$1,000 first prize to be awarded at the Oct. 5 event in downtown Camas

Plein Air artists are invited to compete in the Camas Plein Air event and tribute to Marquita Call on the first Saturday in October. The outdoor painting competition is set for Sat., Oct. 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. 

The winning artist will claim a $1,000 cash prize. All total, $2,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to top artists in the competition, culminating with an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. 

Plein artists will paint the beautiful tree-lined streets of Camas in all its Autumn glory. Downtown Camas, noted for its hometown ambience and beautiful boutique store fronts, is a popular attraction to Plein artists from around the region.  

Plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air” and refers to the act of painting an entire finished painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view. Painting en plein air allows artists to capture the emotional and sensory dimensions of a particular landscape at a particular moment in time.

“This premier Plein Air Event & Art Show honors the life and legacy of Marquita Call, founder of Camas Plein Air Event, Camas Gallery and a tireless promoter of art,” said Liz Pike, one of the organizers of the event. Marquita started the Camas Plein Air event back in 2013 after opening her beloved Camas Gallery. “With grit and grace, she was a one-woman, non-stop promoter of local artists in the Camas community,” added Pike.

The public is invited to view the artists while they paint on Oct. 5 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. All entries will be on display and for sale to the public from 5 to 7 p.m. at Red Door Gallery with the official awards ceremony beginning at 6 p.m.  

Advance $20 registration by artists is required. Registration ends Oct. 1 or when the limit of 100 artists is reached.  To request an official artist entry form, call or text Liz Pike at (360) 281-8720 or email: pikeadvertising@comcast.net. 

Applications are also available at RedDoor Gallery, Gallery 408, Camas Washougal Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Camas Association and Lizzy Jane’s Flower Market at Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie. 

Upon completing the application form, artists are required to either mail or hand deliver their application with a $20 fee by October 1, 2024 to RedDoor Gallery, 411 NE Dallas Street, Camas, WA 98607.  There is a 24-hour mail slot located to the right of the front door at RedDoor Gallery.

Plein air exhibition rules apply. All paintings submitted must be created onsite Oct. 5, 2024, in Camas to be entered; artists must be 18 years or older to participate. Only original 2-D artwork is accepted, including oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, and gouache. Registered artists can submit up to three paintings in the completion.  

Artist application pickup locations:

• Camas Washougal Chamber of Commerce, 422 NE Fourth Avenue, Camas, WA 98607
• Downtown Camas Association, 216 NE Fourth Avenue, Suite 102, Camas, WA 98607
• Gallery 408, 408 NE Fourth Avenue, Camas, WA 98607
• RedDoor Gallery, 411 NE Dallas Street, Camas, WA 98607
• Lizzy Jane’s Flower Market at Shangri-La Farm, 26300 NE Third Street, Camas, WA 98607