The Top Plein Air Painting Events for April 2025

Painting events - Artists lined up along the along the banks of the Tuckasegee River at Darnell Farms — A common scene of content painters at the annual Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE)

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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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April 2025 Painting Events

Florida

WINTER PARK PAINT OUT
Dates: April 20-26
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: Albin Polasek Museum
Format: Juried
Contact: Tamie Diener-Lafferty | winterparkpaintout.org
The Winter Park Paint Out is an annual juried plein air event, hosted by the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. Artists from around the country gather to capture Winter Park’s beauty, with works created throughout the week available for purchase. The event includes painting demonstrations, a gallery, and an art sale. Proceeds beneﬁt the museum, supporting its mission to preserve art and gardens.

9TH ANNUAL ST. AUGUSTINE PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
Dates: April 23-27
Sponsoring Organization: St. Augustine Art Association
Venue: 22 Marine Street
Format: Open
Award Total: $3000
Contact: Jennifer Flynt | [email protected] | 904.824.2310 | staaa.org/plein-air-paint-out
This event, a nod to the art history of the nation’s oldest city, celebrates the town’s architectural and coastal beauty through the time-honored tradition of plein air painting. Artists will be painting in and around St. Augustine at notable and niche locations. Observers can visit the St. Augustine Art Association’s gallery to view and buy works-in-progress and ﬁnished paintings.

Georgia

OLMSTED PLEIN AIR INVITATIONAL
Dates: April 19-27
Opening Reception: April 22
Sponsoring Organization: Olmsted Arts, Inc.
City: Atlanta
Award Total: $40K
Contact: Phil Cuthbertson | 404.282.8283 [email protected] | olmstedpleinair.com
Atlanta, often referred to as the “City in a Forest” due to its abundant tree coverage, provides a unique and scenic backdrop for this outdoor art extravaganza. Thirty of the nation’s most esteemed plein air artists gathering to capture the beauty of Georgia in spring. It is sure to result in an incredible collection of paintings highlighting the city’s vibrant urban scenes, surrounding natural landscapes, and the quiet, peaceful places.

Illinois

14TH PRAIRIE PLEIN AIR COMPETITION AND SHOW
Dates: April 25-May 9
Contact: Roxane Benvenuti | [email protected] | prairiecenter.org

Indiana

26TH ANNUAL FIRST BRUSH OF SPRING
Dates: April 24-26
Sponsoring Organization: Indiana Plein Air Painters Association
Venue: Hoosier Salon
City: New Harmony
Format: Open
Juror(s) of Awards: Todd Schabe
Contact: Sara Kamman | 812.682.3970 [email protected] | inpainters.org
The paint out kicks off with the Field to Finish exhibit, awards, and reception at the Hoosier Art Salon on Wednesday, April 23. The paint-out competition, April 24-26, features a Quick Draw, professional and non-professional, and youth divisions totaling over $15,000 in awards. The art sale, “Show and Sale,” is Saturday, April 26 at the Ribeyre Center.

Maryland

CHESTERTOWN RIVERARTS PAINT THE TOWN
Dates: April 24-30
Contact: www.ctownra.org/paint-the-town-2025

PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
Dates: March 18-November 18
Contact: Dianne Mullaly, [email protected], 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.

Missouri

AUGUSTA PLEIN AIR ART FESTIVAL
Dates: April 24-May 3
Sponsoring Organization: Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce
Venue: Augusta Harmonie Verein
Format: Open
Award Total: $15,000
Contact: Lynn Buchheit | 314.239.3988 [email protected] | augustapleinair.com
The Augusta Plein Air provides artists with the opportunity for market growth, skill enhancement, artistic recognition, and to experience Missouri Wine Country with other artists. This 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 art work. All levels welcome.

Texas

PAINT THE TOWN 2025
Dates: April 6-12
Sponsoring Organization: Highland Lakes Creative Arts
Venue: Lakeside Pavilion, Marble Falls
Format: Juried
Juror of Awards: Nancy Tankersley
Award Total: $12,000 in cash and prizes
Contact: Erin Hinzmann, [email protected], hlcarts.com/paint-the-town-festival
Plein air artists from across the nation will be working in various media to capture the outdoor sights and scenes of historic Marble Falls. With a pop-up gallery, live plein air painting, free art demonstrations, and a Student Art Day, you can get fully immersed.

Utah

ST GEORGE PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: April 7-12
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: ART Provides Gallery & Studio
Award Total: $3,200
Contact: Elizabeth Gunter | 435.319.0788 [email protected] | artprovides.org
Capture iconic red rock landscapes with watercolor, oil, and pastel. Paint Out: April 7-11; Awards Reception April 12; Exhibition & Sale until April 26. Simply register — no portfolio required—and immerse yourself in live competitions, learning, and a juried exhibition and sale.

Coming Soon

Nevada

12TH ANNUAL PLEIN AIR CONVENTION & EXPO
Dates: May 19-23
Sponsoring Organization: Streamline Publishing / PleinAir® Magazine
Location: Lake Tahoe / Reno
Website: PleinAirConvention.com
Over 75 expert artists and 5 days of teaching and painting! All training sessions are indoors on giant high-definition screens. Beginners and Pros feel right at home. Every year, the Plein Air Convention brings the foremost artists in their fields to share their best practices and techniques with you for five days of high-impact art instruction. It’s your chance to be part of a family of artists and to learn from the very top painters in the world.