North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival — Beaufort
Schedule
Thu, 14 May, 2026 at 11:00 am to Fri, 15 May, 2026 at 06:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
130 Turner Street , Beaufort, NC, United States, North Carolina 28516 | Beaufort, NC
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Live Painting • Gallery Sales • Artist ReceptionBeaufort Historic Site, located at 130 Turner St., Beaufort, NC is proud to host the North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival for two days of live outdoor painting and gallery exhibitions. On May 14 and 15, an acclaimed jury of selected artists from across the country and around the world will paint on location throughout Beaufort, transforming the town into an open-air studio.
Live Painting Throughout the Day
Artists will be actively painting across Beaufort’s waterfront, docks, historic district, and scenic coastal locations. Visitors are invited to watch works develop in real time and engage with artists as they paint. A list of participating artists with preview samples of their past work is available on the ncpleinair.org home page.
To help visitors find artists in the field, the festival uses the En Plein Air Artist Locator, a mobile app that shows real-time artist locations during painting hours. App details and daily schedules are available on the Festival Event Calendar at ncpleinair.org.
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Thursday, May 14 — Beaufort Paint‑Out Day 1
Artists paint throughout Beaufort from morning through late afternoon. Paintings completed on Thursday will be curated for a gallery exhibition and sale on Friday at the Beaufort Historic Site. Below is a tentative schedule of FREE formal Artist Demonstrations on May 14. (Use the ncpleinair.org web link to get updates.)
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Friday, May 15 — Beaufort Paint-Out Day 2 + Gallery Exhibition & Reception
On Friday, Beaufort’s Festival activities culminate at the Mattie King Davis Art Gallery: Thursday’s paintings will be on view and available for purchase throughout the day, with Friday’s newly completed works added to the pop-up open-air exhibition on the lawn.
Wine & Cheese Reception, Art Sale and Exhibition: 4:00–6:00 PM
The community is invited to meet the artists, enjoy a lively gallery atmosphere, and purchase freshly painted works inspired by Beaufort.
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*Saturday, May 16—Die Hard Enthusiasts Can Follow the Festival Finale to New Bern
Plein Air artists will return to New Bern to complete the Festival with final judging and the announcement of $16,000 in awards, a celebration with live music, and continued art sales on Saturday.
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For more information, visit www.beauforthistoricsite.org or www.ncpleinair.org.
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Where is it happening?
130 Turner Street , Beaufort, NC, United States, North Carolina 28516Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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