Take advantage of these art and plein air painting events and opportunities from our 2025 Ultimate Guide to Painting Events and Organizations. Bonus: Includes upcoming event deadlines!
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September 2025 Painting Events
Arizona
GRAND CANYON CELEBRATION OF ART
Dates: September 18-21
Private Collectors’ Reception: September 20
Public Grand Opening: September 21
Sponsoring Organization: Grand Canyon Conservancy
Venue: Kolb Studio, Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona
Format: Combination
Website: grandcanyon.org/coa
Grand Canyon Conservancy’s Celebration of Art provides a vibrant experience for visitors, a venue for artists inspired by the canyon, and a successful fundraiser to benefit an art and exhibit venue at the South Rim. The works produced during this time are shown alongside studio-produced pieces at the historic Kolb Studio in an exhibition and sale for four months, both in person and online.
California
2025 OCEANSIDE PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: September 6-13 (Register by September 5)
Venue: Oceanside Museum of Art, California
Website: oma-online.org/pleinair
Come together to celebrate creativity and the natural environment as artists take over our beautiful city with plein air painting. There will be Artist Workshops, Artist Networking Events, Easel Sales, Quick Paint Challenges, and Awards during the Festival. Artwork created during the Festival will also be up for selection for our Plein Air Exhibition that will run through November 2025 at Oceanside Museum of Art. Open to artists of all skill levels.
SONOMA PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL 2025
Dates: September 8- 13
Sponsoring Organization: Sonoma Plein Air Foundation
Venue: Historic Sonoma Plaza, California
Format: Juried
Website: sonomapleinair.com
Nationally acclaimed artists gather to paint for one week throughout Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco and our spectacular coast. Artists enjoy hosted housing, welcome reception, artists’ luncheon, patron Gala, silent art auction, Artists’ Choice Award plus Art Show and Sale. Since 2002, the festival has raised over $2,000,000 for local K-12 arts education. 60% per sale to the artist, and 40% to the Foundation for funding art education grants.
EXHIBITION: COLORS OF CONSERVATION
Dates: September 18 – November 3
Venue: Morro Bay Art Center in Morro Bay, California
Website: lcslo.org
Colors of Conservation is an annual fine art exhibit featuring original landscape paintings of the region’s protected open spaces, historic ranch lands, waterways, and coastal areas. The event is organized by the San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment (SLOPE) in partnership with The Land Conservancy of SLOPE County.
Colorado
ALLA PRIMA WESTCLIFFE
Dates: September 7-12 (Entry deadline September 1)
Opening Reception Date: September 12
Sponsoring Organization: Sangres Art Guild
Venue: 3rd Street Gallery, Westcliffe, Colorado
Format: Open
Award Total: $5,000+
Website: sangresartguild.org
Paint among the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains in beautiful Custer County, Colorado, which has more vistas than one could paint in a lifetime. Alpine mountains, ranches, trails, wildlife, and pristine night skies all abound in our small rural community. Alla Prima Westcliffe offers a one day optional plein air “tune-up” workshop with award-winning artist Lorie Merfeld-Batson. We’re proud of our International Dark Sky Community designation. “Come for the mountains, stay for the stars.”
STEAMBOAT ART MUSEUM PLEIN AIR 2025
Dates: September 19-26 (Entry deadline: September 12)
Opening Reception Date: September 26
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: Steamboat Art Museum, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Format: Open
Award Total: $6,000
Website: steamboatartmuseum.org
Paint the Yampa Valley fall splendor offering landmark ranches, alpine and river vistas, historic sites while experiencing the Steamboat community. Exclusive painting sites and sales events including the Kick-Off Quick Draw at the popular Farmers Market, and Opening Reception and Awards. Exhibit and sale in the Steamboat Art Museum through November 1. Limited to 45 artists with professional and open categories.
PLEIN AIR ARTISTS COLORADO 28TH ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIED SHOW
Dates: Through October 5
Opening Reception: September 5
Sponsoring Organization: Gilpin County Arts Association
Venue: The Art Gallery in Central City, Colorado
Format: Juried
Award Total: $5,000+
Website: pleinairartistscolorado.com
PAAC was created for the love of plein air painting and for members to enjoy the camaraderie of painting outdoors. A founding principle is that PAAC creates opportunities for artists to paint outdoors together on a regular basis.
