Enjoy the following highlights from the 25th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, where 28 awards were presented with cash and prizes valued at over $55,000.
Best in Show went to Michael Obermeyer for “Laguna Light.” Michael is the only artist to have been invited to participate for 25 consecutive years.
![LPAPA - Michael Obermeyer, "Laguna Light," oil, 9 x 12 in.; photo by Tom Lamb](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1-obermeyer-michael_Laguna-Light-9x12-oil.jpg)
![LPAPA's Vice President Celeste Gilles (left) and President Toni Kellenberg (right) presented the Best in Show Award; Photo by Nancy Villere](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2-Michael-Obermeyer_VP-Celeste-Gilles_President-Toni-Kellenberg-LPAPA_2023AwardsGala_CRUSH_1091.jpg)
Zufar Bikbov received the Artists’ Choice Award and LPAPA’s Award of Excellence for “Precious Time.”
![Zufar Bikbov, "Precious Time," oil, 18 x 24 in.; photo by Tom Lamb](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/3-BIKBOV-ZUFAR-PRECIOUS-TIME-LPAPA2023.jpg)
Mark Fehlman received the Jean Stern Distinctive Merit Legacy Award for “Lunar Laguna.”
![Mark Fehlman, "Lunar Laguna," oil, 18 x 24 in.; photo by Tom Lamb](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4-MARK-FEHLMAN-LUNAR-LAGUNA-LPAPA2023.jpg)
Ryan Jensen received the PleinAir® Magazine Award for “Perfect Day.”
![Ryan Jensen, "Perfect Day," oil, 20 x 24 in.; photo by Tom Lamb](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/5-JENSEN-RYAN-PERFECT-DAY-LPAPA2023.jpg)
During the event, LPAPA received a proclamation presented by California Assembly member Diane Dixon, acknowledging the 25th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational.
![Left to Right: Diane Dixon, Celeste Gilles, Toni Kellenberg](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/6-Assemblymember-Diane-Dixon-VP-Celeste-Gilles-President-Toni-Kellenberg-LPAPA_2023AwardsGala_CRUSH_0898.jpg)
LPAPA also acknowledged its five founding members: John Cosby, Cynthia Britain, Paulette Auster (for Ken Auster, who passed in 2016), Saim Caglayan, and Jacobus Baas.
![LPAPA Founding Members and representatives](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/7-Founding-Members-LPAPA_2023AwardsGala_CRUSH_0834.jpg)
To include youth at the event as well, LPAPA treated 32 Laguna Beach Unified School District Students to a plein air painting experience in the Future Generation Paint Out.
![Future generation of plein air painters](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/8-2023-Future-Gen-mitch_ridder_80.jpg)
![LPAPA's Annual Next Generation Paint Out](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/mitch_ridder_42.jpg)
![Next Generation of Plein Air Painters](https://www.outdoorpainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/LCAD-Next-Gen-LPAPA_2023AwardsGala_CRUSH_1142.jpg)
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Jim Mcvicker
Artist extraordinaire