Each painting accepted into a juried WSO Show earns Merit Points. When a member has accumulated ten points, they receive the Bronze Award and Signature Status. After that, members will continue to accumulate points, working toward Silver, Gold, Plantinum, Diamond, and Celestial awards.
Level |
Merit Points |
Celestial Award |
100+ points |
Comet Award |
75-99 points |
Diamond Award |
50-74 points |
Platinum Award |
25-49 points |
Gold Award |
20-24 points |
Silver Award |
15-19 points |
Bronze Award (and signature status) |
10-14 points |
Print a copy of the Merit Award Worksheet and keep track of your points. When you have earned 10 points, send the form to the Merit Award Chairperson. After you’ve tracked your first ten points, WSO will keep track of all future points.
Start now and keep a list of the WSO exhibitions you have been accepted in and the awards received. Even if you are a new member and are just beginning to enter shows, start now! It is surprising how quickly time passes. You will want to have that information!
Merit Awards receive recognition at conventions, and as you climb the levels, there are logo pins to be gained. For example, at 25 points, members will receive a beautiful silver pin and at 50 points, a gold pin.
How the Merit Award Point System Works
Through the fall 2008 show in Florence, artists received a total of five points for a Sweepstakes award, three points for 1st, 2nd or 3rd, and one point for paintings that got into the show but did not win an award. Beginning with the spring 2009, we changed the name of Sweepstakes to “Best of Show” and it still earned 5 points (we have dropped the name of 1st place.) Now, we will have special names for 2nd through 6th place followed by awards of Distinction. You will earn a total of four points for a 2nd, 3rd or 4th place award, a total of three points for all other award-winning paintings, and one point for paintings that got into a show but did not win an award.
Points updated December 2014.
WSO Merit Awards
There are currently 130 names in this directory
Alexander, MarlenePlatinum - 43 points
Allen, TomCelestial - 114 points
Anderson, Mary FranSilver - 15 points
Armitage, JennyPlatinum - 38 points
Armitage, RuthComet - 76 points
Bailey, BillDiamond - 69 points
Barnett, CarolGold - 23 points
Barss, Betty SueGold - 24 points
Becic, RobinSilver - 15 points
Bennet, SuePlatinum - 44 points
Berg, MariaPlatinum - 30 points
Bills Bailey, SallyDiamond - 71 points
Blaisdell, SuziGold - 22 points
Boutacoff, LindaPlatinum - 45 points
Bouwsma, SarahComet - 87 points
Bradley, JohnPlatinum - 46 points
Brown, HelenDiamond - 52 points
Buck, KathleenGold - 20 points
Burgess, MaryPlatinum - 32 points
Cameron, PatriceBronze - 13 points
Cedergreen, ConnieBronze - 13 points
Chen, JennieSilver - 18 points
Cheney-Parr, LeslieDiamond - 67 points
Choate, TaraBronze - 11 points
Clark, CaroleeGold - 20 points
Cooper, VickiBronze - 13 points
Cox, PaulineBronze - 14 points
Cramer, CathySilver - 16 points
Damon-Dawson, KathrynPlatinum - 30 points
Dugas, LeslieBronze - 14 points
Durland, MaudPlatinum - 36 points
Eisenbart, ReneDiamond - 50 points
Emery, JoneilePlatinum - 27 points
Escobar, SusanSilver - 17 points
Eyer, AlexanderPlatinum - 36 points
