River Towns Plein Air 2026

Description

River Towns Plein Air 2026

CALL FOR ART OPENS JAN 2 AT 8AM.

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 2026:

     10-Day paint out period:  April 18 - April 28      Reimbursement of lodging:  Up to $500 for artists unable to commute to and from paint-out areas     Larger exhibit space:  Studio 264, Marietta Community House, 264 W Market St, Marietta PA  17547

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 2026 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, allowing for 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 or while driving between designated sites.  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 required.

HOW TO APPLY:

PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE APPLYING!!

This call for artists will be open on January 2, 2026 @ 8am, and will close February 15, 2026 @ 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 submit

5. 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 35 artists will be selected by committee to participate in the 2026 event.  

ARTIST HOSTING:

Hosting will not be arranged by the organizers.   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 $500 for artists unable to commute to and from paint-out areas.

PAINT-OUT PERIOD:

The paint-out period is April 18 thru April 28, 2026.  All work must be completed during this period. 

PAINT OUT AREA:

Paint-Out Map pdf

Google Map

EXHIBIT SPACE:

The exhibit space this year is at Marietta Community House, 264 W Market St, Studio 264, Marietta PA.  Artists will be provided with two panels measuring 37.5" w x 64.5" h each.

JUROR OF AWARDS:

Our Juror of Awards for the River Towns Plein Air 2026 is Beth Bathe.  Beth is an artist residing in Strasburg PA. Primarily painting in oil en plein air since 2013, she participates in more than ten high profile competitions from Maine to Washington State each year. Her paintings have won numerous awards and honors and most recently was a featured artist in the 2025 August/September issue and an article on water mixable oils in the Dec/Jan 2020 issue of PleinAir Magazine.
Beth is represented by several galleries up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest. She teaches classes and leads workshops all over the country and at her studio, Short Dog Studio, where she shares her space with her photographer partner and two cardigan welsh corgis.  She has also participated in the River Towns Plein Air event since its inception.
Memberships: Salmagundi Club, Signature Member American Marine Artists, Signature Member Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters, Oil Painters of America, National Oil and Acrylic Painters
For more information visit https://www.bethbathe.com

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 18 through April 28

Quick Draw Sponsored by Marietta Area Business Assn:  April 18
Artist Get Together at Vesta Museum:  April 24 (5-8pm)

Artwork Drop Off:  Wednesday, April 29, noon to 5pm

Award Presentation and Exhibit Opening:  Thursday, April 30, 6pm to 9pm

Exhibit Dates and Hours:    Thur, Apr 30 - 6pm - 9pm   Fri, May 1 - 10am - 8pm.  Sat, May 2 - 10am - 5pm   Sun, May 3 -10am - 3pm

Pick Up Unsold Artwork in Person:  Sun May 3 (3-5pm)

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User Entry Process Tutorial