Mississippi Riverscapes: The 2026 Rivers Project Plein Air Art Competition

Name: Mississippi Riverscapes: The 2026 Rivers Project Plein Air Art Competition
Start: 2026-06-15T09:00:00-05:00
Location: 2 Lock and Dam Way, East Alton, IL, United States, Illinois 62024

Schedule

Mon, 15 Jun, 2026 at 09:00 am

UTC-05:00

Location

2 Lock and Dam Way, East Alton, IL, United States, Illinois 62024 | Alton, IL

This contest is an open-air painting and drawing competition at Rivers Project recreation areas throughout the month of May, open to all amateur and professional artists ages 16+. Draw or paint the scenery in-person at one (or all) of 8 featured Rivers Project Recreation Areas, then submit completed works to be included in a juried art competition for regional prizes, including an art show and month of representation at Mooneyham Art. All submitted entries will also be included in an art exhibit in the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, IL!
Artists may paint or draw independently any time between May 1st and May 31st, 2026, beginning with the release of the map of the 8 qualifying locations on May 1st. Submissions are due to the National Great Rivers Museum by 5:00 p.m. on May 31st. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the National Great Rivers Museum on June 14th. All submitted works will be displayed in an art exhibit in the National Great Rivers Museum that will run from June 15th to August 30th, 2026, with the option for artists to list works for sale, if desired. Artists may not opt out of the exhibit.
There is a one-time, non-refundable entry fee of $25 per artist that will go to support Meeting of the Rivers Foundation, a nonprofit that supports outreach at the National Great Rivers Museum. This covers all submitted works; artists may choose to paint/draw at only one location or up to 8.
Plein Air, a French term meaning “in open air” is a method of painting in which the artist paints entirely outdoors, capturing the essence and lighting of the real-life scene in front of them. It first gained popularity in the 19th century with the availability of paints in tube form, which allowed artists to more easily work outdoors. Today it continues to be a popular art form, practiced by artists all over the world. In the spirit of this art technique, all paintings and drawings must be completed entirely outdoors at the depicted location.
A complete rules and regulations document, as well as a map of drawing locations and a link to register for the contest, may be found at https://www.mtrf.org/plein-air-art/.