2021 Plein Air Competition Call for Entries

2021 Plein Air Competition Call for Entries

The Brigham City Museum of Art and History invites painters of all skill levels to share their vision of Utah in wintertime for the 2021 Plein Air Competition. Canvas stamping begins Saturday, December 26 and entries are due by 5:00 PM on Saturday, January 16, 2021. The exhibit opens on January 23, 2021 and closes on April 10, 2021, with a virtual awards ceremony on March 4, 2021.

In honor of the 125th anniversary of Utah statehood on January 4th, the museum presents “THRIVE 125” as this year’s plein air competition theme. Artists are encouraged to celebrate the incomparable natural beauty of the Utah landscape through the winter scenes captured “en plein air,” or outside.  The theme reflects the Utah Department of Heritage & Arts’ initiative to honor Utah’s past and celebrate its future. The 125th anniversary of Utah’s statehood offers every Utahn an opportunity to reflect on our shared history and look optimistically to the future. 

Museum staff look forward to the elements that each artist will feature in their entries and how they will capture this year’s theme. “It is an honor to be a part of the state’s yearlong programming around this topic, especially since our entry period coincides with the actual anniversary,” said Alana Blumenthal, Museum Director.  “We had such overwhelmingly positive feedback after moving the competition to the winter last year, and I am hopeful that THRIVE 125 will give the artists an extra dimension to reflect on as they work to capture our great outdoors.” 

Plein Air competitions are community challenges for artists of any level to celebrate the beauty and wonder of the natural world. The spirit of plein air requires artists to paint their entries entirely “out in the open air”.  All entries for this juried competition must be officially stamped by the museum and then painted in Utah between 12/26/2020 and 1/16/2021, and be ready to hang when submitted. If possible, artists are asked to submit high resolution digital photos for marketing purposes.

Click here for the entry form.

Important Dates:

12/26/2020: Stamping Begins

1/16/2021: Entries Due by 5:00 PM

1/23/2021: Exhibition Opens

3/4/2021: Virtual Awards Ceremony 

4/10/2021: Exhibition Closes

Click here for more information on the rules, entry fees, and guidelines.