2026 Capitola Plein Air

Description

2026 Capitola Plein Air
November 2, 2026 - November 8, 2026

Prospectus
The City of Capitola is pleased to invite artists to participate in the 11th annual Capitola Plein Air event. This juried plein air competition, exhibition, and sale celebrates the natural beauty and character of Capitola, California. Artists will paint en plein air throughout Capitola during the week of November 2-7, 2026. There will be an Artist Welcome on November 2, an Artist Reception on November 4, a Quick Paint on November 7, and the event will culminate in a public exhibition and sale on Sunday, November 8, where awards will be presented.
Important Dates

Application Deadline: July 17, 2026
Acceptance Notification: On or around August 2, 2026
Painting Days: November 2–7, 2026
Artist Welcome: November 2, 2026
Artist Reception: November 4. 2026
Quick Paint: Saturday November 7, 2026
Exhibition, Competition, & Sales Event: Sunday, November 8, 2026

Eligibility
Open to artists aged 18 and older working in plein air painting media. All work submitted for jurying must be original, completed within the past two years, and representative of the artist’s plein air style. Out-of-town artists must secure their own lodging to participate in the event. No lodging or transportation will be provided for selected artists.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted at 2026capitolapleinair.artcall.org. Artists will submit:

2-3 images of recent plein air workPlease Note: Art Call refers to your entire application/entry as a "submission." When you upload your images, you will add them as attachments to your single submission. You will enter titles, dimensions, and creation date for each image in order as fields in the submission form.  
Artist bio (250 words or fewer)
$50 non-refundable application fee

Participation Requirements

Selected artists must provide all painting surfaces and have them stamped, including the required 8x10 Quick Paint canvas.
Artists are required to participate in all Capitola Plein Air activities (dates listed above)
Three competition entries may be submitted for judging at the Exhibition.
Additional works completed during the event and stamped works from prior Capitola Plein Air events may be submitted for exhibition and sale after judging.
All artwork must be created en plein air during the event week and within the city limits of Capitola.

Quick Paint Event
The Quick Paint event will be held at Esplanade Park on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Participating artists are required to attend and expected to engage with the public. Artists will provide an 8x10 canvas and be given 2.5 hours to paint near the Esplanade and return for a People’s Choice vote and award.
Quick Paint Awards
People’s Choice: Ribbon, $200 Palace Arts Gift Certificate
Exhibition, Competition, & Sales Event
The public Exhibition and sale will be held Sunday, November 9, 2025. Participating artists are required to attend and expected to engage with the public. All exhibited works must be for sale. The City will conduct all sales and retain a 30% commission. Artists will receive payment within 30 days following the event. A panel of judges will select award winners.
Exhibition Awards

1st Place: Ribbon, $1000 cash prize and prominent promotional features.
2nd Place: Ribbon, $300 Palace Arts Gift Certificate
3rd
Place: Ribbon, $200 Palace Arts Gift Certificate
Honorable Mentions (up to 3): Ribbon, $100 Palace Arts Gift Certificate
Artists’ Choice Award: Ribbon, $200 Palace Arts Gift Certificate
People’s Choice Award: Ribbon, $200 Palace Arts Gift Certificate

Image Use Agreement
All participating artists grant the City of Capitola and Capitola Recreation the right to use images of artwork and the artist submitted during the application process and/or taken during the event for promotional and archival purposes.
The $1,000 first-place cash prize purchases and grants the City of Capitola exclusive rights to use a high-resolution image of the awarded artwork for promotional, archival, and public display purposes in perpetuity. The artist retains copyright and may reproduce and sell the image, but may not license the image to any third party.
The first-place winning artist may sell the winning original artwork during the event. However, the winning piece must be held by the City until the following week (November 9-15, 2026) for professional image reproduction. The artwork will be returned promptly to the artist (or buyer), and the artist will receive a high-resolution digital file for their own use.
Terms and ConditionsPlease read the Terms and Conditions thoroughly before submitting your application. These contain detailed rules, regulations, and information for the event. By registering and entering submissions into this call, you explicitly agree to the Terms and Conditions set forth on this page by checking the 'I Agree' checkbox.Terms and Conditions
Contact
For more information, please contact:
Jaquelyn Johnson
jjohnson@cityofcapitola.gov
(831) 475-7300 x 407

Art Call Tutorial
Watch this tutorial to get familiar with the ArtCall.org platform to upload your submissions.