Call Description

18th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival - May 3-9, 2026

Wayne Plein Air Collectors' Preview Party & Awards Presentation - May 9, 2026

18th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Exhibition - May 9-June 20, 2026

Juror: Mark Boedges

ABOUT WAYNE ART CENTER AND WAYNE PLEIN AIR

The Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival is one of the longest-running and most popular outdoor painting events in the country. Founded in 2008, the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival has welcomed over 500 artists to paint the splendor of the Philadelphia area and has become one of the most eagerly anticipated cultural events in the region.

The 18th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival kicks-off on May 3, 2026, with the arrival of 32 juried, nationally recognized, and emerging artists who have ventured to Wayne, Pennsylvania to capture the exceptional beauty of the Delaware Valley. As one of the premier plein air events in the country, Wayne Art Center offers artists the unique opportunity to showcase over 300 works created during the festival in the art center's spacious, light-filled, and state-of-the-art exhibition galleries. These impressive works, which represent a diverse range of styles and mediums, are on view and sale through June 20, 2026 (6 weeks). A full schedule of events including community paint-outs, artist demos, lectures and other programs will be presented during the span of the festival and exhibition to further advance awareness of the plein air movement.

The galleries at Wayne Art Center are enjoyed by more than 30,000 visitors each year and sales during the Wayne Plein Air Exhibition are robust and remain steady throughout the six-week exhibition.

The success of the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival is made possible through the artists’ enthusiastic participation over the past 17 years, along with the generosity of our many business sponsors, patrons, and volunteers, demonstrating how valued this festival is to our community. Funds raised through this eagerly anticipated event benefit Wayne Art Center’s vast array of educational, outreach, and exhibition programs for individuals of all ages and abilities.

ABOUT THE CALL FOR ENTRY

Wayne Art Center seeks applications for the 18th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival. Invited Artists will stay and paint in a 35-mile radius of Wayne Art Center from May 3-9, 2026.  All paintings remain on exhibit through June 20, 2026. For more information visit: www.waynepleinair.org. 

Nancy Campbell

Executive Director and Chief Curator

Pam McLean Parker

Exhibition Coordinator

Karen Louise Fay

Director of Marketing and Events

18th ANNUAL WAYNE ART CENTER PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL JUROR

Wayne Art Center is pleased to welcome Mark Boedges as the 2026 Plein Air Juror.

Mark Boedges has, in a short time, amassed numerous awards and showcased his work in many galleries. He attended the University of Colorado, where he studied Fine Art. Preferring a more traditional approach to painting, Boedges left the program after two years to study exclusively from nature. Painting plein air had become his sole focus, and it would remain so for many years.  Eventually, wanting to apply more time and intention to his work, he took his expansive knowledge of the landscape, particularly the Western Landscape, into the studio and began to work on large luminescent pieces.  He has more recently been exploring the personal and spiritual meaning behind the light found within his canvases, using the landscape as a means to express his joy and wonder at the reality we find ourselves in. 

Boedges has recently received Best in Show at the following shows: American Impressionist Society, Wayne Plein Air, Door County Plein Air, and Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art. Additional accolades include the Joseph Hartley Memorial Award at the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Bohnert Memorial Award with the Hudson Valley Art Association, the Artistic Excellence Award with Southwest Art magazine, and the Grand Prize for Landscape, as well as a feature article with International Artist magazine. 

ARTIST PARTICIPANTS

For artists who previously have participated in Wayne Art Center Plein Air, the festival offers an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and collectors and to compete for $25,000 in cash awards. For emerging artists, acceptance into Wayne Art Center's Plein Air Festival represents an important step in achieving national recognition. As one of the first plein air festivals established in our country, the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival has attracted some of our nation’s most prestigious outdoor painters working in the field and has served an instrumental role in supporting the vibrant contemporary landscape painting movement.

HOSPITALITY

Artist housing will be graciously provided by welcoming members of the community.

Participating plein air artists will attend a Welcome Breakfast at a local picturesque farm property on Sunday, May 3 to launch the festival week, along with a comprehensive artist orientation and canvas stamping.

LOCATIONS

Throughout the festival week, painters work on location throughout the surrounding areas, a locale robust with colorful and varied landscapes. From quaint small towns filled with historic architecture to rolling hills dotted with livestock, to the dynamic skyline views of Center City Philadelphia and its surrounding waterfronts, including the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, there is no lack of inspiration or subject matter. A week of intense work culminates in a dynamic exhibition of over 300 paintings.

PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL AND EXHIBITION COLLECTORS' PREVIEW PARTY & SALE AND AWARDS PRESENTATION

The 18th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Exhibition debuts with a highly charged collectors’ preview party where patrons vie for the first chance to acquire their painting of choice. Participating plein air artists will have the unique opportunity to connect with Wayne Art Center sponsors, patrons and area collectors while establishing important contacts. Over ten major cash awards totaling $25,000 will be presented by Juror Mark Boedges, including Best of Show, First Place, Second Place, Third Place, and Special Themed Awards. Industry Prizes will also be awarded.

In addition to cash, the Best of Show award winner will be invited to participate in the next year’s plein air event.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

November 12, 2025 – February 17, 2026

Online applications accepted        

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Notification of Accept/Decline are sent through the CaFE submission platform

Sunday, May 3, 2026, 9:00 am

Welcome Breakfast and arrival of artists for registration, canvas stamping and orientation                  

May 3 – May 9, 2026

Artists paint within 35 miles of Wayne

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Final painting festival morning in Wayne and surrounding area

Saturday, May 9   6-9pm

Wayne Art Center 18th Annual Plein Air Festival Collectors’ Preview & Sale and Awards Presentation

Wayne Art Center, 413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087

May 9 - June 20, 2026

Wayne Plein Air 2026 Exhibition

Sunday, May 10, 2026, 1pm

Mark Boedges: Juror’s Lecture

Monday, May 11 – Thursday, May 14, 2026

Mark Boedges:  Four-day Painting Workshop

Saturday, June 20 at 4pm 

Exhibition Closes

June 23-26 and June 29 - July 2 9am-5pm

Retrieval of Unsold Artwork.  All work must be picked up by the artist or a representative by July 24, 2026

Register at www.waynepleinair.org

Contact Information

Pam McLean-Parker, Exhibition Coordinator, pam@wayneart.org

Wayne Art Center

413 Maplewood Avenue

Wayne, PA 19087

610.688.3553 x211

wayneart.org

If you have any questions about the exhibition, please contact Pam McLean-Parker at pam@wayneart.org. If you have technical questions about the online system, please contact the Call for Entry support team at Cafe@westaf.org

Application Requirements

Be sure to have upload-ready JPG files:

File Format: JPG files.

All images should be at least 300 dpi resolution.   

File dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side.

File size: under 5 MB

Please name each jpg file with the title of the work.

Online applications are accepted through the CaFE platform only and must be completed and submitted with payment by midnight, February 17, 2026.  

Wayne Art Center invites up to four images per application for juror's review.  Artists may submit ONE application.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to artists 18 and older from the United States.

Artists participating in the Wayne Plein Air Festival 2026 may not exhibit at other galleries within a 50-mile radius of the Wayne Art Center during the duration of the WAC Plein Air Exhibition from May 9- June 20, 2026.

Invitation to participate as a 2026 Wayne Art Center Plein Air artist constitutes an agreement on the part of the artist to all terms and conditions of this entire prospectus, which includes, but is not limited to, the right of Wayne Art Center to use entry images for publicity purposes.

Plein Air artists will agree to sell work featured in Wayne Art Center’s online gallery throughout the duration of the exhibition at the same commission rate as in-gallery sales.