Plein Air, Art in the Mountains 2026

Plein Air, Art in the Mountains
”Art Brings Us All Together”
May 14 – May 17, 2026
Presented by Gilmer Arts Ellijay, Georgia
Registration Deadline April 30, 2026

Prospectus
General Information
This is our 11th year to host what has turned out to be North Georgia’s most popular plein air event. We hope you will consider joining us this year as painting outdoors brings us all together for a wonderful weekend of art, fellowship, and the enjoyment of the beautiful mountain area in Ellijay!
The Plein Air “Art in the Mountains” event is open to all plein air artists 18 years of age and older. All painting mediums are acceptable. Artists will be given a list of hosted locations and will paint on location over the three-day event, as well as during a Quick Paint competition. Each artist may submit up to three (3) original works of art done at those locations of which one of the three will be from the Quick Paint competition. These will be displayed and available for sale during the live auction on Sunday, May 17.
A Welcome Reception and Collector’s Preview will be hosted by Gilmer Arts on Friday evening, and artists will be allowed to bring one studio piece for sale for this event.
Rules
• All works submitted for sale at the auction must be painted on location by the artist during the event.
• All works must be suitably framed, professionally presented, and in excellent condition upon delivery. No saw-tooth hangers are allowed and wires on the back should be at least two inches
2026 Gilmer Arts Plein Air, Art in the Mountains Page 2
from the top of the work. (Gallery wraps will be allowed if suitably wired for hanging.)
• All pieces must have an estimated value, an opening bid value, and must be for sale.
• The price of the art will include a 35% commission paid to Gilmer Arts with 65% being paid to the artist by the 15th of June.
• Event directors reserve the right to reject works that do not meet the criteria established in these rules or the standards of Gilmer Arts; however, works by artists of all skill levels will be eligible for submission.
• NO changes in titles or prices will be allowed after entry forms are submitted to the volunteers at The Playhouse.
Logistics +
Painting locations and directions will be available at the Gilmer Arts Gallery for all participating artists at the beginning and throughout the event.
Orientation will be held at Gilmer Arts beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning, May 15, so that artists can get their canvases stamped, receive their handouts with painting site locations and goody bags with general information. Staff will be on hand to answer questions throughout the weekend. Except for the site of the Quick Paint, artists will be free to choose where they paint and will be encouraged to paint at our generous hosts’ locations.
Gilmer Arts will provide breakfast items, lunch fixings, and water at the Gallery at 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday as indicated in the artist handout. Water will also be provided at each host location.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, May 14
7 a.m. – Canvases are stamped at Gilmer the Arts Center. Free Painting all day. Suggested painting locations are provided.
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Plein Air Workshop, “Let’s Get Ready for Plein Air,” with instructor Ed Cahill at Gilmer Arts Gallery. Fee: $100
Friday, May 15
7 a.m. – Canvases will be stamped. Continental breakfast and lunch fixings are available.
8 a.m. – Hosted painting locations open.
2026 Gilmer Arts Plein Air, Art in the Mountains Page 3
9 a.m.- Canvases are stamped and Orientation/Kick-off Meeting is held at the Gilmer Arts Gallery. Models are available at selected host locations.
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Framed paintings may be checked in and installed at the Gallery.
5 p.m. – Welcome Reception and Collectors’ Preview at the Gilmer Arts Gallery.
6 p.m. – Invitation to Acoustic Blends at the Gilmer Arts Playhouse.
Saturday, May 16
7 am – Canvases stamped at the Gilmer Arts Gallery. Models available at selected host locations.
8 a.m. – Hosted painting locations open.
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Framed paintings may be checked in and installed at the Gallery.
3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Quick Paint Competition begins at 3 p.m. at a location to be disclosed at check-in. Canvases are stamped at the Quick Paint location. After the two-hour competition, each artist may display their work on an easel to be judged on location.
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Each artist may choose two plein air paintings plus their Quick Paint painting, if desired, for inclusion in the live auction on Sunday. Artists may check-in framed artwork at the Gilmer Arts Playhouse until 7 p.m. or 7 – 10 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Sunday, May 17
7 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Check-in art works at the Gilmer Arts Playhouse.
7 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Free painting.
10 a.m. to Noon – Judging for the Best in Show will be conducted by our guest judge, James Pratt. Volunteers and Gilmer Arts Staff are preparing for the auction.
12 p.m. – The Der Wurst Meister, a German-American food truck operating in the North Georgia area that specializes in sausages, pretzels, and traditional German fare, will be onsite to furnish lunch to artists. We will have them include salads for our vegetarian artists. A voucher will be in your goody bag.
2 p.m. – Awards are announced and the Auction begins.
4 p.m. – Plein Air in the Mountains ends. Thank you for taking part.
2026 Gilmer Arts Plein Air, Art in the Mountains Page 4
Liability
All reasonable care will be exercised by the Gilmer Arts Center Staff and Volunteers in handling and exhibiting artwork. Sole liability for the art rests with the artists.
Deadline for Entry and Payment
Registration is due no later than April 30, 2026.
A check for the entry fee of $45 for TAG members and $55 for not-yet members should be made payable to Gilmer Arts. Online registration is also available at gilmerarts.com. Cash and credit cards are also accepted.
Early registration is advised.
Work Available for Sale
Each artist may choose two plein air paintings plus their Quick Paint painting, for inclusion in the live auction on Sunday and only one studio piece for the Collectors’ Preview Party, if desired. Each painting must be ready to hang and have the artist’s sales information label attached to the back. (These will be provided at Gilmer Arts.) The hanging wire must be no more than 2”
from the top of the frame.
Artworks that do not sell during the auction may be shown at the Gilmer Arts Gallery until June 23 for additional sales opportunities. Commissions for artworks that are sold through the Gallery Exhibit will be payable on the 10th of the month following the sale.
Our Judge
The judge for this 2026 event is James Pratt. James is a world-renowned palette knife artist and is considered as one of the “Modern Masters.” Born in Wellington, New Zealand, James moved to Los Angeles in the 1980’s and became a US citizen in 2013. James and his wife, Beverly, live outside of Charleston, SC, when not traveling the world.
James likes to create art that is painterly with lots of color and texture. He is a self-taught Alla Prima painter who uses the palette knife to encourage lively and impressionistic treatments, providing an exciting contrast of scale that adds greatly to the impact of his finished painting.

Featured photo is Best in Show Winner 2025 by Ed Cahill