Exhibition & Sales Gallery
2026-05-11 09:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-12 09:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-13 09:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-14 09:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-15 09:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | New Bern Farmer’s Market, 421 S Front Street, New Bern, NC, 28560, United States
Festival Headquarters and Main Exhibition GalleryHistoric New Bern Farmers Market
421 S Front Street, New Bern, NC(Less than two blocks from Tryon Palace)
The NC Plein Air Art Festival Exhibition and Sales Gallery is centrally located at Historic New Bern’s Farmers Market and serves as the heart of the festival. This dynamic gallery space showcases original artwork by our featured artists and offers visitors the opportunity to purchase paintings throughout the event..

Exhibition & Sales Gallery Hours
Open Daily:9:00 AM – 8:00 PMBeginning Monday, May 11
All artwork is framed and ready to hang.

About the Exhibition
A full exhibition of original artwork by our invited artists will be on display and available for purchase. Artists arrive in New Bern with a curated collection of recent studio and plein air paintings. As the week unfolds, these works are continuously replaced with fresh, wet canvases created on location in New Bern, Oriental, and Beaufort.
Because paintings are sold and replaced daily, the gallery collection changes constantly. Visitors are encouraged to return often to experience new work throughout the week.
Our knowledgeable gallery greeters and sales team are available daily to assist collectors in finding the perfect piece for a home or business.

Complete artist biographies and resumes are available at the gallery

Special commissions may be discussed with the sales team

Special Events & Closures
Temporary Gallery Closure for Judging & Collector’s Preview
Saturday, May 16 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The Exhibition Gallery will be closed to the public during this time for judging and donor preview.

Awards Celebration
Competition Exhibition with Award Winners
Free and open to the public
Music entertainment, cash bar.

Saturday, May 16 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Additional Sales & Pop-Up Event
Pop-Up Reception
Friday, May 15 | 4:00 – 6:00 PMBeaufort Historic Site Gallery100 Block Turner Street, Beaufort, NC

Exhibition & Sales Gallery
2026-05-16 09:00 - 20:00
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, less than two blocks from Tryon Palace..
Beginning Monday morning May 11, the Exhibition And Sales Gallery will open daily at 9 pm. A full exhibition of artwork by our featured artists will be on display and for sale, framed and ready to hang. The artists will arrive in New Bern with a collection of their current artwork, both plein air and studio paintings. These paintings will be replaced with wet canvases as the artists create a new body of work highlighting New Bern, Oriental, and Beaufort.
You will want to visit often as the collection changes daily as artwork is sold and replaced with new wet canvases. Our gallery greeters and sales team will be ready to help you find the perfect painting for your home or business.
Complete resumes and biographies are available at the main gallery. Special commissions can be discussed with our sales team.
The Exhibition Gallery will be closed for judging May 16, 2 pm -6 pm and will reopen for a Collector’s Preview and Awards Ceremony and Celebration (Limited tickets available for purchase here: https://ncpleinair.org/product/collectors-preview-awards-reception-tickets/
The Competition Exhibition with Award Winners will be open to the public (free) at 6:00 PM. Saturday, May 16 and again May 17, 8:30 AM – 1 PM.
HOW AND WHERE TO PURCHASE PAINTINGS All Paintings are Framed and ready to hang.
Main Exhibition Gallery OPEN DAILY 9 pm 421 S Front Street, New Bern, NC
POP-UP RECEPTION, May 15 – Beaufort Historic Site Gallery
100 Block Turner Street 4-6 pm
Sales Gallery at Farmers Market open daily 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Farmers Market Exhibition Gallery – Exceptional closing May 16, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM for judging and donor preview. Reopen to public 6:00 PM – 8:00.

VIP Passport Competition Preview - PASSPORT Ticketed Event
2026-05-16 17:00 - 18:00
🎨 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 return to the gallery. They carefully step back into the space, reassess their work, refine their selections, and re-curate their displays in preparation for judging and the VIP unveiling. Frames are adjusted. Compositions are reconsidered. Final decisions are made.
What you experience at 5:00 PM is the result of those final, focused choices.
Inside the gallery, more than 115 competition paintings fill the walls — including 40+ works unveiled for the very first time that evening.
As a VIP guest, you will:
🎨Have first opportunity to purchase competition paintings before the public opening🎨 Be among the first to see 40+ brand-new unveilings🎨Meet the artists immediately following their final display preparations — when the excitement is still fresh🎨Enjoy curated wine, beer, and a signature cocktail paired with elegant hors d’oeuvres🎨Celebrate the moment with live music and a gallery buzzing with anticipation
This is not just a preview.It is the charged pause between completion and recognition — the moment before the awards are decided.
Collectors love this hour. The artists feel it. The energy is unmistakable.

The exhibiton opens to the public immediately following the preview.

NC Plein Air Art Festival Awards Celebration
The Grand Public Reveal & Festival Finale
Saturday, May 16 • 6:00–8:00 PMFree & Open to the Public
At 6:00 PM, the doors open wide and the celebration begins.
Join us as jurors recognize the standout works of the week and the gallery fills with artists, collectors, and community members gathered to celebrate creativity along the coast.
The evening includes:

Announcement of festival award winners
Public viewing of the full competition exhibition, including the 40+ newly unveiled works
The complete Beaufort collection, including paintings not previously displayed in New Bern’s main gallery
Live music and vibrant conversation
Local food trucks and beverages available for purchase
Continued art sales throughout the evening

The brushes are down.The walls are set.The awards are announced.

