Canada Paints Plein Air returns Aug. 8 with second annual competition, cash awards

Calgary, AB — A one-day outdoor painting competition is returning to Calgary’s Fish Creek Provincial Park this summer, inviting artists to trade studio walls for open sky.

Applications are now open for the 2026 Canada Paints Plein Air Competition, taking place Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. The event celebrates the tradition of painting en plein air — artists working on site to capture the landscape in a single sitting.

Calgary-based Canada Paints Plein Air is dedicated to preserving and promoting outdoor landscape painting by immersing artists in Alberta’s natural spaces. The 2026 competition is sponsored by the Bow Valley Ranche Historical Society and Swinton’s Art Supply.

“Last year proved this is more than a competition. Artists showed up for each other sharing space, stories, and sunscreen, and the public showed up for them,” said CPPA president Victoria Zyluk. “We watched as people stopped, observed, and asked questions engaging in a way that reminded us why painting outdoors still matters.”

This year’s competition offers a different painting location and another opportunity for artists to form real connections in the field, accepting the challenge of painting outdoors while the clock is ticking.

Two ways to take part:

• Juried Competition: Eight artists will be selected as finalists to compete for cash awards.
• Open Paint + Wild Card: All other applicants are invited to paint on site, with one artist selected as a Wild Card winner earning a place in a future competition and additional prizes.

The entry fee is $35 and includes consideration for both the juried competition and Wild Card category. Applications close June 15, 2026.

Winners will be announced by a panel of judges at the close of the live painting event. A public show and sale follow.

​The new competition site within Fish Creek Provincial Park, along with event details, will be announced this summer. A detailed site map will be sent to all registered artists in advance including:

• Clearly marked painting zones with on-site signage
• Separate check-in for juried finalists and open painters
• Volunteer ambassadors stationed throughout the painting location
• Pre-event emails outlining exactly where artists will set up
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Canada Paints Plein Air brings artists together to paint outdoors, building community and deepening public appreciation for the landscape. Through our competitions, we showcase local talent while inviting the public to see the landscape through an artist’s eye.

To submit your application before June 15, 2026, visit www.canadapaintspleinair.com


To volunteer at the event, please contact [email protected]


To keep up-to-date on competition news, please visit www.canadapaintspleinair.com


To request media interviews, please contact [email protected]