Earlier this month, we shared a letter about where IAPS is headed: annual Gatherings hosted by member societies, an expanding grants program, a growing library of educational content, online exhibitions that continue twice a year, and our ongoing honors program. If you missed it, the full letter is here.
As IAPS programming evolves, we know members may have questions about how these changes will work in practice. We’ve gathered answers to some of the most common questions below.
Why is IAPS moving from a national convention to regional Gatherings?
For over three decades, IAPS held one national convention every two years, in a single host city each time. That meant a large share of our members, especially those far from the host city, never had the chance to attend in person.
Gatherings reach more regions than a single national convention ever could. Instead of one event every two years, IAPS is building toward events hosted by member societies across the country and eventually worldwide, each one providing the in-person connection our conventions have always offered.
This isn’t the convention ending. It’s IAPS going on the road.
Read more about IAPS Gatherings here.
Who made this decision, and how?
This direction came from the full IAPS Board of Directors, after months of due diligence and consideration of numerous alternatives.
Is the convention really gone for good?
IAPS is refocusing its programming following the 2026 convention in Albuquerque. In practice, that means the elements that made our conventions meaningful, recognition ceremonies, juried exhibitions, and hands-on instruction, continue at Gatherings. So does the part of a convention no program can replace: the in-person connection with other pastel artists. What changes is scale and geography. Instead of one national event every two years, Gatherings happen annually, hosted by member societies in more regions than a single convention could reach.
Won’t this dump the convention burden onto small member societies?
No society hosts a Gathering alone, and no society has to host one at full convention scale.
Every Gathering is hosted by a member society and supported by IAPS, and societies are encouraged to partner up and host together when that makes sense. The scope is up to the host society or societies: they plan the event that fits their size, their region, and their members, rather than recreating a national convention.
Enchanted Places, the 2027 Gathering hosted with the Pastel Society of New Mexico, is the first example.
IAPS comes to every Gathering with real support of its own. Board members are encouraged to attend. IAPS promotes each Gathering through its social media, blog, and newsletters, reaching the full international IAPS audience. And IAPS provides guidance to host societies throughout their planning.
Financial assistance is agreed upon between IAPS and each host society. Some of it is based on the host’s needs, and some is based on the resources IAPS has available. This assistance can include things like support for the banquet or the gallery opening.
Will Master Circle and Eminent Pastelist Honors lose meaning under this model?
No. The requirements for Master Circle and Eminent Pastelist status haven’t changed. Points already earned still count toward the same thresholds they always have, and the same jurying standard applies whether a piece is shown at a Gathering or an Online Exhibition.
What’s different is where recognition happens. Instead of one ceremony every two years at a single convention, honors are recognized at Gatherings on the same two-year cadence.
Read more about the IAPS Honors Program here.
Can a society opt out of hosting, or is there pressure to host?
Hosting is entirely opt-in. A member society reaches out to IAPS when it wants to host, not the other way around. There’s no quota, no rotation schedule, and no penalty for a society that never hosts a Gathering.
What exactly is a Gathering, and how is it different from a society’s own event?
A Gathering is an annual event hosted by one or more member societies and supported by IAPS. The host society organizes and runs it, and decides the programming: workshops, demonstrations, paintouts, exhibitions, receptions, excursions, and whatever else it wants to build around them. No two Gatherings need to look alike.
IAPS supports each Gathering with the Best in Show award at the Gathering exhibition, promotion through its own channels so the host society reaches the full international IAPS audience rather than just its own membership, and guidance and financial assistance agreed upon with the host society.
A society’s own workshop, exhibition, or meeting doesn’t automatically become an IAPS event just because IAPS members attend it. If a society wants to turn an event into a Gathering, that starts with a direct conversation with IAPS, not an automatic upgrade.
Does a society need a grant to host a Gathering?
No. Grants and Gatherings are separate programs. The Pastel Society of New Mexico, host of the 2027 Enchanted Places Gathering, wasn’t selected because of a grant, and a society doesn’t need grant funding to propose hosting a future Gathering.
Interested in either one? They’re two different conversations to start with IAPS.
Does IAPS pay for Gatherings?
IAPS underwrites the Best in Show award at every Gathering, as a standing commitment. Additional financial support depends on the agreement between IAPS and the host society, based on the host’s needs and the resources IAPS has available.
What happens to Honors points earned at a society’s own exhibition vs. an actual Gathering?
Honor points are earned through IAPS’s own online exhibitions, where the published rule is unchanged: one point for acceptance and an additional point for an award. Points at a Gathering exhibition are set by the agreement between IAPS and the host society for that event. If you’re planning entries around your Master Circle or Eminent Pastelist progress, check whether a specific Gathering exhibition carries points before you enter.
Is there a volunteer role for members going forward, such as a convention committee?
There’s no convention committee going forward, because there’s no convention to staff. At a Gathering, event volunteering is organized by the host society, drawing first on its own members.
IAPS itself still runs on volunteers, and that doesn’t change. Standing committees like the Communication Committee and the Grant Committee continue, along with project managers who help guide and advise host societies as they plan their Gatherings. If you are interested in volunteering for one of these Teams, please reach out to Shirley Anderson, Caprise Cooper or Pam Comfort.
Continuing the Conversation
As IAPS continues to build this next chapter of programming, we know more questions may come up along the way. We’ll continue to share updates as plans develop and encourage member societies and individual members to reach out when they need clarification.
We’re looking forward to seeing how Gatherings, exhibitions, grants, the Honors program, and educational resources continue to connect and support our member societies in the years ahead.