Annual Events
Annual events for live figure drawing, urban sketching, plein air and other drawing or painting from life events in the North Carolina Triangle area
North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival
New Bern plein air
Various
$15, May 11-18, 2025
Multi-day plein air event. Anyone can paint, but marketing, sales, and the juried show are limited to the invited artists and jurors. Check out their workshops and paint demonstrations which are open to the public. Also, the Quick Paint event on May 18 is open to all artists. The cost above is for the Quick Paint event. Festival headquarters, including demonstrations, workshops, art displays, and sales, will be based at Historic New Bern's Farmers Market.
Paint It Orange Plein Air Paint-Out and Wet Paint Sale
Hillsborough plein air
Orange County Arts Commission / Eno Arts Mill Gallery
$25, 2025 TBA (Last event was September 27 – October 4, 2024)
Multi-day plein air event open to artists of all types and ability levels. Work must be painted in Orange County, and a map of some potential spots is provided. You may optionally submit work to the wet paint sale though all work submitted must be for sale. Historically, a high percentage of the pieces sell.
Duke Park Plein Air Festival
Durham plein air
$ TBA, 2025 TBA (Last event was September 28, 2024)
Fundraiser for the Durham Park Foundation and organized through Durham Art Guild. I don't know much about this event yet and will post more as I learn.