River Towns Plein Air 2025

Description

River Towns Plein Air 2025 Showcase
RTPA is central Pennsylvania’s premier outdoor painting competition sponsored annually by Marietta Art Alive, the arts-in-action all-volunteer team of Rivertownes PA USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the art, culture and history of lower Susquehanna Valley river towns. Artists compete for cash awards and exhibit their artwork during the culminating show and sale which attracts hundreds of tourists and art collectors to our region.
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2025:
     Month-long paint out period:  April 1 - April 27 (last drop off date)     Reimbursement of lodging:  Up to $300 for artists unable to commute to and from paint-out areas     New exhibit location:  MH Art Gallery, 42 W Market St, Marietta PA  17547     No check-in or canvas stamping     Extended show:  May 3 - May 18     Collector's Preview:   Fri May 2, 6-8pm     Additional Drop Off Days:  Saturdays and Sundays, April 5-27, 11am-3pm     Artists' Choice Award  
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Artist Prospectus pdf - this page in pdf form.
Artists 18 years or older are eligible to apply for the River Towns Plein Air 2025 Competition and Exhibit. Application constitutes agreement that images may be used for web and print promotional purposes.  
DISCLAIMER:  None of the involved groups (including Marietta Art Alive!, MH Art Gallery, the Borough of Marietta, and Rivertownes PA USA) are responsible for personal injury and illness or damage/loss/theft of artwork that may happen during the entire event. Artists must provide their own insurance coverage if desired. In addition, artists are responsible for their own personal safety during the event.  Applying for the event constitutes the artist's agreement with all rules and statements made here.
PLEIN AIR DEFINITION: All paintings must be completed “en plein air” described as painting in the open air, working directly from the landscape or scene as it appears at that moment, without the aid of photos or cameras or more than a few marks afterward in the studio. Porches, gazebos, and pavilions can be used as shelter while painting; artists are responsible for gaining necessary permissions.
MEDIA:  Any medium used to create 2-dimensional art such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, pencil, pastel, or charcoal are permissible.  Other materials and mediums may be acceptable with permission of the RTPA Plein Air Committee.
SUBJECT MATTER:  Subject matter is anything observed while standing within the confines of the River Towns Plein Air Paint Out Area.  Designated sites were selected with the Susquehanna River in mind, but we encourage artists to paint the beautiful architecture, street scenes, wildlife, people, etc., that also can be found in this area. 
SURFACE STAMPING AND CHECK-IN:  No stamping or check-in are required.
HOW TO APPLY:
PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE APPLYING!!
This call for artists will be open on January 2, 2025 @ 8am, and will close February 15, 2025 @ 8pm.
Three photos of artwork must be submitted with the application. Use the +Attachment feature to ensure there are 3 artworks added to your application.  Artwork must have been completed en plein air within the last three years.  Before uploading images be sure they are smaller than 4 MB, and at least 1920 pixels on both dimensions at 72 dpi. Images must be in JPEG format and may be resized at https://imageresizer.com. If resizing, use 1920 on the shortest dimension and the resizer will automatically adjust the other dimension. 
A $40 nonrefundable fee is required.
Follow application steps:
1.  Before you start, ensure that you have quality photos of three plein air paintings completed in past 3 years.   go to https://imageresizer.com/ if you need to check size or make adjustments.   Graphics must be jpg and at least 1920 pixels on shortest dimensions and less than 4 MB in size.
2. Log in and Update your Profile
3. Pay the $40 non-refundable fee
4. Add the details for your first painting submission, agree to terms and submit5. Click on your name in upper right corner to go to your User Dashboard
6. Use the Attach File button to submit your other two paintings. (+Attachment).  These do not ask for painting details.
7.  Your finished application should show 3 photos of your paintings.
SELECTION OF ARTISTS: 
Up to 25 artists will be selected by committee to participate in the 2025 event.  
ARTIST HOSTING:
Hosting will not be arranged by the organizers this year.   However, there are numerous B&B’s and rooms available in the area.  Some can be found here.   Reimbursement of lodging is available up to $300 for artists unable to commute to and from paint-out areas.
PAINT-OUT PERIOD:
The paint-out period is April 1 thru April 27, 2025.  All work must be completed during this period.  Last drop off is April 27 by 3pm.
PAINT OUT AREA:
Paint-Out Map pdf
Google Map
PIECES FOR THE FINAL SHOW:
Artists can submit pieces not to exceed a maximum of 50” in total widths and 50” in total heights (not including frames). Examples:     Artist #1:  Ten pieces 5” X 5”     Artist #2:  Three pieces 10” x 10” and One piece 10 x 20     Artist #3:  One piece 30” x 50”We encourage a variety of sizes for best sales potential.
EXHIBIT SPACE:
The exhibit space this year is at MH Art Gallery, 42 W Market St, Marietta PA.  The art will be exhibited SALON style and will be hung by the Marietta Art Alive committee.
JUROR OF AWARDS:

Our Juror of Awards for the River Towns Plein Air 2025 Showcase is Rob Evans.  Rob is an artist and independent curator who lives and works near Wrightsville, PA. He received a BFA from Syracuse University in 1981 and has been awarded numerous grants including two fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and a prestigious fellowship from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.
Evans' work can be found in more than 30 prominent public collections across the nation including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; National Gallery of Art; Corcoran Museum of Art; Library of Congress; San Francisco Art Museums; Baltimore Museum of Art; and the Portland (OR) Art Museum among others.  His work also has been showcased in many blogs and online publications including a recent interview in the Huffington Post. Locals will recognize his many paintings that feature the Susquehanna River, particularly from the vantage point of Roundtop, a property once owned by his grandparents and source of the dreamlike natural world he often depicts.
One current project is developing an art museum at the historic Mifflin Farm near Wrightsville where the extensive collection of Susquehanna River paintings he curated will find a permanent home. The complex will be called The Susquehanna Discovery Center and Heritage Park.
AWARDS - $5,000:
All work submitted are eligible for the following awards:
First Place:  $1,000
Second Place:  $900
Third Place:  $700
Fourth Place: $600
(8) Honorable Mention Awards:  $150 each
People's Choice Award:  $300
Artists' Choice Award:  $300
FRAMING AND WIRING:  
All artwork must be professionally framed or gallery wrapped.  If pieces are gallery wrapped canvas, the sides must be painted and finished neatly. All work must be wired for hanging--no sawtooth hangers will be accepted. Artwork that is unfinished or unprofessional in appearance may be disqualified from the judging and exhibition.
SALE OF ARTWORK:  
All artwork must be for sale and priced at $200 minimum. A 30% commission will benefit Rivertownes PA USA, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Artists receive 70% of amount paid for their paintings. A PA Sales Tax of 6% will be collected at the time of sale. Rivertownes PA USA is responsible for the payment of PA Sales Tax. 
IMPORTANT DATES:

Entry Deadline: February 15 by 8pm

Artist Notification: by February 22
Artist Paint-Out Period: April 1 through April 27

Artwork Drop Off:  Saturdays and Sundays, April 5 - April 27, 11am-3pm

Exhibit Dates and Hours:     Ticketed Preview:  Fri May 2 (6-8pm)   Sat May 3 and Sun May 4 (10am-5pm)   Weekends through May 18 (11am-3pm)
Artists' Preview:  Thu May 1 (6-8pm)

Pick Up Unsold Artwork in Person:  Sun May 18 (3-5pm); Mon May 19 & Tue May 20 (10am-Noon)

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