Applications for Salon 2023 are no longer being accepted as the event has passed.

See our website at SalonForever.net for information about the next SALON!

Participant Application and Guidelines

Salon is a gathering of skillful, like-minded individuals who come together to share techniques and ideas around the traditional craft of decorative paintwork. Salon Participants are professional decorative artists working at the highest levels of skill in this specialized trade.

Acceptance to the Salon is juried by a committee of the Board, made up of previous Salon hosts.

A Participant will exhibit and demonstrate.
The public arena is intended to inspire and educate. It is not a venue to promote oneself or commercial interests. Salon is NOT an art show or a trade expo.

If you are invited to participate come prepared for these important aspects of Salon.

1. How to Apply to the Salon: If you wish to participate in a future Salon, contact the next host, preferably by email.

See our website at SalonForever.net for information about the next gathering.

Include a brief biographical statement of your professional experience as a decorative artist, and at least three example images of your work, along with website or other links for more information.

If approved by the committee, you will be invited to create an exhibition panel.

Your first exhibition panel is also part of the application, and you will need to send detailed photos of the actual finished piece you wish to exhibit for review, in advance the deadline set by the host.

2. What to paint: Your exhibition panel should display your mastery of technique. It must be a finished piece, of your best, most confident work. Sometimes the Salon has a theme which may inspire your painting.

For Salon San Francisco 2023 the maximum size exhibition panel is 44" wide x 69" high.

If your piece requires more space or a different orientation, contact the host well in advance.

3. What to demonstrate Plan to demonstrate something of your particular expertise, and bring an appropriate substrate and any special materials you will need for it (this does not need to be the same as your exhibit panel.) Bring your own favorite brushes and tools to use. You will be demonstrating concurrently with other participants, in an informal setting. Be prepared to answer questions about your techniques or tools, and share your knowledge with other participants and visiting students.

You should also allow yourself time to observe other artists, participate in discussions, or work on the group mural or other group project.

4. Approval process New participants will need to be approved by the Board in order to be invited to future Salon events.

Shortly after the Salon, the Host will contact you about your application.

If your exhibition panel does not portray the expected skill level of a Salon participant, the Board may request you resubmit for a following year. Try not to be worried by this, as often painters need to attend a Salon or two in order to fully understand it.

I strongly encourage anyone interested in Salon to visit the event, or attend as a guest at least once prior to applying to participate.

Lynne Rutter, host, 2023

Decorative Painting Techniques

Types of work found at the Salon

Examples of Salon participants work are in the slide show at the bottom of the page

Keep up with the Salon via INSTAGRAM @decorativepaintingsalon