Check out these April 2026 plein air painting events, highlighting groups in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Bonus: Catch this month’s deadlines so you don’t miss out on upcoming opportunities.
We want to include your plein air painting events! Don’t see your group listed here? Contact our marketing team to learn how to advertise your events and more with Plein Air Today.
April 2026 Painting Events
California
MARIPOSA PAINT OUT
Dates: April 22-26
Sponsoring Organization: Sierra Artists Gallery
Venue: Sierra Artists Gallery, Mariposa, California
Format: Open
Jurors of Awards: Veronica Rowney Gross, Moira Donohoe
Contact: Christina Orlossy, [email protected], 805.551.0901, www.sierraartistsgallery.com
Artists are invited to the 2nd open Mariposa Paint Out. Let’s paint the beautiful Sierra Foothills during the wildflower season! Optional plein air workshops in watercolor, oil, and sketchbook drawing by award-winning artists. Meet-and-greet with pizza, nocturne meetup, and option to paint in Yosemite included. Awards and wet paint sale at Sunday reception.
Florida
GULFPORT PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: April 13-18
Contact: Deserie Valloreo, [email protected], www.cloudfolios.com/exhibitions/330
WINTER PARK PAINT OUT
Dates: April 19-25
Sponsoring Organization: Albin Polasek Museum
Venue: The Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida
Format: Juried
Contact: Tamie Diener-Lafferty, www.winterparkpaintout.org
Now in its 18th year, the Winter Park Paint Out brings professionally acclaimed plein air artists from across the country to capture the beauty of Winter Park’s lakes, gardens, art, and architecture. Artwork will be available for purchase throughout the week. Proceeds benefit the Polasek Museum, supporting its mission to preserve art and gardens.
ST. AUGUSTINE PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
Dates: April 24-26
Entry Deadline: April 17
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: St. Augustine Art Association, Florida
Format: Open
Contact: Jennifer Flynt | [email protected] 904.824.2310 | www.staaa.org/plein-air-paint-out
Artists! You’re invited to the St. Augustine Plein Air Paint Out in the nation’s oldest city. This event, a nod to St. Augustine’s art history, celebrates the town’s architectural and coastal beauty through the time-honored tradition of painting en plein air. Artists will be painting in and around St. Augustine at notable locations.
9TH ANNUAL SANTA FE SPRINGS PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
Dates: April 11-18
Sponsored by: Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies, High Springs, Florida
Website: www.visitgainesville.com
Georgia
OLMSTED PLEIN AIR INVITATIONAL
Dates: April 18-26
Opening Reception Date: April 21
Sponsoring Organization: Olmsted Arts, Inc.
Venue: Exhibition Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Format: Invitational
Award Total: $30,000+
Contact: Phil Cuthbertson, [email protected], 404.944.3475, www.olmstedpleinair.com
The 12th annual Olmsted Plein Air Invitational welcomes 30 renowned artists from across the country for nine days of artful celebration as they capture the essence of Atlanta in spring. Inquiries welcome.
Illinois
15th PRAIRIE PLEIN AIR COMPETITION AND SHOW
Dates: April 24-May 8
Contact: Roxane Benvenuti, [email protected], www.prairiecenter.org
Indiana
27th FIRST BRUSH OF SPRING
Dates: April 22-25
Entry Deadline: April 24
Sponsoring Organization: Indiana Plein Air Painters Association and Hoosier Art Salon
Venue: New Harmony Hoosier Art Salon Gallery, New Harmony, Indiana
Format: Open
Juror of Awards: Kathie Odom
Contact: Sara Kamman, [email protected], 812.682.3970, www.inpainters.org
The 27th First Brush of Spring (FBOS) starts with a Field to Finish exhibit and awards on April 22 at the New Harmony Hoosier Art Salon. The paint-out includes a quick draw, a competition, and an art sale on Saturday, April 25. There will be professional, non-professional, and youth divisions with awards totaling more than $15,000.
Missouri
AUGUSTA PLEIN AIR ART FESTIVAL
Dates: April 23-May 2
Sponsoring Organization: Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce
Venue: Harmonie Verein, Augusta, Missouri
Format: Open
Award Total: $15,000
Contact: Ann Struckhoff, [email protected], 314.435.3599, augustapleinair.com
The Augusta Plein Air Art Festival provides artists with the opportunity for market growth, skill enhancement, artistic recognition, and to experience Missouri Wine Country with other artists. This 10-day event has 15 paint-outs, three theme paints, workshops, and a final sale and festival. Final judging awards Best of Show, Artists’ Choice, People’s Choice, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention in four categories. Art gallery open daily to display and sell artwork. All levels welcome.
South Carolina
EN PLEIN HEIR
Date: April 21
Location: Sullivan’s Island Historic District and Ft. Moultrie Site
Contact: www.heirsproperty.org
Plein Air painters throughout the Lowcountry and beyond are invited to enjoy a day on the island learning about SC250 American Revolutionary War history and family land (heirs’ property), all while painting the beauty of the surrounding landscape. There will be a showcase mixer to culminate the experience. All levels welcome.
