2026 Adirondack Plein Air Festival
August 17-22, 2026
Event Details: 2026 will be the 18th Adirondack Plein Air Festival sponsored by Saranac Lake ArtWorks, a not-for-profit arts organization. Come spend a week in the historic village of Saranac Lake, located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains! The region offers serene beauty and mountain landscapes which so influenced the Hudson River school painters in the 19th century. The Adirondack Park contains the largest wilderness areas east of the Mississippi.
There are 5 days of outdoor painting and the following special activities: a Nocturne Contest, Meet the Artists Reception, “Paint the Town” Silent Auction, Preview Party, Quick Draw Competition, and a huge, well-attended Show & Sale, Aug 21-22. 40 Artists will be selected to participate, along with 10 alternates in case of cancellations.
Awards Juror & Workshop Presenter: Cynthia Rosen is an award-winning painter whose work captures the energy of a world in constant motion, revealing her distinctive way of seeing and celebrating creativity. Cynthia has earned national recognition for her achievements in plein air painting. Her recent awards include a 2nd Place Award at Door County Plein Air (2024); 1st Place and Best Waterscene at the Gloucester Invitational – Monroe County (2023); and 1st Place in Small Paint Sunday at Plein Air Easton (2022). She has been honored multiple times at the Wayne Plein Air Festival, receiving Third Place in 2023 and Best in Show in 2022. Additional distinctions include the Curator’s Award at the Borrego Springs Invitational (2019), Honorable Mention (2018), and numerous awards across several years at Bath County Plein Air, including the Sonya McKay Award and People’s Choice.
Eligibility: Registration is through OnlineJuriedShows and is open to all plein air painters, 18 years and older.
Fees: Registration is $40 and must be accompanied by the submission of 3 images, all plein air paintings, cropped, no frames. Be sure to follow the OnlineJuriedShows requirements for submission.
Images must be jpg and under 4 mb. For best results, images should be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side @ 72 dpi. For help with your entries, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351.
Jurors: There will be 3 selection jurors (to be determined), all accomplished plein air artists from different parts of the country.
Sales: All sales will be handled by Saranac Lake ArtWorks. A 35% commission will be applied to all sales, with the exception of the “Paint the Town” Silent Auction. Participating artists will be asked to donate a small, unframed painting for the auction and may choose to receive 50% of the final high bid, or donate 100% of it. Artists who sell “off the easel” are requested to submit their 35% commission via cash or check to Saranac Lake ArtWorks. Checks for sales will be remitted within 2 weeks after the conclusion of the Show & Sale.
Workshop: Awards Juror, Cynthia Rosen, will present a 2-day plein air workshop on Aug 15-16 prior to the event. The cost will be $300, with a $50 deposit required. It is open to both artists accepted into the Festival as well as non-participants. Full details can be found at https://saranaclakeartworks.org
Lodging/Transportation: A list of area motels, B&B’s, and vacation rentals will be shared with accepted artists. There are several campgrounds (with painting opportunities) nearby. More information about lower-cost housing and/or lodging with host families will be made available to accepted artists at a later time.
Artists must provide their own transportation to and from Saranac Lake, NY. The Adirondack Regional Airport serves the area, as well as the Burlington, VT and Albany, NY airports, both around 2 hours away. Contact us if you have travel questions info@saranaclakeartworks.org
Awards: Over $5000 in awards will be given out, in cash and merchandise.
Timeline of Events
• Feb 1: Registration opens through OnlineJuriedShows. Log in and click Enter This Show above to begin
• Apr 15: Registration closes
• April 22: Notifications sent out that week
• May 22: Deadline to accept
• Aug 17: Check-in and surface stamping 9am-5pm; painting may begin
• Aug 17: “Meet the Artists” Reception, 7- 9pm
• Aug 18: “Paint the VIC” Day at the Paul Smith’s College VIC
• Aug 19: “Catch of the Day" at the Saranac Lake Fish & Game Club.
• Aug 20: “Paint the Town” Day - artists paint in the historic Village of Saranac Lake and are requested to submit a small, unframed painting for the Silent Auction. There is also a festive “3rd Thursday ArtWalk: from 5-7:30pm on Main St - artists are encouraged to set up and paint as visitors stroll Main St. to see other displays of arts and crafts and live music.
• Aug 21: 3 Framed Paintings due, to be juried for prizes, between 9am-1pm, in the Town Hall Auditorium. “Paint the Adirondacks” Day - artists choice, maps with suggested painting locations will be provided. Jurying from 1-3pm. Additional framed work may be added to display walls starting at 5:30pm.
• Aug 21: Preview Party, 6-9pm; tickets are $25/person (no charge for artists and 1 guest); Awards at 7:30pm.
• Aug 22: Quick Draw Competition, downtown, 9-11am; paintings due at Town Hall at 11:15am
• Aug 22: Show & Sale, 10am-5pm, FREE admission. Lunch will be provided for artists.
Full event details will be provided to accepted artists well in advance of the event, will be on the Artworks website, and will also be in the packets of materials available at check-in.
County-Based Eligibility
All local artists are encouraged to apply and those who reside in the following New York counties: Franklin, St. Lawrence, Essex and Clinton will indicate that in the application. The Selection Committee will review the images submitted (including those of local artists) and choose the 2025 roster. The Committee will then be asked to review the images of unselected artists that reside in the above counties to choose 3 additional artists to participate. This gives local artists two chances to be juried into the Adirondack Plein Air Festival. Event organizers will not reveal which local artists were selected this way. It’s also compatible with our goal to have at least 1/4 of the artists each year be first-time participants.
Limited Opportunity
10 Artists who apply to the Adirondack Plein Air Festival and are not selected for participation, will be invited to attend and paint as a “Guest Artist” for the week. Guest Artists are invited to donate a small painting for the “Paint the Town” Silent Auction as well as participate in the Nocturne Contest Thursday evening. “Guest Artists”, as well as the participating artists, will receive free admission to the Friday evening’s “Preview Party” with food, beverages, and a presentation of Awards, however will not participate in the show and sale.
“Guest Artists” will be responsible for their own lodging, meals, and transportation, must notify Saranac Lake ArtWorks of their plans to participate, and will be under the same requirements as juried-in artists: any work sold “off the easel” should be reported and a 35% commission payment should be submitted to Saranac Lake ArtWorks by the close of the event.
Disclaimer/Legal: Upon arrival, artists will be required to sign an agreement to participate. By signing it, artists give permission to Saranac Lake ArtWorks to use photos of you and your work for publicity and promotional purposes and accept the 35% commission on sales (not including the Silent Auction donation).
All event information will be posted on the Saranac Lake ArtWorks website: https://saranaclakeartworks.org