16th STREET BRUSHSTROKES
Date: September 12 (10am-2pm)
Sponsored by: The Denver Pavilions and The Downtown Denver Partnership
Location: Downtown Denver, Colorado
In addition to the plein air event, we’ll also have an Exhibit & Sale on September 19 at the Denver Pavilions (16th St. & Glenarm, 4-7pm).
Georgia
PLEIN AIR INTERNATIONAL PAINT-OUT
Dates: September 4-7 (Entry deadline: September 5)
Opening Reception: September 7
Sponsoring Organization: Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association
Venue: The Art Center in Blue Ridge, Georgia
Format: Open
Award Total: ~$1,000
Website: blueridgearts.net
The 2025 Plein Air International Paint Out offers four days of art and adventure in the North Georgia Mountains. Designated as one of the top five Art Towns in Georgia by Georgia Council for the Arts, Blue Ridge provides a multitude of opportunities to capture the spirit of plein air. The 2025 event provides a master workshop, a Quick Paint event, silent auction, and county-wide paint-outs, which culminates in the awards and exhibit on Sunday.
Illinois
FAIRFIELD PAINTOUT
Dates: September 23-27
Sponsoring Organization: Fairfield PaintOut Committee
Venue: Fairfield Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Fairfield, Illinois
Format: Juried
Award Total: $3,000
Contact: Dena Stout, fairfi[email protected], facebook.com/ffpaintout
Please join award-winning artists for a week of depicting small towns, farms, fields, and woods of southern Illinois within the boundaries of Wayne County. The event concludes with a public exhibition, sale, and awards ceremony. No commission is charged on any of the artists’ sales.
PAINT THE TOWN BARRINGTON! PLEIN AIR PAINTING EVENT
Dates: September 26-October 4 (Entry deadline: September 29)
Opening Reception: October 4
Sponsoring Organization: Barrington Cultural Commission
Venue: Barrington’s White House in Barrington, Illinois
Format: Open
Award Total: $1,000
Website: barrington-il.gov/pleinair
Join artists from throughout Chicagoland as they paint local landmarks around the Village of Barrington.
Iowa
BLUFF STROKES PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
Dates: September 28-October 4
Opening Reception: October 3
Sponsoring Organization: Bluff Strokes Art Center
Venue: Steeple Square in Dubuque, Iowa
Format: Juried
Award Total: $15,000
Website: bluffstrokes.org
Paint historic Dubuque on the bluffs of the Mississippi River. Nestled in the Driftless Region, it offers dramatic topography. Dubuque boasts historic residences, buildings, and parks; river, woodland, and agricultural vistas; and interesting barge, rail, and industrial infrastructure. Our sales venue is a beautiful repurposed German Catholic church. Visit our website to see our venue, last year’s winners, and explore our “Paint Dubuque” pages for painting opportunities.
Maryland
PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
Dates: Through November 18
Area: Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
Website: dianeduboismullaly.com/other1
PAPCB is the “daughter” of the long-established Plein Air Painters of the Eastern Shore (PAPES) and now has over 50 members and organizes plein air paint outs every Tuesday.
Minnesota
PLEIN AIR GRAND MARAIS
Dates: September 5-13
Opening Reception: September 12
Sponsoring Organization: Outdoor Painters of Minnesota
Venue: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery in Grand Marais, Minnesota
Format: Combination
Juror of Awards: Neil Sherman
Award Total: $7,000
Website: outdoorpaintersofminnesota.org/plein-air-grand-marais.html
For 23 years, painters have gathered to paint in Cook County, MN, from Lake Superior to the Boundary Waters. Daily workshops, paint-outs, artist socials, and a hootenanny make this a beloved tradition. All are welcome: 60 Competition artists display 4 paintings at Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery. Invitational artists include workshop Instructors and Arrowhead painters. The Open Class welcomes learning artists to display one painting for jurying at their own reception.
