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2026 MPAC Exhibit at the
Minnesota Marine Art Museum
MPAC proudly announces its fourth annual traveling exhibit of plein air paintings. In the summer of 2026, we are proud to be hosted at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum featuring paintings from Minnesota's premier plein air events in Grand Marais, Red Wing, and Battle Lake. There is no fee for qualifying artists to participate.
The following are qualifying 2025 plein air events: Winter Plein Air, Prairie Lakes Plein Air, Red Wing Arts Plein Air, and Plein Air Grand Marais.
The following are qualifying 2025 plein air events: Winter Plein Air, Prairie Lakes Plein Air, Red Wing Arts Plein Air, and Plein Air Grand Marais.
Call for Art: Applications accepted until February 1, 2026
Myths & Legends of Minnesota: An Exhibition of the Minnesota Plein Air Collective
Presented by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum and Minnesota Plein Air Collective
Exhibition Dates: May 16 to September 13, 2026
Theme:
This exhibition seeks to celebrate Minnesota’s rich tapestry of folklore, cultural heritage, and oral tradition as expressed through the landscape, focusing on the lakes, rivers and other waterways of Minnesota. Artists are encouraged to interpret legends, tall tales, folklore, or personal narratives through visual art created in direct engagement with the natural environment and aquatic ecosystems of Minnesota.
Eligibility:
Open to paintings created in 2025 as part of the following events: Winter Plein Air Retreat, Red Wing Arts Plein Air, Prairie Lakes Plein Air, and Plein Air Grand Marais.
Submission Guidelines:
● Each artist may submit 1 work per event (up to 4 total).
● Artwork must be accompanied by a statement (250 words max per artwork) describing how the work connects to the exhibition theme, as open to artist interpretation, telling the stories of the people, places, legends, history, or personal events woven into the piece. These “myths and legends” may be included alongside selected works as part of object labels in the exhibition.
● All works must be created en plein air on location in Minnesota during one of the four approved events.
● All media that align with plein air painting traditions (oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, etc.) are welcome.
● Artwork must be framed, wired, and ready to hang.
● Paintings included in the exhibit will be selected by representatives from the Minnesota Marine Art Museum with input from plein air event organizers.
● There is no fee to participate.
Exhibition Details:
● Location: Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona, MN
● Exhibition Dates: May 16 to September 13, 2026
● Selected works will be professionally installed and insured in the museum’s galleries.
● MMAM does not handle sales of artwork; artists are responsible for coordinating with any interested collectors.
● A public reception and potential artists programming will be scheduled at a later date to accompany the exhibition.
To Apply:
● Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
● Submit high-resolution images of up to 4 artworks, one from each qualifying event in 2025, along with title, dimensions, medium, event created during, and brief statement (250 words max) describing how the work connects to the exhibition theme
● Works submitted early may be used in the museum’s promotional materials. The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM), in partnership with the Minnesota Plein Air Collective (MPAC), invites event participants to submit works for a group exhibition exploring the theme Myths and Legends of Minnesota through the art of plein air painting.
● For questions, contact:
About the Presenting Organizations:
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) is a nonprofit art museum that creates meaningful art experiences that explore our relationship with water. Located in Winona, Minnesota, the purpose-built museum is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and boasts six galleries, an educational and events space, and a destination retail shop on its seven acre riverside campus. It is through this surprising diversity that MMAM is not only describing what marine art is, but pushing the boundaries of what marine art can be.
Learn more about the Minnesota Marine Art Museum at www.mmam.org
The Minnesota Plein Air Collective (MPAC) is dedicated to helping all artists, from beginner to expert, capture the beauty and diversity of natural landscapes through painting outdoors. MPAC is a collaboration between the Art of the Lakes Association, Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, and Red Wing Arts, the nonprofit organizers of Minnesota’s three premier annual plein air painting competitions in Battle Lake (Otter Tail County), Grand Marais (Cook County), and Red Wing (Goodhue County). These groups join together in a different Minnesota venue each year to present an annual exhibition of paintings from plein air events, spreading awareness throughout the state and bringing the joy and beauty of landscape painting to wider audiences. We are honored to partner with the MMAM to share paintings from 2025.
Presented by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum and Minnesota Plein Air Collective
Exhibition Dates: May 16 to September 13, 2026
Theme:
This exhibition seeks to celebrate Minnesota’s rich tapestry of folklore, cultural heritage, and oral tradition as expressed through the landscape, focusing on the lakes, rivers and other waterways of Minnesota. Artists are encouraged to interpret legends, tall tales, folklore, or personal narratives through visual art created in direct engagement with the natural environment and aquatic ecosystems of Minnesota.
Eligibility:
Open to paintings created in 2025 as part of the following events: Winter Plein Air Retreat, Red Wing Arts Plein Air, Prairie Lakes Plein Air, and Plein Air Grand Marais.
Submission Guidelines:
● Each artist may submit 1 work per event (up to 4 total).
● Artwork must be accompanied by a statement (250 words max per artwork) describing how the work connects to the exhibition theme, as open to artist interpretation, telling the stories of the people, places, legends, history, or personal events woven into the piece. These “myths and legends” may be included alongside selected works as part of object labels in the exhibition.
● All works must be created en plein air on location in Minnesota during one of the four approved events.
● All media that align with plein air painting traditions (oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, etc.) are welcome.
● Artwork must be framed, wired, and ready to hang.
● Paintings included in the exhibit will be selected by representatives from the Minnesota Marine Art Museum with input from plein air event organizers.
● There is no fee to participate.
Exhibition Details:
● Location: Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona, MN
● Exhibition Dates: May 16 to September 13, 2026
● Selected works will be professionally installed and insured in the museum’s galleries.
● MMAM does not handle sales of artwork; artists are responsible for coordinating with any interested collectors.
● A public reception and potential artists programming will be scheduled at a later date to accompany the exhibition.
To Apply:
● Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
● Submit high-resolution images of up to 4 artworks, one from each qualifying event in 2025, along with title, dimensions, medium, event created during, and brief statement (250 words max) describing how the work connects to the exhibition theme
● Works submitted early may be used in the museum’s promotional materials. The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM), in partnership with the Minnesota Plein Air Collective (MPAC), invites event participants to submit works for a group exhibition exploring the theme Myths and Legends of Minnesota through the art of plein air painting.
● For questions, contact:
- Dave Casey, Director of Engagement, Minnesota Marine Art Museum, [email protected]
- Allison Eklund, Events Director, Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, [email protected]
About the Presenting Organizations:
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) is a nonprofit art museum that creates meaningful art experiences that explore our relationship with water. Located in Winona, Minnesota, the purpose-built museum is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and boasts six galleries, an educational and events space, and a destination retail shop on its seven acre riverside campus. It is through this surprising diversity that MMAM is not only describing what marine art is, but pushing the boundaries of what marine art can be.
Learn more about the Minnesota Marine Art Museum at www.mmam.org
The Minnesota Plein Air Collective (MPAC) is dedicated to helping all artists, from beginner to expert, capture the beauty and diversity of natural landscapes through painting outdoors. MPAC is a collaboration between the Art of the Lakes Association, Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, and Red Wing Arts, the nonprofit organizers of Minnesota’s three premier annual plein air painting competitions in Battle Lake (Otter Tail County), Grand Marais (Cook County), and Red Wing (Goodhue County). These groups join together in a different Minnesota venue each year to present an annual exhibition of paintings from plein air events, spreading awareness throughout the state and bringing the joy and beauty of landscape painting to wider audiences. We are honored to partner with the MMAM to share paintings from 2025.