Our Plein Air event is painting or photographing outdoors looking at your subject in fullview. Plein air artists capture the spirit and essence of a landscape or subject incorporating natural light, color, and movement into their works. The end product can be done in any medium and usually within a time period. Please check our rules for additional details.

2026 DESOTO ARTS CENTER PLEIN AIR EVENT

Painters and Photographers registration deadline is Friday,

January 23, at 5PM. Register on line at www.desotoartscenter.org

Registration fee is $35 Membership

AWARDS

Painters

First Place $250

Second Place $200

Third Place $150

Photographers

First Place $250

Second Place $200

Third Place $150

PAINTERS

• Painters must register and pay the $35 entrance/membership fee on line at www.desotoartscenter.org no later than 5:00pm, Friday, January 23, 2026.

• The Plein Air event will run from 8:00am to 12:00pm, judging at 12:30pm, awards at 1pm. Saturday January 24, 2026

• Painters must check in between 8am and 9am, Sat. Jan. 24, at Pletchers on Monroe Art Gallery, 16 S. Monroe Ave., downtown Arcadia.

• Painters must have their painting surface stamped on the back at check in prior to commencing work.

• Painters may paint anywhere within the limits of the map provided.

• A work table will be available at Pletchers on Monroe for artists to frame and wire their work, artists must provide their own tools and supplies.

• Painters have till 12:00 to have their work done, judging will be at 12:30 pm in the hotel lobby, awards at 1pm.

• Paintings may be sold at the Plein Air event, 20% commission will be charged by DeSoto Arts Center.

• Your Plein Air paintings may be on displayed at the South Florida State College in our Annual Art Show, with an option for continued display throughout the 2025 season. Any painting sold during the Annual Art Show period must remain on display until the end of the Annual Art show. Artwork pickup for the Annual Art Show will be April 9, 2026, noon to 4pm.

• Artists must sign a "hold harmless" agreement relieving the Desoto Arts Center and South Florida State College of all responsibility from damage or theft of their artwork.

• The judge will be announced later .

• All entering artists agree to allow DAHC to use their artwork in advertising, press releases, on our website, and in any other promotional opportunities. Care will be taken to give each artist and work proper credit.

• All Plein Air participants may submit their photography, or photos of their paintings for the 2026 Art on Oak photo display the summer of 2026. Art on Oak is a public service project in cooperation with "Main Street" where we display 5' x 7' prints on vacant store windows in downtown Arcadia. We will be presenting the theme "Plain Air Arcadia" sometime next summer.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

• Photographers must register and pay the $35 entrance/membership fee on line at www.desotoartscenter.org no later than 5:00pm, Friday, January 23, 2026.• The Plein Air event for photographers will run from 8am to 12:45pm

• Photographers must check in between 8am and 9am, Sat. Jan. 24, 2026 at Pletchers on Monroe Art Gallery, 16 S. Monroe Ave., downtown Arcadia.

• Photographers may photograph anywhere within the limits of the map provided.

• Photographers will have until 12:45 to finish taking photographs on the day of the event. You may edit afterwards, (no artificial intelligence) but the photograph must be fully edited, and emailed to info@desotoartscenter.org no later than 5pm Wednesday, January 28. Finished photos may be any height and width ratio you choose, resolution must be 72ppi, and jpeg format. I will then forward your work to our photo judge in Ohio. Award Ceremony will take place by ZOOM at 1:30, Friday January 30 at Pletchers on Monroe. 

• Photographs may be on display at South Florida State College, in our Annual Art Show, with an option for continued display throughout the 2026 season. Any photograph sold during the Annual Art Show period must remain on display until the end of the Annual Art show.

• Artists must sign a "hold harmless" agreement relieving the Desoto Arts Center and South Florida State College of all responsibility from damage or theft of their artwork.

• DAC will charge a 20% commission on all photography sold.

• Photography pickup for the Annual Art Show display period will be April 9, 2026, noon to 4pm. All entering artists agree to allow DAC to use their artwork in advertising, press releases, on our website, and in any other promotional opportunities. Care will be taken to give each artist and work proper credit.

• All Plein Air participants may submit their photography, or photos of their paintings for the 2026 Art on Oak photo display the summer of 2026. Art on Oak is a public service project incooperation with "Main Street" where we display 5' x 7' prints on vacant store windows in downtown Arcadia. We will be presenting the theme "Plain Air Arcadia" sometime next summer.

• The use of AI is not allowed in the post production of our Plein Air Photography event.

• The Photography judge will be Terry Barnhill. Terry is a well known photographer in NE Ohio. His Biography is as follows: 

     The photographic arts and teaching have been significant parts of my life since 1969.  My professional photography career has now spanned nearly 50 years.  In 1981 my wife and I purchased Mitchell's Studio and moved to New Philadelphia, Ohio.  We operated that business, photographing thousands of children, families, seniors, weddings, and school athletes until we closed the business and retired in 2017. I became a nationally Certified Professional Photographer in 1986, achieved the degree of Master of Photography, awarded by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), in 1997, and became qualified by the PPA as a national photographic competition judge, also in 1997. I have won over 40 national awards with my images.