Plein Air Easton 2015 Competition Prospectus

All applicants must provide contact information, upload three (3) digital high resolution jpeg images of plein air work painted in the past two years, and pay a $50 registration fee.  All applications must be submitted online by March 13, 2015 at 5:00pm EST.  Any questions or concerns should be directed to Plein Air Easton staff at 410-822-7297 or info@pleinaireaston.com.

What is Plein Air Easton?

In its 11th year, Plein Air Easton is the largest and most prestigious outdoor painting competition in the United States. The festival is the work of the non-profit Avalon Foundation.  The object of Plein Air Easton is to expose the area’s vibrant arts community to a larger market and to raise funds to support the festival and the Foundation.   

Artists are juried into the festival from hundreds of worldwide applicants.  The artists that are selected for the competition make up some of the best plein air painters in the country.  They travel to Easton, Maryland (located on the Chesapeake Bay) and paint for six days competing for over $30,000 in prizes. 

Competition paintings produced during the week are exhibited in a local accredited museum and sold throughout the weekend. New this year is an improved space for display of non-competition works, formerly our “library”, which will increase opportunities for the public to view and purchase all work produced during the festival.  In 2014, sales exceeded $365,000.  

The entire community mobilizes in celebration of this event.  Plein Air Easton and its community partners produce many events throughout the week including workshops, demonstrations, concerts and ticketed events.  This year’s festival is July 11-19, 2015.  Host family housing will be open for artists beginning on July 8, 2015.  Artist Registration, Orientation and Canvas Stamping will occur the evening of July 10.  Plein Air Easton will host a Meet the Artist Dinner and Paint Out for the competing artists, the organization’s top collectors, and donors on July 11.  Public facing events begin in earnest from July 13-19.

Why should I apply?

Plein Air Easton enjoys the highest art sales of any Plein Air event in the United States. Plein Air Easton is a juried competition with a new jurist and judge each year.  Any artist who paints en plein air may apply.  With only the top award winners receiving automatic entry into the competition, the festival tends to see 1/3 to 1/2 new artists each year.  Plein Air Easton represents a meaningful opportunity for emerging artists to gain national recognition.   PleinAir Magazine called Plein Air Easton “one of the most rewarding outdoor Arts Festivals in the USA.”  With a reputation for strong organization, growing sales, a beautiful landscape, and fun Plein Air Easton has become a “must paint” for many of the world’s top painters.  

What should I expect if I get in?

You should expect to visit a beautiful waterfront community full of welcoming people.  You should expect an event that is well organized and values artists.  You should expect fierce competition from top plein air artists.  You should expect lavish parties and opportunities to connect with collectors.  You should plan on making friends and establishing contacts.  You should expect it to be hot, very hot and humid.  You should expect to have fun and leave tired.  You should expect to want to return the next year!

I live locally what is different for me?

Plein Air Easton has always sought to elevate and highlight the local arts community.  If your primary residence is in any of the five counties surrounding Easton, MD (Kent, Queen Anne, Talbot, Caroline or Dorchester), please indicate so on your registration form.  After the jurist chooses the 2015 slate (based on the images submitted by all applicants, including those that live locally), he will be presented with the images submitted by the “local” artists, of which he will choose three additional artists to participate in the festival.  This will give local artists two chances to be juried into Plein Air Easton.  Plein Air Easton does not reveal which Artists are juried into the festival through this local-only process. 

Important Dates:

March 13, 2015, 5:00pm EST – All entries must be received. 

March 27, 2015 –2015 Plein Air Easton competition artists will be posted online at www.pleinaireaston.com and all competing artists will be notified via email. 

July 8, 2015 – Host Family Housing is available

July 8-11, 2015 – Pre-festival paint outs

July 10, 2015 - Artist Orientation

July 11, 2015 - Meet the Artists Dinner & Paint Out

July 11-17, 2015 – Artists produce competition paintings

July 16 and/or July 17, 2015 – Artists submit paintings for judging, exhibition, and sales

July 17, 2015 – Mandatory Collectors’ Preview Party at the Academy Art Museum & Waterfowl Festival Building.  The event opens to ticketed collectors at 7pm.

July 18 – 19, 2015 – Exhibit and sales continue, workshops, lectures, quick draw competitions and more!  All unsold paintings must be collected by artists at 4pm on July 19.

How is Plein Air Easton Juried/Judged?

Plein Air Easton names a new jurist and judge each year. The jurist views three digital images from each artist online, so be sure to give us files that will present well on a computer monitor. The jurist sees no identifying information about the artists. The jurist submits a list of numbers to the festival’s executive team who convert the numbers back to names and announce the list of competition artists.

All competition paintings are eligible to win prizes that are awarded by the competition judge at the Collectors’ Preview Party.

What about awards?

Awards will total over $30,000 and typically include 16-20 awards for competing painters. 

If I get in to the Competition, what else should I consider?

• Participating in Pre-festival paintouts, July 8-10, in order to create enough inventory for sale, to meet collectors and to become familiar with the area. 
• Attending an Orientation on July 11 in order to get briefed on the comprehensive rules and get canvases stamped
• Enjoying the Meet the Artists Dinner and Paint Out, on July 12, to meet collectors & donors
• Taking advantage of host family housing as a great way to reduce travel costs and get to know this community
• Arriving early (host family housing begins on July 8) to get settled and to participate in any Pre-Plein Air activities
• Providing up to eight additional plein air paintings from home or that are produced during the week for exhibit and sale.
• Bringing up to two paintings (studio work or other) from home for display and sale throughout the week.  These paintings are restricted to an outside frame dimension of 32” wide and 26” tall.