Harford Plein Air Festival 2026

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

The Entry Fee is $25 per artist through May 16, 2026. Late fee is $35 for entries submitted between 12:01 am May 17 and 11:59 pm on May 18, 2026. Please pay your application fee using the online payment system through the Maryland Center for the Arts' website at www.mdcfa.org, after you have uploaded your information and images on EntryThingy. Payment must be received for your entry to be juried.

Artists must complete the application, payment, and release agreement, along with uploading 3 high quality images, in jpg format only, no larger than 6 MB each, of plein air work completed within the last two years, and painted without the use of photographs. Images must be labeled with # of the submitted work, artist's initials, and title (i.e. 1KM_EveningShadows.jpg, 2KM_Sunset.jpg, 3KM_BusyIntersection.jpg). Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Applications must be received by May 16, 2026. Payment and your complete application must be received for your entry to be considered.

By registering, the artist agrees to allow their images to be used by the Maryland Center for the Arts and 'Harford Plein Air' for publicity purposes. All applicants will be contacted by June 1, 2026, as to whether they are accepted or waitlisted in this competition.

TERMS and CONDITIONS

All work must be original and painted en plein air, without the use of photographs, during the 2026 Harford Plein Air Painting Festival dates: July 1-September 11, 2026.

Accepted media are oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel. All exhibited artwork must be stamped (prior to painting) or verified with gps- and time-stamped photographs, framed, wired, and 'ready to hang' for the sale at Bel Air Armory.

The 2026 Harford Plein Air Painting Festival will be held regardless of weather and will not be re-scheduled. Artist attendance at the Awards Ceremony and Collectors' Preview is mandatory. Attendance at the Quick Draw Competition and Public Gallery Sale is strongly encouraged. All artists must remove any unsold artwork by the end of the Public Gallery Sale, on September 13, 2026 at 3:00pm.

A 40% commission on all works sold between July 1 and October 31, 2026, will be retained by Maryland Center for the Arts and 'Harford Plein Air Painting Festival'. All sales will be handled by representatives of Maryland Center for the Arts - 'Harford Plein Air Painting Festival'.

Any artwork created, commissioned or sold during the 2026 Harford Plein Air Painting Festival: July 1-October 31, 2026, is subject to the gallery sales policy. Artists who engage in unreported sales will not be invited to participate in the future.

All paintings must be priced commensurate with normal pricing structure. Payments to the artists for sold work will be mailed by November 1.

Competition artists release and hold harmless the Maryland Center for the Arts - 'Harford Plein Air Painting Festival', their officers, employees, agents and designees from any and all responsibility or liability.

The Maryland Center for the Arts - 'Harford Plein Air Painting Festival'; is not responsible for any monetary losses or damage to the paintings or property for any reason, including damage to wet paintings, and is not responsible or to be held liable for personal injuries.

The Maryland Center for the Arts - 'Harford Plein Air Painting Festival' and their legal representatives and assigns reserve the right and permission to publish competition artists' names, images, and artwork for promotional purposes, including publication in various brochures, promotional literature, the Maryland Center for the Arts website, print and digital publications, and social media.

The Maryland Center for the Arts - 'Harford Plein Air Painting Festival'; is not required nor obligated to use any information or artwork submitted, and has full authority as to which information and artwork they choose to use for any promotional purposes.

Artists further consent to Maryland Center for the Arts - 'Harford Plein Air Painting Festival' to use images of the award-winning paintings for promotional purposes for a period of one year. Competition artists will receive no compensation, should any information or images of artist or artwork be used.

By entering the 2026 Harford Plein Air Painting Festival, I affirm that I have read the entire prospectus and I agree to be bound by all terms outlined in it.