Montana
PLEIN AIR GLACIER
Dates: September 8-11
Opening Reception Date: September 13
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana
Format: Juried
Website: hockadaymuseum.com
Paint in beautiful Northwest Montana and Glacier National Park. Join us for the 18th year of this fun juried painting event, exhibition, and sale. Paint-out and hikes: Sept. 8-11. Party and sale: Saturday, Sept. 13, 4-7pm. Extended Exhibit: Sept. 13-Oct. 5.
AIS 26TH ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION
Dates: Through September 2
Sponsoring Organization: American Impressionist Society
Venue: Cassens Fine Art in Hamilton, Montana
Format: Juried
Juror of Awards: Ned Mueller AIS
Award Total: $100,000
Website: americanimpressionistsociety.org
American Impressionist Society provides opportunities to artists working in the style
of Impressionism. Annually, AIS presents four juried exhibitions, lectures, critiques, workshops, demos, paint-outs, and tours. AIS partners with galleries and arts organizations to host our exhibitions. Founded in 1998, AIS has grown to a highly respected national arts organization with over 2,300 members.
New Mexico
EXHIBITION: THE MOTHER ROAD
Dates: September 5-October 3
Sponsoring Organization: Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and the Amarillo Art Institute
Venue: Amarillo Art Institute in Amarillo, Texas
Website: papnm.org
New York
ROGER TORY PETERSON INSTITUTE PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: September 10-13 (Entry deadline: September 3)
Sponsoring Organization: Roger Tory Peterson Institute
Venue: Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, New York
Format: Open
Award Total: $1,500
Website: rtpi.org
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute invites you to walk in Peterson’s footsteps. Come explore the scenic beauty and natural area wonders of Western New York, which inspired Peterson to his future career as Father of the Field Guide and one of the most famous artist-naturalists in the world. In addition to natural beauty, artists will have the chance to be inspired by the largest collection of Peterson’s original artwork.
Ohio
22ND ANNUAL OHIO PLEIN AIR SOCIETY COMPETITION
Dates: September 19-21 (Entry deadline: September 10)
Sponsoring Organization: Ohio Plein Air Society
Venue: Holmes County Courthouse lawn in Millersburg, Ohio
Format: Open
Award Total: $7,000
Website: ohiopleinairsociety.com
Artists paint anywhere in Holmes County, OH. Home to the 2nd-largest Amish population in the U.S.A. Landscapes feature rolling hills and valleys. Killbuck and Doughty Valleys offer marshes, wetlands, and forests. Millersburg offers historic architecture; Port Washington Road is Ohio’s first state road. “Rails to Trails” offers views of wetlands with local flora and fauna. Discover local legends at Panther’s Hollow and Salem Cemetery’s “Headless Angel.” Enjoy having private access to several Amish farms.
Pennsylvania
WELLSBORO WILDS PLEIN AIR COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL
Dates: September 12-14
Sponsoring Organization: Wellsboro Art Club
Venue: Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Award Total: $500 top prize, plus many others
Contact: Janet Gyekis, 570.439.5742, facebook.com/wellsboroartclub
The Wellsboro Wilds Plein Air Competition and Festival is a family-friendly event in historic Wellsboro, Tioga County. We have a Main Event and a Quick Draw with professional and nonprofessional categories. There will be painting activities for children, music, and vendors. Wellsboro was recently voted one of two most enchanting towns in the northeast. It is home to the PA. Grand Canyon.
South Dakota
BLACK HILLS PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
Dates: September 18-20
Sponsoring Organization: Hill City Arts Council, South Dakota
Website: hillcityarts.org
Utah
ESCALANTE CANYONS ART FESTIVAL
Dates: September 19-28
Sponsoring Organization: Escalante Canyons Art Festival
Venue: Escalante City Park in Escalante, Utah
Format: Open
Award Total: $11,000
Website: escalantecanyonsartfestival.org
Art Festival featuring workshops, demonstrations, plein air paint-outs, painting competitions, live music and an Arts & Crafts Fair located in the heart of the Grand Staircase National Monument.
