PleinAir Salon Monthly Art Competition - April 2025

The PleinAir Salon is a monthly online art competition open to artists 18 years and older from any state or country where acceptable by law. Entries must be original paintings or drawings completed entirely by the artist entering. Paintings based on another person's photograph (even if copyright-free) are not eligible. Reference photos must belong to the artist entering. Plein air category entries must be completed 100% in plein air, though this can take place over multiple sessions. Photography, AI, digital work, and printed or painted over photographs are prohibited. Paintings do not need to be new, fresh, or in the artist's possession.

There are 19 categories to enter, each with specific criteria. Entry limits are 25 paintings per monthly competition. Early bird entry fees (1st-15th of month): first entry $29, additional entries $12. Regular entry fees (16th-month-end): first entry $40, additional entries $16. A painting can win only once; if entered in multiple categories, it can only win in one. Paintings that have not previously won a category award can be re-entered in subsequent competitions.

Awards include: Grand Prize $15,000 plus cover feature in PleinAir Magazine; Second Place $3,000; Third Place $2,000; three Honorable Mention Awards $700 each; six Best Medium Awards $450 each; Artist's Choice Award $200; category awards $50 each; and category Honorable Mention awards. One winner and one Honorable Mention are selected in each category, plus three overall awards. Winners are announced on the last day of the month following the competition (or the last Thursday if the last day falls on a weekend). Monthly winners are automatically entered into the Annual PleinAir Salon Competition. Judging is blind, with judges including prominent artists, gallery owners, and museum curators. Submissions must be high-quality JPEG files at least 1500 pixels on the longest edge, maximum 30MB file size, with only the artwork visible (no matting, frames, or background).