Tennessee
ARTIST ON LOCATION 2026 — THE KNOXVILLE MUSEUM OF ART
Dates: April 19-25
Opening Reception Date: April 24
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: The Guild of the Knoxville Museum of Art, Tennessee
Format: Juried
Juror of Awards: Suzie Baker
Award Total: $4,000
Contact: Christy Smith, [email protected], 865.934.2049, www.knoxart.org
Artists on Location is Knoxville’s premier plein air painting event. The weeklong event culminates in an Art Show and Sale on Friday, April 24 and the morning of Saturday, April 25. The Great Smoky Mountains provide a lovely backdrop to the city of Knoxville. Artists on Location has a substantial following of art collectors.
Texas
EN PLEIN AIR TEXAS 2026 RANCH FELLOWSHIP
Dates: April 1-October 25
Sponsoring Organization: The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
Venue: The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, Texas
Format: Invitational
Contact: Katie Karcher, [email protected], 325.653.3333, www.enpleinairtexas.com
Returning in 2026, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is proud to announce our En Plein Air Ranch Fellowship choices! Nancy Tankersley, Natalia Nosyk, Beth Bathe, and Richie Vios will be joining us on iconic West Texas Ranches to live and paint for three weeks. Their work will be curated into a unique exhibition at SAMFA, and displayed for sale for several months.
THE ROLLING HILLS OF TEXAS PAINTOUT
Dates: April 22-25
Opening Reception Date: April 24
Sponsoring Organization: Studio Texas
City: Round Top, Texas
Format: Juried
Award Total: $7,000
Contact: Amanda Danning, [email protected], 979.863.2979, www.studiotexas.org
Capture the soul of Texas in a juried paint-out limited to just 15 select plein air artists. The Rolling Hills of Texas Paintout, hosted by Studio Texas — the region’s premier arts organization — invites you to interpret one of the state’s most storied landscapes. This is your canvas, your challenge, your moment. Paint amidst the cultural richness and natural beauty of Round Top, where history and scenery converge in unforgettable ways. See it. Feel it. Paint it.
PAINT THE TOWN PLEIN AIR
Dates: April 19-25
Sponsoring Organization: Highland Lakes Creative Art
Venue: Lakeside Pavilion, Marble Falls, Texas
Format: Juried
Juror of Awards: Kathleen B. Hudson
Award Total: $12,000
Contact: Erin Hinzmann, 512.970.8087, [email protected], hlcarts.com/paint-the-town-festival
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Paint the Town brings competing artists to the quaint lakeside community of Marble Falls to capture the breathtaking beauty of the Texas Hill Country. With exclusive access to one of the region’s oldest and most historic family-owned ranches, artists transform iconic landscapes into remarkable works of art. The Texas Landscapes Pop-Up Gallery, free and open to all, attracts thousands of visitors each year to experience and collect these stunning creations.
Utah
5th ANNUAL ST GEORGE, UT PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: April 6-11
Opening Reception Date: April 11
Sponsoring Organization: ART Provides
Venue: St George Social Hall, Utah
Format: Juried
Juror of Awards: Kathy LaFave
Award Total: $3,000
Contact: Elizabeth Gunter, 435.319.0788, www.artprovides.org
The St. George Plein Air Festival invites artists to capture the luminous landscapes of Southern Utah. Hosted by ART Provides, this spring event celebrates creativity amid red rock vistas with five days of painting, community gatherings, and exhibitions in historic downtown St. George. Featuring juror Kathy LaFave and a special pre-festival workshop, Painting the Desert Light with Steve Stauffer, it offers painters of all levels an inspiring week of desert light, connection, and artistic growth.
Coming Soon
13TH ANNUAL PLEIN AIR CONVENTION & EXPO
Dates: May 14-18
Sponsoring Organization: PleinAir Magazine
Venue: The Ozarks Event, Branson, Missouri
Contact: PleinAir Magazine, 561.655.8778 or 800.610.5771, www.pleinairconvention.com
The Plein Air Convention & Expo is the world’s largest gathering of outdoor artists. With 80+ instructors, it’s built to inspire and sharpen your skills. Enjoy big-screen indoor demos in watercolor, pastel, acrylic, gouache, and oil, plus daily group painting with on-site instructor feedback. Explore the giant Expo Hall for supplies and frames at deep, convention-only discounts, and see the public art show of faculty and attendee work, and much more.
International
CAPITAL PLEIN AIR
Dates: April 20-26
Event Country: Australia
Contact: Natasha Ruschka, [email protected], www.capitalpleinair.com
March Deadlines for Artists
- April 1: Cape Ann Plein Air (Gloucester, Massachusetts)
- April 1: Plein Air Montana 2026 (Bozeman)
- April 1: Plein Air Litchfield (Connecticut)
- April 5: Estes Valley Plein Air (Estes Park, Colorado)
- April 6: 21st Annual Franke Bette Plein Air Paintout (Alameda, California)
- April 6: Paint Livingston (Tennessee)
- April 15: Adirondack Plein Air Festival (Saranac Lake, New York)
- April 30: Plein Air, Art in the Mountains (Ellijay, Georgia)
- Next monthly deadline coming soon: PleinAir Salon Art Competition
Discover even more painting events when you sign up here for the free Plein Air Today newsletter!
Content prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today
The Deadline for Plein Air Litchfield is April 1st, Not April 30th! Please correct this mistake. Thank you.
Fixed – thanks so much for letting us know!