PAINT ORANGE 2027
OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS
A Weekend Plein Air Paint Out
May 7–9, 2027 | Orange, Virginia | Entry Dates: January 1, 2027 - March 31, 2027.
Presented by The Arts Center.
PAINT ORANGE!
Spend Mother’s Day Weekend painting one of Virginia’s most beautiful historic communities.
The Arts Center invites artists to participate in Paint Orange! 2027, a three-day plein air festival celebrating the architecture, landscapes, history, and rural beauty of Virginia’s Central Piedmont.
Whether you are painting outdoors for the first time or have spent years on the plein air circuit, Paint Orange offers a welcoming weekend devoted to painting, fellowship, exhibitions, collecting, awards, and community.
Throughout the weekend, artists will work across historic downtown Orange and the surrounding countryside, capturing nineteenth-century storefronts, churches, farms, vineyards, streams, gardens, rolling fields, and the remarkable landscapes that make Orange one of Virginia’s hidden gems.
WHY PAINT ORANGE?
Few communities offer artists such a remarkable variety of painting subjects within such a compact area.
Within ten miles of downtown Orange, you’ll discover:
• Historic downtown architecture
• Centre Market
• Churches and civic buildings
• Historic homes and neighborhoods
• Farms and vineyards
• Rolling Piedmont landscapes
• Streams and forests
• Country roads, barns, fences, and gardens
Located in Virginia’s beautiful Central Piedmont, Orange combines history, hospitality, and extraordinary scenery, making it an ideal destination for a weekend devoted to painting.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
• Three days of plein air painting
• Juried Exhibition
• Artist Welcome Reception
• Collector Meet & Greet
• Student Outreach Initiative
• Cash Awards
• Opportunities to exhibit and sell artwork
• Sunday Quick Draw Competition
• Public Silent Auction
• Historic small-town setting with exceptional rural scenery
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Artist Check-In
Canvas & Panel Stamping
Welcome Reception
Collector Meet & Greet
Friday, May 7th
Saturday, May 8th
Painting throughout Orange and the surrounding countryside
Student Outreach Initiative
Submission Deadline for Juried Exhibition
Awards Reception
Sunday, May 9th
Quick Draw Competition
Public Viewing
Silent Auction
Closing Celebration
SUNDAY QUICK DRAW
One of the most exciting traditions in plein air painting, the Quick Draw Competition challenges artists to complete a finished painting in only two hours while the public watches.
Historic downtown Orange becomes an open-air studio as visitors stroll among the artists, watching paintings emerge from blank panels and canvases while talking with artists about their work and process.
Immediately following the competition, paintings will be displayed for public viewing and offered for sale during a silent auction.
WHO MAY ENTER
Paint Orange welcomes artists at every stage of their artistic journey, including:
• Professional artists
• Emerging artists
• Serious amateurs
• Beginning plein air painters
Accepted media include:
• Oil
• Acrylic
• Watercolor
• Gouache
• Pastel
• Drawing
• Mixed media appropriate to plein air practice
All submitted work must be original and substantially completed on location during the official festival dates.
REGISTRATION
Entry Fee: $35
Student Registration: $15
Registration includes:
• Participation throughout the weekend
• Eligibility for awards
• Juried exhibition
• Sunday Quick Draw
• Artist hospitality
• Listing in festival materials
• Opportunities to exhibit and sell artwork
Register online through The Arts Center website.
AWARDS
Cash awards will be presented in multiple categories, including:
• Best in Show
• First Place
• Second Place
• Third Place
• Best Historic Orange Scene
• Best Rural Landscape
• People’s Choice Award
• Student Artist Award
• Quick Draw Awards
Final award amounts will be announced as sponsorship support is confirmed.
STUDENT OUTREACH INITIATIVE
One of the defining features of Paint Orange is its commitment to arts education. Participating artists will have the opportunity to paint alongside local high school art students, sharing techniques, answering questions, and providing informal mentoring while demonstrating the discipline and joy of plein air painting. The initiative strengthens relationships between artists, schools, and the community while encouraging the next generation of painters.
SALES
Artists will have opportunities to exhibit and sell work created during the festival. Quick Draw paintings will be offered through a public silent auction immediately following the competition.
Net proceeds from Quick Draw sales will be divided equally:
50% to the artist
50% to The Arts Center
The Arts Center’s portion supports exhibitions, arts education, outreach programs, and future Paint Orange festivals.
REGISTRATION
Join artists from across Virginia and beyond for a weekend devoted to painting, friendship, discovery, and celebrating one of the Commonwealth’s most beautiful communities.
Registration Fee: $35
Student Registration: $15
Register Online: CHECK BACK IN NOVEMBER FOR REGISTRATION LINK
PAINT ORANGE 2027!
May 7–9, 2027
The Arts Center
129 East Main Street
Orange, Virginia 22960
For registration, sponsorship opportunities, lodging information, or additional details, contact The Arts Center or visit our website.
Come Paint Orange. Leave with More Than a Painting.