visitors to confirm hours on its website before attending. General August hours are Tuesdays from 3 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays through Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The guild welcomes new members. WOW! meets on the second and fourth Fridays of each month from noon to 3 p.m. at the Tualatin Heritage Center. The group also hosts Zoom painting sessions. Meeting dates and an RSVP option are listed at wowiswatercolor.org.

Upcoming community events

• Saturday, August 1 — WOW! awards reception, 2–4 p.m., Keizer Art Association Gallery, 980 Chemawa Road NE, Keizer. Free admission.
• Wednesday, August 5 — Lee Farms Sunflower Festival opens in Tualatin.