Now the celebration belongs to everyone.

NC Plein Air Art Festival Awards Celebration - free & open to the public
2026-05-16 18:00 - 20:00
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 their strongest works for judgment. Now, the pause is over.
The exhibition is complete.The walls are set.The awards are about to be conferred.
Join us as the jurors formally recognize the week’s most exceptional achievements and the full competition exhibition is revealed in its final installation — more than 115 paintings, including 40+ works unveiled for the first time that evening.
The celebration includes:

Announcement of festival award recipients
Public presentation of the complete competition exhibition
The full Beaufort collection, including paintings not previously displayed in New Bern’s main gallery
Live music throughout the evening
Local food vendors and beverages available for purchase
Continued opportunities to acquire original works throughout the evening

This is the charged transition from competition to celebration — the moment when brushstrokes become honors, and collectors discover the works that will define this year’s festival.
For collectors, it is a rare opportunity to view the complete body of work — fully installed, freshly judged, and immediately available.
The decisions have been made.The distinctions are announced.The collection awaits.
THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES

Juror Russell Jewel will be sharing remarks on the award-winning pieces
Russell Jewell is a nationally recognized watercolor painter and educator. He has served as a faculty member for the Plein Air Convention & Expo and is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America.
Russell’s work has traveled with exhibitions of the American Watercolor Society and is widely respected for its mastery of light and atmosphere.
Jewell’s accomplishments include a doctorate in Art Education from the University of Georgia and a Fulbright Memorial fund scholarship to Japan. J Judged Baltimore Watercolor Society Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Society 2024, Judging North Carolina Plein Air at New Bern 2026. Jewell has a US patent on a his own plein air viewfinder

Artwork sales will remain open throughout the celebration.

Russell Jewell - INSTRUCTIONAL WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP
2026-05-17 00:00 - 2026-05-19 17:00
Seeing Light Before You Paint
May 17, 18, 19, 2026
This watercolor workshop is designed to give participants more than technical instruction—it provides multiple ways of thinking, seeing, and problem-solving that can be directly applied to capturing light in watercolor landscape painting. This workshop is for all genres and not just for plein air, all classes will be held in classroom setting.
Russell Jewell teaches painters how to see into the future of their painting before they paint it. By learning to visualize the intended outcome—the “target painting”—participants gain the confidence to commit to strong decisions and paint with purpose rather than hesitation.
Russell’s primary medium is watercolor, but his teaching methods are grounded in his doctorate in art education and more than 35 years of experience teaching art. His approach blends visual analysis, physical application, and mental clarity, helping artists better understand why a painting succeeds—and how to make it happen intentionally..
About the Instructor
Russell Jewell is a nationally recognized watercolor painter and educator. He has served as a faculty member for the Plein Air Convention & Expo and is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America.
Best of Show, Edisto Plein Air (2025)
Best Light, Mountain Maryland Plein Air (2025)
Best Watercolor, Plein Air Easton (two-time winner)
Russell’s work has traveled with exhibitions of the American Watercolor Society and is widely respected for its mastery of light and atmosphere.
Jewell’s accomplishments include a doctorate in Art Education from the University of Georgia and a Fulbright Memorial fund scholarship to Japan. J Judged Baltimore Watercolor Society Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Society 2024, Judging North Carolina Plein Air at New Bern 2026. Jewell has a US patent on a his own plein air viewfinder
May 17-19, ​3 Day Watercolor Workshop
Tuition $400 – Deposit for reservation
TERMS & CONDITIONS OF NC PLEIN AIR ADULT WORKSHOPS

FOR MORE WORKSHOP DETAILS

Exhibition & Sales Gallery - Last Peek - Gallery Closes 2PM at event closing.
2026-05-17 09:00 - 14:00
Festival Headquarters and Main Exhibition GalleryHistoric New Bern Farmers Market
421 S Front Street, New Bern, NC(Less than two blocks from Tryon Palace)
The NC Plein Air Art Festival Exhibition and Sales Gallery is centrally located at Historic New Bern’s Farmers Market and serves as the heart of the festival. This dynamic gallery space showcases original artwork by our featured artists and offers visitors the opportunity to purchase paintings throughout the event.

Exhibition & Sales Gallery Hours
Open Daily:9:00 AM – 2:00 PMEvent closes.
All artwork is framed and ready to hang.

About the Exhibition
A full exhibition of original artwork by our invited artists will be on display and available for purchase. Artists arrive in New Bern with a curated collection of recent studio and plein air paintings. As the week unfolds, these works are continuously replaced with fresh, wet canvases created on location in New Bern, Oriental, and Beaufort.
Because paintings are sold and replaced daily, the gallery collection changes constantly. Visitors are encouraged to return often to experience new work throughout the week.
Our knowledgeable gallery greeters and sales team are available daily to assist collectors in finding the perfect piece for a home or business.

Complete artist biographies and resumes are available at the gallery
Special commissions may be discussed with the sales team
