Call for Entries

The Best of Plein Air 2026 - September 1-28, 2026

This is an open call for an exhibit showcasing the work of local plein air painters with original work created on site and painted at least 80% outdoors. The jury will select up to 50 works for display in the Art Bias gallery. Selected images will also be displayed electronically. The exhibition is open to all painters who can hand deliver and pick up the accepted work. 

This exhibition will be on display at the Art Bias gallery.  Art Bias, an artist’s collective since 1993, was voted the Best Art Gallery in the San Mateo Area, California 2024-2026.  Art Bias hosts and displays monthly exhibitions of a broad variety of art, often focused on community development.  This is our first open-call exhibition specifically focused on paintings created en plein air. The Artist Reception will be held on First Sunday Open Studios, a monthly event with many of the 50+ artists opening their studio doors to the public, along with pop-up vendors and hands-on art activities for children and adults. This event is well-attended by local art lovers and the exhibit in Studio #114 is a highlight.

Reception

The Art Bias Plein Air 2026 Opening Reception will be from 1-2:30 pm on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in the Art Bias gallery (Studio #114). Award ribbons will be presented.

Location

Art Bias, Studio #114
1700 Industrial Road
San Carlos CA 94070

Contact Email: susan@susangrabowski.com
Contact Phone: 415-847-7938

Eligible Mediums

You may submit up to 3 pieces of artwork using any of these mediums:

• Oil (including water soluble)
• Acrylic
• Watercolor
• Pastel
• Gouache
• Drawing Media

Jurors

Scott Johnson focuses much of his artwork on the local landscapes of his California home. Painting exclusively in oils, he strives to capture the world in a style known as impressionistic realism. Scott works directly from nature as much as possible. Scott is a juried artist member of the California Art Club and a member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA), and is represented by Travis Hall Fine Art in Carmel.

Susan Grabowski is an award-winning painter with a career spanning over 4 decades. She works both en plein air and in her two studios: #103 at Art Bias, and her home studio in San Mateo. Susan recently taught a 3-day plein air workshop, with another planned for October. She exhibits at the Ocean Blue Vault in Half Moon Bay and in various Peninsula and San Francisco gallery shows, and at Peninsula art festivals. Upcoming events include a third year in the Frank Bette Plein Air Paint-Out in Alameda, and an exhibit at the 2026 Filoli Art Walk.

Andrea Kosmo paints both on location and in the studio. Direct observation from life is her preferred approach, as natural light heightens the perception of color and space. The studio is her laboratory—a place to slow down, plan, and experiment. These two modes of working continually inform and strengthen one another. Andrea is a member of several Peninsula plein air groups, and has exhibited her work in multiple shows over the past ten years. She holds a BFA from the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. 

Awards

Ribbons will be presented for First, Second, and Third places, plus Honorable Mentions. 

Key Dates

• Submission Deadline: 11:59pm on 8/14/26
• Jury selections: 8/15-17/2026
• Artists notified: 8/18/26
• Delivery: Invited artworks delivered to Art Bias on 8/29/26 between 12 and 3pm OR 8/30/26 between 12 and 2pm 
• Opening Reception: 1-2:30 pm on 9/6/2026
• Exhibition closes: 9/28/2026
• Art pick-up: 9/30/26 between 11am and 2pm or by arrangement with the organizer.

Rules for Image Acceptance

Submitting artists are responsible for understanding and following the rules of the exhibition .  

Art Bias is a community art destination and will consider all images except for those depicting obscenity, pornography, or hatred.  All images must be the original work of the artist. Artwork will be juried online. 

Entry Fee and Agreements

All artists owning the copyrights to the images they are submitting are invited to apply. Artwork ownership remains with the artist.

Artists grant Art Bias the non-exclusive right to use their images for Art Bias advertisement of artist calls and display on the Art Bias website.

Application submissions are to be made through Visual Pursuits.

Application Fee: $15 for one  to three paintings.  The entry fee does not guarantee selection for gallery or website display, but it does guarantee each work will be judged impartially by our jury.

Once submitted, entry fees are not refundable.

In the unlikely event of art loss, theft, or damage while on display, Art Bias will only be liable for the materials replacement cost.

Sales

Sales will be handled by the artist. Purchasers will be given your contact information. Artists will handle collecting and submitting sales tax. Art Bias will not take a commission on sales.

Registration and Submissions

Click Register for Exhibition or use the "Registration" menu above for instructions for creating an account and making a submission.

Art Bias

Visit our primary website at www.artbias.org.