2026 Suffolk Virginia Plein Air Festival

The City of Suffolk, Virginia is hosting the 5th Annual Suffolk Plein Air Festival, September 7-12, 2026. Cash awards will be given for Best In Show ($3,000), 2nd Place ($1,000), and 3rd Place ($500). Additional monetary awards are given for Best Historic, Waterfront, Farmland, Rural, and Cityscape paintings. The festival is hosted by the Suffolk Art League, Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, and Suffolk Tourism.

The festival runs Monday through Saturday with artist check-in on September 7 (6-9 pm), painting September 8-10, and culminates with the Wet Paint Sale & Soiree on Friday, September 11 (6:00-9:30 PM) at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. A QuickDraw "Paint the Taste" event for youth and adults takes place Saturday, September 12 (11 AM-1 PM) during Suffolk's Taste of Suffolk Downtown Street Festival. Up to five works produced during the event will be displayed and judged, with a 40% commission on all art sales.

Participation is open to artists over 18 working in all mediums, selected by jury review. Artists must submit 4-6 images of their work and a 150-word biography. All artwork must be created during festival week and stamped with the official "Suffolk Plein Air Festival" stamp. Two-dimensional works must be framed and ready to hang. The application fee is $50 (non-refundable), and participating artists may request free lodging by the May 1 deadline.