Competition and Festival of Outdoor Painting
on the North Shore of Lake Superior

REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Competition Class Application Deadline: 11:59pm May 1, 2021
Competition Painting Dates: August 1 – September 16, 2021
Competition Week in Grand Marais: September 10-17, 2021
Competition Exhibit: September 17 – October 10, 2021

2021 Competition Juror:

David Gilsvik
​Two Harbors, MN
Represented by Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN
David Gilsvik is teaching two painting workshops at the Grand Marais Art Colony (GMAC) in 2021:
Looking for Color: June 24-25, 2021
* Cost: $250
Deadline to register: May 20, 2021
Focus on This: Painting in Nature
​September 18-19, 2021 * Cost: $250
​Deadline to register: August 14, 2021

2021 Open Class Juror:

Sandi Pillsbury
​Castle Danger, MN
Plein Air Grand Marais is a 19 year tradition bringing outdoor painters to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a week of painting, learning, competition, and camaraderie. Since 2018, the event has been organized by Outdoor Painters of Minnesota together with the Cook County Historical Society's Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.
Plein Air Grand Marais welcomes artists of all ages and abilities. The Competition consists of invitational and juried painters. The Open Class consists of registered artists who may exhibit their best original painting created during the event in an Open Class exhibit and compete for the Art On The Rocks award in the Quick Paint. A public art activity at Joy & Co. in downtown Grand Marais offers supervised plein air painting for children and adults and a clothesline art exhibit. Daily paint-outs and Mini-Workshops with professional plein air Competition Artists are open to all artists.

Thank you to our community partners and sponsors!

The Cook County Historical Society operates Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, which hosts the PAGM Competition Exhibit.
Set Out Screen Printing in downtown Grand Marais will screen-print our PAGM logo in black or white ink onto a shirt that you provide. The cost is $20, and OPM receives half as donation. Call Mike to arrange a visit and have your shirt screen printed: 218-370-9353
Wet Paint, through its suppliers, donates fine art materials for PAGM awards.
Joy & Co., which sells art materials and gifts from its store in downtown Grand Marais, donates gift certificates for Open Class Quick Paint awards, and supervises a public plein air painting activity in their alley during Competition Week.

Mini-Workshops

Every year, some of our professional plein air painting instructors competing in the event offer a 3-hour workshop during the week of competition. These popular mini-workshops are attended by painters of all ability levels, helping to make Grand Marais a destination-painting event for artists to learn from each other and get inspired. 

Daily Paint-Outs

In 2021, paintings must be painted en plein air in Cook County between August 1 and September 17, 2021 to be eligible for Competition and Open Class exhibits. Watch for paint-outs and other opportunities to paint together beginning in August. During Competition Week, we'll have daily paint-outs at new and classic locations, including Artists' Point, Kadunce River and other access points for the Superior Hiking Trail, Sugarloaf Cove, Gunflint Trail, and a nocturnal paint-out in downtown Grand Marais.

Public Art Activities

Plein Air Grand Marais provides opportunities for community members and visitors to try outdoor painting. Berton Boxes were available at local sponsor Joy & Co. for anyone to stop by and create a painting for public display in a picket-fence outdoor "gallery." 

Artists' Socials

Plein Air Grand Marais is more than a painting competition: it is an opportunity for artists of all levels to socialize, learn, make new connections and enjoy conversations, food and drinks together.

Painting Preview in Harbor Park

On Thursday at 11am at Harbor Park before the Quick Paint, artists may display their paintings and enjoy each other's work.

Hootenanny

It's a Thursday night tradition:  After the Quick Paint, we gather at 7-10pm at the harbor picnic shelter at the Grand Marais Municipal Campground to sing, play music along with our ad-hoc band "The Plain Errors," and celebrate the week's painting achievements.