Fields, IreneGold - 24 points
Foote, AiriPlatinum - 48 points
Frank, DeeComet - 95 points
Fritz, EvelynGold - 23 points
Furnanz, RitaBronze - 12 points
Gale, JeanSilver - 17 points
Gault, TimothyBronze - 12 points
Givot, WinniePlatinum - 48 points
Godfrey, MargaretPlatinum - 39 points
Greenbaum, SusanSilver - 19 points
Groff, VernonGold - 24 points
Hamilton, DodiePlatinum - 25 points
Helton, ChrisPlatinum - 33 points
Hickock Schubert, RuthSilver - 16 points
Hoffman Snodgrass, LyndaDiamond - 53 points
Hoines, JudyCelestial - 187 points
Honey, KathrynSilver - 18 points
James, AmandaSilver - 19 points
Johnson, MarjoriePlatinum - 28 points
Kinch, MarjorieGold - 23 points
Kreamer, KarenSilver - 17 points
Larson, LoisPlatinum - 28 points
Leek, DoylePlatinum - 33 points
Locati, DyannePlatinum - 29 points
Locke, GinaBronze - 14 points
Loyd, DebbieBronze - 14 points
Ludeman, SteveBronze - 12 points
Marble, DebbiePlatinum - 29 points
Mathews, RobertaBronze - 10 points
McCormack, GeoffreyDiamond - 59 points
McEvers, KathieBronze - 11 points
McKinnon, SusanDiamond - 61 points
McNamee, BrittPlatinum - 25 points
Meyer, PhyllisDiamond - 62 points
Miller, Jean B.Silver - 15 points
Miller, JeanninePlatinum - 28 points
Mintkeski, VickiPlatinum - 37 points
Mohney, JohnSilver - 15 points
Mooney, KristieBronze - 14 points
Moore, DorthyBronze - 12 points
Morris, JudyComet - 84 points
Morrow, MarciaBronze - 10 points
Nadal, DianaBronze - 14 points
Neerhout, MargaretDiamond - 62 points
Newbold, JacquelineBronze - 14 points
Nigh, JudyPlatinum - 25 points
Nye, LindaGold - 20 points
Otten, Mary EllenPlatinum - 33 points
Pallay, MurialDiamond - 73 points
Pari-Mueller, JoAnnBronze - 14 points
Pearce, SandraGold - 23 points
Peterson, CharlotteDiamond - 74 points
Pilcher, KaraDiamond - 63 points
Putnam, CarolGold - 23 points
Quigley, RichardBronze - 11 points
Raphael, MilaPlatinum - 42 points
Reeves, HazelBronze - 12 points
Renner, PatPlatinum - 37 points
Robert, StevePlatinum - 25 points
Rollins, MaryPlatinum - 42 points
Sands, CarolPlatinum - 25 points
Schilling, ElizabethSilver - 19 points
Schmidt, PatriciaPlatinum - 46 points
Scot, PaulPlatinum - 29 points
Sentgeorge, RebeccaSilver - 16 points
Shelton, LindaBronze - 12 points
Simmons, FlorenceBronze - 13 points
Smith, KimDiamond - 67 points
Smith, SunnyPlatinum - 43 points
Spears, SusanPlatinum - 37 points
Stermer Cox, MargaretGold - 20 points
Stubbs, ChrisCelestial - 105 points
Tarbox-Crone, LeVonneComet - 77 points
Taylor, LynnePlatinum - 34 points
Terhark, LindaPlatinum - 28 points
Tetamore, AliceSilver - 17 points
Thorp, M MicheleBronze - 12 points
Tierney, VictoriaPlatinum - 25 points
Tiger, KathyDiamond - 51 points
Tyvol, BlendaSilver - 18 points
Ulrich, BrucePlatinum - 36 points
Vaught, TedCelestial - 101 points
Verheyden, BethDiamond - 59 points
Walker, LizDiamond - 55 points
Walkup, HaroldCelestial - 127 points
Weigandt, JudiPlatinum - 31 points
West, RoseBronze - 11 points
Whitman, AlishaBronze - 10 points
Williams, RoxanneGold - 20 points
Wood, SandraPlatinum - 31 points
Wrantz, AngelaBronze - 11 points
Yates, CarolBronze - 14 points
York, DianeBronze - 10 points
Young, IrenePlatinum - 27 points
Young, LoisannBronze - 11 points