Cape Ann Plein Air 2025
Prospectus Cape Ann Plein Air Competition and Festival October 4-12, 2025
www.capeannpleinair.com
bethbuckingham@capeannpleinair.com
Description
Cape Ann Plein Air 2024 was another success! We presented $22,000 in prize money and made a donation from the proceeds of painting sales to the Cape Ann Art Haven to support local art students. The 2024 artists had a fantastic time creating art all over Cape Ann and now we are poised to start all over again!
For nearly two centuries, Cape Ann, Massachusetts has been a destination for some of the finest painters who paint en plein air. Throughout its five picturesque seaside communities, Cape Ann Plein Air will host its ninth annual week-long plein air painting celebration in October when the famous Cape Ann light shines at its very best. Organized by the Cape Ann Plein Air Board of Directors, the communities will see 35 of the finest plein air artists in the nation compete for over $20,000 in prizes and awards while raising awareness of the importance of plein air painting and raising the visibility of the creative economy on Cape Ann, the birthplace of American Plein Air painting. The work produced will be sold at the end of the week at the Gala Awards and Art Sale.
Geographic area
Greater Cape Ann, Massachusetts: Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Ipswich.
Lodging
We will do our best to provide complimentary lodging in private homes for artists from outside the area. Discounted lodging in local hotels and inns may also be available. More information will be provided upon acceptance and details will be posted on the website.
Application Process
There will be 35 artists participating. The top 5 CAPA 2024 prize winners are automatically invited back (First, Second, Third and Artist Choice from the Collectors’ Preview Party and First from the juried Quick Draw artists). The online jurying process will choose the remaining artists. There will be up to 10 alternates chosen from the applicant pool.
Entries will be processed on OnlineJuriedShows from Jan 1-Apr 1, 2025.
Print your receipt for your records. Your receipt will show your submissions and payment. Submit 3 color images of plein air work from 2022 to present in jpeg format, RGB color. For best results, make sure each image is at least 72 dpi and at least 1920 pixels on the longest side. Image files must be under 4 mb.
Help in photographing your work and properly sizing your images can be found at: https://onlinejuriedshows.com/Help.aspx
If you need help entering your images or are unable to, please contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or call 888-666-1351. Nonrefundable $50 entry fee must be made in full!
More information about the Online Juried Shows process below.
APPLICATION DEADLINE April 1, 2025: THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSIONS!
CAPA2025 Online Juror:
We are so pleased to announce that Cape Ann Plein Air’s 2025 artists will be selected from all applicants by renowned plein air painter Mat Barber Kennedy. Now a professor at Savannah College of Art, Mat was a long-time participant and award-winner in CAPA festivals.
Selected artists will be notified by email in mid-April when the results are ready in their OnlineJuriedShows artist profiles, and the list will be posted on the Cape Ann Plein Air website shortly after selection.
CAPA2025 Event Awards Judge:
Hiu Lai Chong is a Maryland-based plein air artist with many accolades to her name. We are so pleased to have her as our Event Awards Judge. She is an accomplished plein air artist who has won awards in major events all over the country.
Anticipated Awards: these may vary and are subject to change.
1st Place $6000 (plus entry into CAPA26)
2nd Place $4000 (plus entry into CAPA26)
3rd Place $2000 (plus entry into CAPA26)
Greg LaRock Memorial Artist Choice $1,000 (plus entry into CAPA26)
Best Cape Ann Abstract: $1,000
Best Americana: $500
Best In Art and Architecture: $500
Best Seascape: $500
Best Nocturne: $750
Best Marine: $500
Best Maritime Activity: $500
Best Working Waterfront: $750
2025 CAPA TENTATIVE CALENDAR: Event week details subject to change.
April 1 - Submit works online DEADLINE. $50 entry fee must be made in full!
Mid-April - Email notifications and posting to CAPA website and social media.
Saturday October 4, 8am-7pm: All day registration and substrate stamping. Bring one plein air painting not to exceed 10X12” excluding frame, for display for the week of CAPA2025.
Saturday, October 4, 7pm: All Artists -Welcome Meeting.
October 4-9: Artists paint en plein air in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Ipswich.
Thursday, October 9: Drop off mandatory 5 paintings. Up to 3 additional paintings may be entered for sale. Each image size excluding frame not to exceed 480 square inches.
Friday, October 10: Gala Awards and Art Sale
Saturday, October 11: Quick Draw- Mandatory participation, Gala Gallery art sales.
Sunday, October 12: Gallery walks, round-table talks, etc. Gallery closes at 3PM. Your art must remain hanging for the duration of the show.
Special events, demos, workshops: details to be announced on our full calendar at www.capeannpleinair.com. There are optional dinners and other special events planned throughout the week. Artist participation in events is strongly encouraged.
General Regulations:
Participation in the Meet the Artists Reception, Gala Awards and Art Show and Quick Draw is required. We require that you stay for the duration of the event,
October 4-12, 2025. Paintings may not be removed until Sunday at 3:00pm.
Artwork submitted for exhibit and awards must have been created en plein air, within the five greater Cape Ann communities, and without the benefit of photography between October 4 and October 11, 2025.
The mediums of oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, casein and pastel are acceptable for this event.
Artists are responsible for framing all submitted artwork and bringing it to the check-in site. Frames must be in good condition, wired in the upper third of the frame and completely ready for hanging. No saw-tooth hangers. All works on paper must be protected. White or off-white mats are recommended.
All paintings must have the Cape Ann Plein Air 2025 stamp on the substrate.
All exhibited artwork must be for sale. Artists set their own prices. Negotiation on prices once paintings are hung is prohibited.
All sales transactions are processed by Cape Ann Plein Air.
A 40% commission on all sales is retained to support CAPA with a portion to be donated to Cape Ann Art Haven for support of aspiring artist students.
Unsold paintings are the responsibility of the artist.
Questions? Contact:
Beth Buckingham
Co-President, Cape Ann Plein Air Board of Directors
978-621-3942 mobile
bethbuckingham@capeannpleinair.com
A Note from OnlineJuriedShows
Please note: Notifications are sent through Constant Contact
On the day of notification, you can do the following, but you will also receive an email notification, sent from Constant Contact, that will state the same.
1. Go to OnlineJuriedShows.com and log in using your email address and password.
2. Right above where you just logged in, click "Your Artist Profile." You are now in Your account!
3. At the bottom of your screen under "List of shows that jury by artists' work as a whole (like a Plein Air show)," you will see the show name and to the right of it you will see your jury results. It will say either, "You were accepted, click to read the letter," or "You were not accepted, click to read the letter," or "You were accepted as an Alternate, click to read the letter."
NOTE: Please be sure to read your letters in their entirety. Most acceptance letters will ask you to RSVP or will have special instructions you must follow.
Thank you,
OnlineJuriedShows.com
P.S. While you are in your account on OnlineJuriedShows.com, click "Personal Info" and make sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are up to date.
IF YOU NEED HELP WITH THE FOLLOWING:
How to look at or edit your entries.
How to pay, if you didn't pay when you entered.
How to see if you’ve already paid, or how to get a receipt.
How to Update your Personal Info (name, address, email address, password). How to REPLACE an Entry.
Contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or call 888-666-1351 or visit https://onlinejuriedshows.com/Help.aspx