Outdoor Painters of Minnesota is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit formed to promote and share the practice of outdoor (plein air) painting. We are governed by an all-volunteer board of directors. Our 2022 membership is almost 200, and we welcome new members of all backgrounds at every level of experience. OPM strives to coordinate outdoor painting activities, develop opportunities to exhibit together, educate both artists and non-artists in plein air painting, and inspire awareness of the beauty found in nature through painting outdoors.
News | Exhibits | Events
Member Workshop with Dan Mackerman: Make Your Own Cigar Box Pochade
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Sunday, June 4, 2023 • 10:00am
Art in Motion on the Lake Wobegon Trail 1400 4th St Holdingford, MN 56340 https://danmackerman.com/ OPM will offer a member workshop again this summer at Art in Motion, an art and pizza cafe on the Lake Wobegon bike trail. Dan will show you how to make your own plein air cigar box pochade for use in creating a notan, or color value study. Known for his deep knowledge and interest in art materials and processes as well as his award winning paintings, Dan will set you up with the tools to gain insight and growth through small, one-hour paintings. Artists may camp out at Art in Motion on Saturday night. Dinner is available at the pizza cafe and tents may be pitched in the field near the parking lot. The building bathroom facilities will be open all night. Bring your bike and explore the Lake Wobegon trail or find a scenic spot to paint. |
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Plein Air Duluth
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Friday, July 21 – Sunday, July 23, 2023
Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art 810 W. 3rd Street Duluth MN 55806 Join OPM members together with instructors, students and alumni of the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art for our 4th year collaborating to host a series of weekend paint-outs, artist socials, a member workshop, and a one night exhibit and reception in Duluth. Registration is open! Visit our Plein Air Duluth web page for details and sign-up links. |
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Member Workshop with Lisa Stauffer during Plein Air Duluth
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Sunday, July 23, 2023 • 9:00am
Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art 810 W. 3rd Street Duluth MN 55806 "Color Gets All the Credit While Value Does All the Work." We've all heard versions of this trueism, but what does it mean? Learning to see color as value –that is, as lighter or darker compared with others in your painting– takes experience to recognize and apply in a challenging plein air setting. Celebrated pastel painter and art educator Lisa Stauffer will demystify the real secret behind the science of two dimensional realism by demonstrating and explaining how to observe, plan, and apply color according to its equivalent grayscale value. |
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Loring Park Art Festival: Paint-Outs and Berton Box Public Art Activities
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Saturday & Sunday, July 29-30, 2023
Loring Park, downtown Minneapolis 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm Sunday OPM is invited back to Loring Park Art Festival for a weekend of painting and Berton Box art activities. Volunteers are needed to help supervise the Berton Box painting stations. You may paint around Loring Park during the Festival and sell paintings off-the-easel. Sign up for one or more spots helping with the Berton Boxes, and spend the rest of the time painting and enjoying the Festival! |
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Paint-Outs
Paint-Out at Art in Motion on the Lake Wobegon Trail
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Date: Saturday and Sunday afternoon, June 3-4, 2023
Time: Any time after noon on Saturday, and after the Member Workshop on Sunday Location: Art in Motion on the Lake Wobegon Trail, 1400 4th St, Holdingford, MN 56340 |
Paint-Out in Grand Rapids MN
Paint-Out at St. Anthony Main, Minneapolis MN
Spring Paint-Out at Larchill Farm, Northfield MN
Paint-Out at Charlson Meadows, Victoria MN
Paint-Out at Fish Creek Slough, Ashland Wis
Paint-Out at Harriet Island Regional Park
Paint-Out at Lemonade Art Fair at St. Cloud State University
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Nominations by art teachers, instructors or mentors are open! OPM and Wet Paint are teaming up again to offer Art Materials Scholarships for high school seniors interested in plein air painting, each including a gift card for art supplies at Wet Paint plus art materials contributed by suppliers. Winners will be announced in April.
Special thanks to our partner and sponsor, Wet Paint Art Materials & Framing in St. Paul, for helping create this opportunity for young artists. 
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2022 Scholarship Winners with OPM board members at Wet Paint for presentation on April 2, 2022
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