1st Place—Jean Cauthen, “Misty Morning on Morris” (Detail).

A Brief Update about the Plein Air Festival

Over the past eight years, our Plein Air painters’ artistry, dedication, and spirit have been at the heart of what makes the Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival so special. We are deeply grateful for their partnership in helping shape the festival into such a beloved part of our community and BRAHM’s programming.

As we look ahead, we recognize that every successful event must evolve in order to remain vibrant and sustainable. Beginning in 2026, we will be making some thoughtful changes to the festival. These updates include adjusting the dates to avoid overlap with other local art events, refining the format to better align with the Museum’s vision, and expanding opportunities for artists to showcase more works in the Show and Sale.

These changes are being made with care and deep respect for the artists who have built this festival alongside us. Earlier this summer, many of artists submitted responses to our artist survey. Using this data, our goal is to support our artists’ best work while ensuring the festival continues to grow in quality and impact.

Here are some of the key updates:

Festival Dates

The festival will take place September 14–19, 2026. We hope these early fall dates will add new inspiration—and perhaps a touch of seasonal color—to their work. 

Show & Sale

We are decreasing the number of participating artists from 100 to 60. We are, however, increasing the number of works allowed in the Show and Sale to three per artist.  We continue to work to develop the audience for the Show and Sale by surveying the guests who attended the event. In the coming year, we plan to promote the Show and Sale to a wider audience outside of our region. 

In addition, we are exploring the addition of a Quick Draw event to engage both festival participants and guest artists.

2025 Plein Air Festival Winners

1st Place—Jean Cauthen, “Misty Morning on Morris”

Honorable Mentions

Registration Process

To make participation more fair and less stressful, admission will now be based on a lottery. Rather than racing to register online, you will receive an email with a registration form and code. 

To begin the process, fill out the form below to share if you are open and interested in participating in the 2026 Festival. If you have received the confirmation email that you were drawn in the lottery, please complete the final registration form within 48 hours to secure your place. We plan to email lottery winners on November 14, 2025.

Not changing: artist admission pricing will remain unchanged. We will continue our practice of a 70/30 split with our artists! 

While change is rarely easy, we trust these thoughtful adjustments will strengthen the festival, and we sincerely hope to continue earning our artists and visitors’ support.

Support the Plein Air Festival by becoming a sponsor!