Event: Opening Day Lecture / Q&ASpeaker: Festival Founder & 2026 Event Organizer, Kippy Hammond Festival: North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival 2026 Date: (First day of festival – May 11, 2026) Location: New Bern, North Carolina Venue: Festival Hub (Farmers […]
FREE to the PUBLIC Cash bar & Food Truck Onsite Dueling Brushes Monday, May 11, 2026 | 5:30–8:00 PMNew Bern Farmers Market Get ready for one of the most exciting nights of the week—Dueling Brushes, a fast-paced, live painting competition […]
🖼️ Festival Lecture – Living with Original Art Event: Daily Lecture PanelDate: Tuesday, May 12, 2026Location: New Bern, North CarolinaVenue: Festival Hub (Farmers Market area near Tryon Palace) Speakers: Cindy & James Polo Annette & Joe Hunt Janis & Stephen Dunn […]
Festival Daily Lecture – “Tools of the Trade” 🖌️ What this lecture covers Portable easels and pochade boxes Paint choices (oil, watercolor, pastel, gouache) Field gear (panels, brushes, palettes) How artists manage light, weather, and mobility Real-world demo setups used […]
🎨 Gallery Talk – “How to Look at Art” Event: Gallery Walk & Interactive TalkDate: Thursday, May 14, 2026Location: New Bern, North CarolinaVenue: Festival Gallery / Exhibition Space/New Bern Farmer's Market Speaker: John T. Eiseman(Also leading a mentored plein air […]
So you can't draw a stick figure? That's OK. There are no stick figures on the list of things to draw. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, come with paper and pen/pencil in hand and get some tips […]
🎨 Gallery Talk – Paths to Painting: Artists & Their Journeys Event: Gallery Talk / Storytelling SessionDate: Friday, May 15, 2026Location: New Bern, North CarolinaVenue: Festival Gallery / Exhibition Space Featured Artists: M.T. McClanahan Katie Dobson-Cundiff Durre Waseem Pearl Horng […]
GALLERY CLOSED FOR JUDGING- 3:00 PM-6:00 PM (Ticketed Reception 5 PM-6:00 PM - -REOPENS TO PUBLIC 6:00 PM Festival headquarters, and the NC Plein Air Art Festival Exhibition and Sales Gallery will be based at Historic New Bern’s Farmers Market, […]
🎨 VIP Passport Competition Preview An Exclusive First Look at 40+ Newly Revealed Works Saturday, May 16 • 5:00–6:00 PM The anticipation builds all week — and on Saturday afternoon, everything changes. Just hours before the preview begins, the artists […]
Saturday, May 16 • 6:00–8:00 PMOpen to the Public At 6:00 PM, the doors open wide — and the decisive moment arrives. Just hours earlier, artists stood in the gallery making final adjustments — refining placements, reconsidering sightlines, and preparing […]