Virginia
SUFFOLK PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: September 9-13
Sponsoring Organization: Suffolk Art League, Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, and City
of Suffolk
Venue: Suffolk Art Gallery and Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts, Virginia
Format: Juried
Award Total: Over $4,500 plus Quick Draw Competition
Website: suffolkpleinair.org
Art enthusiasts throughout Virginia welcome artists to paint our pristine waterways, farmlands, and historic downtown. This juried event includes an Artists’ Lunch, Wet Paint Sale & Awards Celebration on Friday with cash prizes over $4,500, plus a Quick Draw competition on Saturday during the “Taste of Suffolk” Downtown Street Festival with 8,000+ attendees. Local residents offer accommodations, and special hotel rates are available. We invite you to join us for this fun and artist-focused event.
SCENES IN THE CITY PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: September 5-26
Judging and Quick Draw Competition: September 27
Sponsoring Organization: Falls Church Arts
Website: fallschurcharts.org
Wisconsin
FALL COLOR WEEK
Dates: September 28-October 5
Sponsoring Organization: PleinAir Magazine
Venue: The Lodge at Leathem Smith in Door County, Wisconsin
Website: fallcolorweek.com
PleinAir Magazine’s Eric Rhoads lives in a place where fall color isn’t great, so he created the Fall Color Week retreat, held in various locations during peak color season annually. It’s a week of painting with old friends and new ones. They have our meals together and they stay on the same property … all for one price. Join Eric this fall in Door County, Wisconsin, during peak fall color season. Come enjoy the beautiful fall scenery with no competition, just painting alongside your friends. No meals to cook, no one to care for, just roll out of bed, get fed, and paint all day. It’s glorious.
International Painting Events
Australia
PLEIN AIR DOWN UNDER OUTDOOR PAINTING FESTIVAL
Dates: September 23-30
Area: Mandurah, Australia
Website: pleinairdownunder.com
Plein Air Down Under is Australia’s longest running and largest outdoor painting festival and features awards and prizes, feature artists, youth involvement, demonstrations and two exhibitions of plein air paintings.
Quebec, Canada
WEST ISLAND ART STUDIO CIRCUIT
Dates: Through December 31
Venue: Across the West Island area in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Website: www.wiasc.ca
Join us for the first annual West Island Art Studio Circuit, with a café art show in September and a 3D virtual exhibition October through December – all for free. Keep an eye out for outdoor displays of the artists’ plein air painting set-ups, and Selfie Stands for your pics!
Online Painting Events for Artists
PASTEL LIVE
Dates: September 17-19 (Essential Techniques Day September 16)
Sponsoring Organization: PleinAir Magazine
Venue: Online
Website: pastellive.com
Sometimes we want to try new mediums, or seek ways to enhance our creativity. For decades artists have turned to pastel for brilliant, vibrant colors. Pastel painting is a huge worldwide trend, and Pastel Live is an online event consisting of 3 days of demonstrations from 30 of the world’s leading pastel artists, lectures, painting critiques, discussions, and more. There’s even an optional Essential Techniques Day before the main event; it’s a great opportunity for those who need a refresher, or for those just starting out. Join a worldwide audience of passionate pastel painters and those who want to discover more about it. This event is held online, so you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.
September Deadlines for Artists
- September 1: Two Rivers Plein Air, New Braunfels, Texas (nbal.org)
- September 12: Pike Road Paint Out, Town of Pike Road, Alabama (pikeroad.us)
- September 29: 9th Annual Plein Air Abingdon, Virginia (vahighlandsfestival.org)
- September 30: Edisto Plein Air Paint Out, Edisto Island, South Carolina (edistoartguild.com)
- September 30: PleinAir Salon Art Competition (pleinairsalon.com)
Upcoming Painting Events
Coming Soon: SWITZERLAND PLEIN AIR TRIP – PUBLISHER’S INVITATIONAL
Dates: October 10-20
Sponsoring Organization: PleinAir Magazine
Website: www.paintswitzerland.com
Follow in the brushstrokes of the masters who found inspiration in these majestic landscapes — from Monet’s brilliant exploration of alpine light and color to Sargent’s dramatic mountain compositions, Sorolla’s luminous mountain scenes, and Bierstadt’s breathtaking panoramas. Even Turner and Cézanne were captivated by Switzerland’s unparalleled beauty. Hosted by Eric Rhoads, CEO of Streamline Publishing.
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