2026 Plein Air Weekend Artist Information

We invite you to join artists from across Michigan and throughout the Midwest for this year’s 3-day event. Our Plein Air Weekend gives artists the chance to explore and showcase their mastery of light, shadow, and perspective in the outdoor landscape. We’re excited for our guests to see the amazing creativity and talent this event brings.

The 2026 Plein Air Weekend is scheduled for August 6-8. Online registration for the Quick Draw and Paint Out will take place on Wednesday, March 18 beginning at 9:30 am. Be sure that you are on the GAAC email list for updates. You can find the GAAC’s mailing list sign up page here: https://glenarborart.org/mailing-list-signup/

Sunsetter (Thusday, AUGUST 6, 2026)

REGISTRATION AT THE DOOR ONLY.

This serene painting session provides a unique opportunity for artists to immerse themselves in the changing light and vibrant colors of dusk, translating the natural beauty of the moment onto their canvases. Whether inspired by the fiery hues of the sky or the tranquil reflections on the water, the Sunsetter offers a perfect blend of artistic inspiration and connection to nature.

Registration will be available at the Glen Arbor Township Hall to the first 50 registrants on Thursday, 6:00–7:30 PM. Sunsetter registration is weather dependent, therefore no pre-registration. Artwork must be returned on Friday, 8:30-11 AM. We will award cash prizes for the best Sunsetter paintings. The artwork sale is 4:00–6:30 PM in the Glen Arbor Town Hall. Unsold artwork must be removed at 6:30 pm.

Artist Registration Fee: $30

Quick Draw (Friday, August 7, 2026)

ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 AT 9:30 AM.

Theme: Paint Glen Haven

Immerse yourself for 3 hours in Glen Haven where the Sleeping Bear Inn has brought new life to this historic early settlement. You’ll find the blacksmith shop, the old general store, and the revived Sleeping Bear Inn. Wander down further to the maritime museum and boathouse. Paint the shoreline, paint the buildings, paint the beach . . . you choose! You have 3 hours to capture your vision of Glen Haven.

Painting Boundary: Boundaries are Glen Haven village including the fishing boat, down the road to the museum and boathouse . . . and anywhere in between!

Check-in at the Glen Arbor Township Hall beginning at 8:30–11:00 AM. Return of artwork by 12:00–3:00 PM. You have a 3-hour window of time to paint in the Glen Arbor area. We will award cash prizes for the best Quick Draw paintings. The artwork sale is 4:00–6:30 PM in the Glen Arbor Town Hall. Unsold artwork must be removed at 6:30 pm. You will need a park pass to paint in this area.

Artist Registration Fees: GAAC Members $25 / Non-Members $30, and to register at the door, $30.

Paint Out (Saturday, August 8, 2026)

ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 AT 9:30 AM.

For our day-long Paint Out you may paint anywhere in the area, including the villages of Glen Arbor and Empire, the beautiful water in our Glen Lakes, and of course, in the National Park where you will need a park pass to paint.

Open registration is available on a first come first serve basis only (with the exception of those qualified artists for early registration), and we limit the number of participating artists to the first 80 to register. Registration takes place online and continues until full.

We will award 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd prizes, along with two honorable mentions. Our first prize is the Amy L. Clark-Carels award of $1,000, given in memory of this talented local artist. The sale of artwork begins at 5:00 PM with our Curators Circle and Artist Preview and Purchase. General admission begins at 5:30–7:00 PM in the Glen Arbor Town Hall. Online pre-registration only. Unsold artwork must be removed by 7:00 PM.

Artist Registration Fees: GAAC Members $35 / Non-Members $45

NOTES:

If the registration for the Saturday Paint-Out is full, don’t despair, you can sign up for the waiting list. We do try to accommodate as many artists as possible on the waiting list.
To qualify for early registration you must have been a previous PAINT OUT award winner.
Links to the Quick Draw and Paint Out will be available when registration opens.

Additional Information

Confirmation & Cancellation: You will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your paid registration for all Plein Air Weekend events. For cancellations, you will receive a full refund up to 7 days prior to the event date. There is no refund after that.

Judging: Please read the information sheet regarding the judging and conflict of Interest.

National Park Pass: required for painting within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. More information can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

Quick Draw and Paint Out Check-In: Glen Arbor Township Hall located at 6394 W. Western Avenue/M-22 in Glen Arbor.

Artist Registration

2026 Artist registration for the Quick Draw and Paint Out will start on Wednesday, March 18 at 9:30 AM.

You must go to the Eventbrite website to register. A link to 2026 registration will appear here soon. Please bookmark it.

The Saturday Paint Out has limited spots. To keep registration fair, we use the Eventbrite automated system which we cannot manually override. When an artist selects a ticket, Eventbrite ‘holds’ it for them. This may cause the event to look ‘Sold Out’ instantly, but spots may become available again if a checkout isn’t finished. If we hit total capacity, a waiting list option will appear on this page.

Tips for Success:

Log in Early: Log in to your Eventbrite account before the start time.
Save Your Payment Info: Have your payment information saved in your Eventbrite profile to speed through checkout.
Refresh at the Start: When it is time for registration to open, manually Refresh your browser page to see the “Register” button.
Stay on the Page: If it looks sold out, keep refreshing! Spots often reappear as other people’s cart timers expire.
Don’t Hit “Back”: Once you are checking out, do not hit the back button or you may lose your spot in line.
Registration Time Limit: You will have 20 minutes to fill in the information on your order to complete your transaction before the item(s) in your order will be dropped and registration lost.

NOTE: You will receive an email reminder close to the event asking you to bring your identification to registration. YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO THIS. THE EMAIL IS EMBEDDED INTO THE EVENTBRITE PROTOCOL. NOT REQUIRED FOR OUR PAW WEEKEND.