RTPA is central Pennsylvania’s premier outdoor painting competition sponsored annually by Marietta Art Alive, the arts-in-action all-volunteer team of Rivertownes PA USA, a non-profit organization
dedicated to advancing the art, culture and history of lower Susquehanna Valley river towns. Artists compete for cash awards and exhibit their artwork during the culminating show and sale which attracts hundreds of tourists and art collectors to our region.
Month-long paint out period: April 1 - April 27 (last drop off date)
New exhibit location: MH Art Gallery, 42 W Market St, Marietta PA 17547
No check-in or canvas stamping
Extended show: May 3 - May 18
Collector's Preview: Fri May 2, 6-8pm
Additional Drop Off Days: Saturdays and Sundays, April 5-27, 11am-3pm
Artists' Choice Award
Artist Prospectus pdf - this page in pdf form.
Artists 18 years or older are eligible to apply for the River Towns Plein Air 2025 Competition and Exhibit. Application constitutes agreement that images may be used for web and print promotional purposes.
DISCLAIMER: None of the involved groups (including Marietta Art Alive!, the Marietta Community House, the Borough of Marietta, and Rivertownes PA USA) are responsible for personal injury and illness or damage/loss/theft of artwork that may happen during the entire event. Artists must provide their own insurance coverage if desired. In addition, artists are responsible for their own personal safety during the event. Applying for the event constitutes the artist's agreement with all rules and statements made here.
PLEIN AIR DEFINITION: All paintings must be completed “en plein air” described as painting in the open air, working directly from the landscape or scene as it appears at that moment, without the aid of photos or cameras or more than a few marks afterward in the studio. Porches, gazebos, and pavilions can be used as shelter while painting; artists are responsible for gaining necessary permissions.
MEDIA: Any medium used to create 2-dimensional art such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, pencil, pastel, or charcoal are permissible. Other materials and mediums may be acceptable with permission of the RTPA Plein Air Committee.
SUBJECT MATTER: Subject matter is anything observed while standing within the confines of the River Towns Plein Air Paint Out Area. Designated sites were selected with the Susquehanna River in mind, but we encourage artists to paint the beautiful architecture, street scenes, wildlife, people, etc., that also can be found in this area.
SURFACE STAMPING AND CHECK-IN: No stamping or check-in are required.
This call for artists will be open on January 2, 2025 @ 8am, and will close February 15, 2025 @ 8pm.
Three photos of artwork must be submitted with the application. Use the +Attachment feature to ensure there are 3 artworks added to your application. Artwork must have been completed en plein air within the last three years. Before uploading images be sure they are smaller than 4 MB, and at least 1920 pixels on both dimensions at 72 dpi. Images must be in JPEG format and may be resized at https://imageresizer.com. If resizing, use 1920 on the shortest dimension and the resizer will automatically adjust the other dimension.
A $40 nonrefundable fee is required.
Up to 25 artists will be selected by committee to participate in the 2025 event.
Hosting will not be arranged by the organizers this year. However, there are numerous B&B’s and rooms available in the area.
The paint-out period is April 1 thru April 27, 2025. All work must be completed during this period.
Artists can submit up to 5 pieces that will fit in a 50" x 50" space. Example: Piece #1: 10"h x 20"w, Piece #2: 15"h x 15"w, and Piece #3: 24"h x 15"w. The total heights are 49" and total lengths are 50". This is within the maximum 50" x 50" space AND does not exceed the 5-piece maximum, so all pieces are eligible for submission.
The exhibit space this year is at MH Art Gallery, 42 W Market St, Marietta PA. The art will be exhibited SALON style and will be hung by the Marietta Art Alive committee.
All work submitted are eligible for the following awards:
First Place: $1,000
Second Place: $900
Third Place: $700
Fourth Place: $600
(8) Honorable Mention Awards: $150 each
People's Choice Award: $300
Artists' Choice Award: $300
All artwork must be professionally framed or gallery wrapped. If pieces are gallery wrapped canvas, the sides must be painted and finished neatly. All work must be wired for hanging--no sawtooth hangers will be accepted. Artwork that is unfinished or unprofessional in appearance may be disqualified from the judging and exhibition.
All artwork must be for sale and priced at $200 minimum. A 30% commission will benefit Rivertownes PA USA, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Artists receive 70% of amount paid for their paintings. A PA Sales Tax of 6% will be collected at the time of sale. Rivertownes PA USA is responsible for the payment of PA Sales Tax.
Entry Deadline: February 15 by 8pm
Artist Notification: by February 22
Artist Paint-Out Period: April 1 through April 27
Artwork Drop Off: Saturdays and Sundays, April 5 - April 27, 11am-3pm
Exhibit Dates and Hours:
Ticketed Preview: Fri May 2 (6-8pm)
Sat May 3 and Sun May 4 (10am-5pm)
Weekends through May 18 (11am-3pm)
Artists' Preview: Thu May 1 (6-8pm)
Pick Up Unsold Artwork in Person: Sun May 18 (3-5pm); Mon May 19 & Tue May 20 (10am-Noon)
