LPAPA Invitational

Watch Art Happen: Laguna Beach Welcomes 30 Renown Master Painters for its 28th Annual Plein Air Invitational

Live 2-hour Quick Draw competition and Sunday art festival bookend nine days of painting, with the Collectors Art Party unveiling the original art on October 10

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Thirty of the nation’s master plein air painters will turn Laguna Beach into an open-air studio during the 28th Annual Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational, October 3–11, 2026. You can watch the artists’ work, meet them in person, and discover the paintings they create throughout the week.

“Plein air” means painting outdoors, directly from the scene. Artists work as the light, weather, and landscape change. Over a century ago, painters drawn to Laguna Beach’s coastline and light built an art colony that inspired plein air painting to flourish on the West Coast, shaping California Impressionism. Today, the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) is the nation’s premier organization, bringing the genre’s top artists in the U.S. and around the world together to explore where plein air will go next.

With Coast Film & Music Foundation’s Concerts in the Canyon rescheduled to 2027 and an unexpected change to beverage service at the Festival of Arts grounds, LPAPA remains undeterred and has reshaped this year’s celebration while keeping the Invitational on course.

“Resilience is part of plein air painting. Light changes, weather turns, and artists keep painting. LPAPA has carried that same spirit through 28 Invitationals,” said Toni Kellenberg, LPAPA Board President. “When given lemons this year, we made lemonade—and created an on-trend craft mocktail bar for the Collectors Art Party. We can’t wait to welcome everyone here.”

Three main events bring this creative experience to life:

Quick Draw Painting Competition — Sunday, October 4 | Free to Public

From 1–3 p.m. at Heisler Park, watch 30 artists race the clock to complete original paintings. Then follow the art which will be drying while transported to the Festival of Arts grounds from 3–6 p.m. Meet all of the painters, see what they created, and bid in a silent auction.

Collectors Art Party — Saturday, October 10 | Ticketed

Be first to view and have the opportunity to purchase from more than 250 original paintings. The evening brings artists and collectors together for the artwork’s unveiling, live awards, hors d’oeuvres and sweet bites by Chef Lindsay of Nirvana, and our creative craft mocktail bar. The party begins at 6 p.m. at the Festival of Arts grounds. Tickets are $250, or $225 for LPAPA members; online sales close at 10 a.m. October 9. Sponsorships with 5 p.m. early access are also available.

Laguna Plein Air Art Festival — Sunday, October 11 | Free to Public

The Invitational concludes with a public exhibition and sale at the Festival of Arts grounds from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Meet the artists, watch live demonstrations, and explore original works, including fresh paintings added Sunday morning. The “Sunday Best” small works award ceremony begins at 11 a.m.

Visitors can also find artists painting downtown after dark at the free “Just Plein Happy Nocturne Paint-Out” on Tuesday, October 6, beginning around 5 p.m. On Wednesday, October 7, Plein Talk at Laguna Art Museum brings artists, collectors, and art experts together to discuss the genre’s past and future. A wine and charcuterie reception begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the panel and audience questions from 6–7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the museum.

These are just a few of the exciting live events planned across nine days. For the complete Invitational schedule, event details, and tickets, visit lpapa.org/2026-invitational-events/.