3rd丨2025

The third edition of the Venice International Watercolor Festival was held in 2025, themed around the 250th anniversary of the birth of William Turner (1775–1851), the great master of British Romanticism. Co-organized by the Independent Turner Society (UK), the Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange, and Shengxinyu Art (China), the exhibition was once again hosted at the Palazzo dei Trecento in Treviso, the festival's established historic venue.

Turner visited Venice three times during his lifetime, leaving behind a remarkable body of work capturing the city's light and water, and was famously described by John Ruskin as "the father of modern art." This edition of the festival drew on that legacy as its spiritual core, aiming to reawaken global appreciation for watercolor art and to encourage contemporary artists to carry forward Turner's innovative spirit in the handling of light and color — breathing new life into this ancient medium in the twenty-first century.

The call for entries opened on March 1, 2025, with a submission deadline of September 10, open to watercolor artists, enthusiasts, and art students aged 18 and above from around the world, with no thematic restrictions. The jury comprised 15 internationally recognized figures from the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Ireland, the United States, Belgium, and China. The exhibition opened at the Palazzo dei Trecento on October 11, 2025, running through October 26, with the award ceremony held concurrently. All works participating in the offline exhibition received a specially commissioned commemorative medal marking the 250th anniversary of Turner's birth. The top honor, the William Turner Theme Award first prize, carried a cash award of $2,000 USD, alongside category prizes and special sponsorship awards from Italian art material brands Maimeri and Tintoretto.

The third edition's deep integration of the festival theme with a landmark art-historical anniversary further elevated the international academic standing and brand influence of the Venice International Watercolor Festival.