Paint-Out at China Friendship Garden
Details
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: The St. Paul-Changsha Friendship Garden of Whispering Willows and Flowing Waters at Lake Phalen Regional Park, 1624 Phalen Drive, St. Paul, MN 55109
Meet At: Meet at 11:30, at the south end of the bridge connecting the parking lot to the Garden.
Hosted By: Dan McAvey, OPM Member
Contact: Dan McAvey, OPM Member: (763) 614-9953 (send text message) OR Romi Slowiak, MN China Friendship Garden Society: romislowiak@gmail.com
Description & Notes
The Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society has invited OPM to host a paint-out during the second annual Peony Festival at the St. Paul-Changsha China Friendship Garden! The Garden includes architectural and natural features from both Hmong and Chinese cultures, with willows, maples, waterways, and stone paths. The Peony Festival will be an active day at the Garden, with musicians, dancers, artists, horticulturists, and food vendors. If you prefer a quieter view, there are many natural spaces along the shore of Lake Phalen and Tou Ger Xiong Island.
Note: If you prefer to not be photographed while you work, post NO PHOTOS on your easel. Parking will likely fill up fast, consider bicycle, carpool, or ridesharing. The festival runs from noon-6 pm, but you can arrive and stay as long as you like. At 5:00, there will be an option to show our paintings at the Xiang Jiang Pavilion. There may be a future opportunity for artists from this event to show their work at a nearby gallery.
Link to festival details and parking map: https://mnchinagarden.org/
Registration
Paint-outs are open to all OPM members and their guests. Participants are not required to register, but it's helpful so we can communicate any last minute changes to locations or weather cancellations. Participants may arrive any time during the duration of the paint-out, but keep in mind that painters will migrate to painting locations once the paint-out begins.
