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

The Competition Class is now closed, but artists may register for the Open Class with the option to join a waiting list for the Competition Class in case of openings. The Open Class remains open until September 15.

Competition Week: September 15-23, 2023
NEW: Juror Workshop on Saturday, September 23, 2023 • 3-hour morning & afternoon sessions
​• $100 per person each session
Competition Exhibit: September 22 – October 15, 2023

2023 Juror: Kim Casebeer

Plein Air Grand Marais is a 20 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 and hosted by the Cook County Historical Society's Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.
Plein Air Grand Marais welcomes artists of all ages and abilities. The Competition Class consists of invitational and juried painters, who submit four paintings eligible for awards in an exhibit at Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery from the opening reception through early October. The Open Class consists of registered artists who may exhibit their best original painting created during the event in a one-night exhibit and reception. 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. A 90-minute Quick Paint competition, daily paint-outs, and Artists Socials are open to all registered artists. Any painter in Grand Marais during Competition Week may register to attend Mini-Workshops with professional plein air Competition Artists or the Juror Workshop on the Saturday after the final reception.

2023 Workshop Instructors

Richard Abraham
David R. Becker
Carl Bretzke
Jack Dant
Bridget Ertelt
Nelia Harper
Daily Schedule as of 5/29/2023:
Brock Larson
Dan Mackerman
​Kami Mendlik
Kelly Schamberger
Bob Upton
James Turner

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.
Sydney's Pizza & Custard hosted an Artist Social again in 2022. Many thanks to owner Bruce Block for the party and excellent food!
Wet Paint has donated funds for PAGM activities and fine art materials from suppliers 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.

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 2022, paintings must be painted en plein air in Cook County between August 15 and September 16, 2022 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, and make new connections.

Open Class Reception & Competition Painting Preview in Harbor Park

On Wednesday at 5pm at Harbor Park is our Open Class painting display, reception and awards. On Thursday at 11am before the Quick Paint, Competition artists display paintings for presale 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.