PROSPECTUS: 2026 Best of Plein Air at the LPAPA Gallery
SUBMISSIONS:
• Submissions Open: November, 2025
• Submission Deadline: Monday, February 2, 2026 (before midnight)
• Notifications Sent On or Before: Monday, February 9, 2026
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW:
• Exhibition Title: 22nd Annual “Best of Plein Air” Juried Art Show
• Online Art Catalog: March 2 - 30, 2026 (archived show and awards continue to be visible after show ends)
• Online Auction: Monday, March 2 (10AM PST) - Thursday, March 5 (8PM PST)
• Gallery Exhibition: Thursday, March 5 - Monday, March 30, 2026
• Art Walk Reception: Thursday, March 5, 2026 (6PM-9PM) (Awards announcement 7PM)
• Gallery Location: The LPAPA Gallery, 414 N. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, CA 92651
ART ELIGIBILITY & SPECIFICATIONS:
• Qualifications: Open to all LPAPA Signature, Artist and Student Members in good standing. At time of acceptance, membership needs to be current through April, 2026.
• Subject Matter: Open to all subject matters, and all painting mediums, created in plein air.
• Artwork: Must be original, painted outdoors onsite within the last year, and not previously shown in a LPAPA Gallery show. No digital artwork will be accepted. All accepted artwork needs to be signed by the artist.
• Sales: Accepted Finalist and Semi-Finalist artwork must be available for sale exclusively through LPAPA upon acceptance and for a minimum of 30 days after the show ends.
• Maximum Size: Unframed not more than 60 united inches (Length + Width), Example: 30” x 30” = 60 UI.
• Minimum Size: Unframed not less than 14 united inches (Length + Width), Example: 6” x 8” = 14 UI.
• Framing & Wiring: All accepted work must be professionally framed, wired, and ready to hang. Wires must provide a minimum 2-inch clearance between the wire and the top of the frame to prevent the hook from showing. Incorrectly wired Finalist work will require rewiring and may delay exhibition.
Framing Service Note: Unframed artwork may be delivered/shipped to Randy Higbee kingofframe for framing; they will deliver the framed work to the LPAPA Gallery and arrange return shipping if the painting is not sold. A percentage of the framing cost is donated to support nonprofit LPAPA’s art and education programs.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
• Entry Fee: $40.00 Entry Fee for up to 2 painting images; each additional painting image is $5.00. You may submit up to a maximum of 6 painting images. No more than 3 entries per individual artist will be accepted as Finalist and/or Semi-Finalist. Entry Fees are non-refundable and must be paid through OnlineJuriedShows.
• Images: JPEG images are uploaded through OnlineJuriedShows. Images must be under 4 mb and in sRGB colorspace. For best results, images should be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side @ 72 dpi. If you need help entering your images, please contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or call 888-666-1351.
• Notification: Notifications to be sent to artists via email by Monday, February 9, 2026, or as soon as possible after jurying is completed. Results will be available in your OnlineJuriedShows artist profile.
ART DROPOFF & PICKUP:
• Drop-off Deadline: Tuesday, March 3rd, no later than 1PM; the gallery will be open 10AM-1PM on this Tuesday for hand-carried artwork; enter through side courtyard door near fountain.
• Shipping: Shipped work should arrive on or before Friday, February 27th; do not ship for Tuesday or Wednesday delivery.
• Pickup of Unsold Work: Tuesday, March 31, 2026; the gallery will be open 10AM-1PM on this Tuesday for artwork pick. As an alternative, Artists may pick up during regular gallery hours or arrange and pay for return shipping.
Late Delivery: Accepted finalist artwork delivered after the 1 PM, March 3rd deadline may not be hung in time to be included in the awards judging.
Unclaimed Artwork Policy: Unclaimed artwork remaining at the gallery 15 days after the show closing, without a scheduled pickup or paid return shipping, will be considered abandoned and becomes the property of LPAPA.
Online Exhibition: In addition to the physical gallery show and interactive online Art Catalog and online Silent Auction, LPAPA will showcase the gallery finalists for sale through Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/partner/laguna-plein-air-painters-association. Accepted Semi-Finalist work will be exhibited in the online Art Catalog and included in the Preview Auction; Semi-Finalist work is not eligible for awards.
AWARDS:
• 1st Place $1,000 + Invitation to participate in the 2026 Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational
• 2nd Place $500
• 3rd Place $250
• Honorable Mention $100
SALES COMMISSION:
• Commission: 50% to Artist, 50% to LPAPA (LPAPA’s commission percentage may be less for Auction sales).
• Payment: Sales proceeds are paid by ACH Direct Deposit, typically within 15 days of the show closing. LPAPA may require a W9 prior to payment processing.
• Liability: LPAPA, its staff, and volunteers will take the utmost care, however, artists are responsible for insuring their own artwork at their discretion and expense. LPAPA will not be responsible for any loss or damage for any reason.
GALLERY LOCATION & CONTACT:
The LPAPA Gallery
414 North Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 376-3635 | info@lpapa.org
Hours: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Thursday through Monday, and by appointment.
First Thursdays Gallery Hours: 1PM - 9PM; First Thursday Art Walk Reception 6PM - 9PM.
Show Coordinator: Bonnie Langner, LPAPA’s Executive Director
Direct: (925) 683-8374 | bonnie@lpapa.org
BY SUBMITTING TO THIS SHOW YOU ARE REPRESENTING THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREED TO THE TERMS SET OUT IN THIS PROSPECTUS.