Evanston Plein Air Festival 2025

4th Annual Evanston Plein Air Festival • July 16 -20, 2025

Evanston Made presents the 4th Annual Evanston Plein Air Festival: July 16-20, 2025. This citywide summer arts festival invites the community to plein air art events and competitions hosted in every neighborhood, accessible and free for all! Watch competing artists paint in the Plein Air style, capturing Evanston’s beauty and start your plain air art collection!

Evanston Made is thrilled to welcome Best in Show Judge : Cory Wright, at the 4th Annual Plein Air Festival. Click here for Wright’s BIO and more info.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

July 1-20, Plein Air Festival Exhibit at Saw Room Gallery. The exhibit includes examples of plein air and studio work from competitors and judges who helped this festival become an annual event in Evanston. Gallery address: 1712 Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL 60201. Gallery hours: Monday – Saturday 10 AM–5 PM.

July 16 – 19, Paint Outs. Paint Outs are “quick paint” competitions for competing plein air painters! Watch painters work during the painting time and join us for award ceremonies. Click here for event details.

- - July 16 – NOYES STREET. Awards at 6:30p. Artists turn in by 6p. Studio 215, 927 Noyes St. Click here to RSVP
  - July 17 – DOWNTOWN EVANSTON. Awards at 6:30p. Artists turn in art by 6p. LeTour, 625 Davis St. Click here to RSVP
  - July 18 – MAIN DEMPSTER MILE Awards at 6:30p. Artists turn in art by 6p. Block party, 514 Main St. Click here to RSVP
  - July 19 – FARMERS MARKET Awards at 12:30p. Artists turn in art by 12p. EM Tent, 1800 Maple Ave. Click here to RSVP

Friday, July 18 – Plein Air Festival Block Party. Hosted by the Main Dempster Mile, everyone is invited to meet the competing artists, view the Paint Out competition, shop the plein air art market, enjoy live music and delicious drinks and bites! Main Street, between Hinman and Chicago Avenues. 5:30-7:30p. INFO.

Sunday, July 20, Plein Air Festival Grand Finale
Join us for an afternoon of art, awards, a plein air cafe and an Outdoor Art Market where artists will sell their work “off the easel”.

The space for this year’s Festival Finale has been donated by Rotary International, in Downtown Evanston and features en Plein Air Cafe. Chef Anthony from Rotary’s Cafe International plans to create a festival menu of small bites and wine for festival goers to purchase and enjoy en Plein Air, in the sunken garden in front of Rotary Headquarters on Sherman Ave. Hosted by Evanston Made and Rotary International, this event is FREE to attend.

Vote Festival! Enter Rotary International’s lobby to view submitted art and vote Festival Favorite, 12-3p

Festival Award Ceremony: 3:30p
RSVP for FREE here

Volunteer SIGN UP

2025 Press:

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3rd Annual Evanston Plein Air Festival- RECAP

Thank you to our judges and more than 600 people who voted Festival Favorite. Evanston Made’s 3rd Annual Evanston Plein Air Festival was a success!

Plein Air Festival Finale Winning Artists:

Judges: Mark Cleveland, Nina Weiss, Thomas Trausch

Best of Show – David R. Becker

Second Place – Amanda Stenlund

Third Place – Robert Holmes

Honorable Mention – Shabad Kaur Khalsa

Honorable Mention- Jianqiao Luan

First Place Amateur- Lucy Clary

Festival Favorite – Jianqiao Luan

Alley Gallery Award for Evanston Made Artist – Maria Delton

Mark Cleveland Founders Award – Kurt Ritterpusch

Plein Air Festival Paint Outs, July 13-19, 2024

Paint Outs are “quick paint” competitions for competing plein air painters! Watch painters work during the painting time. Join us for award ceremonies to see paint out winners. See below for times and locations across Evanston, free to attend.

Saturday, July 13

Bastille Day Nocturne Paint Out: LeTour, Judge: Yun Park
Winning Artist: Patrick Perry

Monday, July 15

Painting Area: Church & Dodge, Judge: Mark Cleveland
Award Ceremony: C&W Market and Ice Cream, 1901 Church St.
Winning Artist: Cory Wright

Tuesday, July 16

Painting Area: Downtown Evanston, Judges: Darren Oberto and Ross Martens
Award Ceremony: Alley Gallery, 1712 Rear 2, Sherman Ave.
Winning Artist- David R. Becker

Wednesday, July 17

Painting Area: Arrington Pond, Judges: Matt Puchalski and Katherine Gotsick
Award Ceremony: CoCo Design & Build, 602 Dempster St.
Winning Artist- Abdoulaye Conde

Thursday, July 18

Painting Area: Central Street by Independence Park, Judge: Laurie Kennard, Exec. Director PAPC
Awards Ceremony: DeSalvo’s Pizza, 1945 Central St.
Winning Artist- Don Yang

Friday, July 19

Painting Area: Noyes Street, Judge: Nina Weiss
Award Ceremony: Sarah Kaiser Artist Studio, 927 Noyes St.
Winning Artist- Lucy Clary

Sunday, July 21, Plein Air Festival Grand Finale

Festival Award Ceremony: 3:30p

Art Market with Artists on Site: 12-4p

Hosted at Rotary International, Downtown Evanston, 1560 Sherman Ave.

Finale Winning Artists:

Best of Show- David Becker

Second Place- Amanda Stenlund

Third Place- Robert Holmes

Honorable Mention- Shabad Kaur Khalsa

Honorable Mention- Jianqiao Luan

First Place Amateur- Lucy Clary

Festival Favorite- Jianqiao Luan

Alley Gallery Award for Evanston Artist- Maria Delton

Mark Cleveland Founders Award- Kurt Ritterpusch

Evanston Plein Air Festival Winners 2024

Thank you to our SPONSORS!

This festival is made possible by the following festival sponsors; Blick Evanston, Central Street, The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University, Masterpiece Framing & Imaging, Neighborhood and Community Relations at Northwestern University, Romano Wealth Management, Downtown Evanston, The Brown Team, Hagerty Consulting, The Main Dempster Mile, Rotary International, Evanston Arts Council, City of Evanston Economic Development Great Merchant Grant

Artist prizes provided in part by the following sponsors: Alley Gallery, Blick Corporate, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, Golden Paints, Guerilla Painter. Judson Plein Air Outfitters, and Festival Founder-Mark Cleveland

Press:

Evanston Roundtable Plein-Air-Festival-takes-place-july-12-to-24

Evanston Roundtable At-this-time-like-paris

Evanston Now-artists-go-al-fresco-in-evanston

Evanston Roundtable 7.16.24-out-of-town-artists-come-to-evanston/

Evanston Roundtable Monday Church & Dodge Paint Out winner

Evanston Rountable Tuesday Downtown Paint Out winner

Evanston Roundtable Wednesday Arrington Lagoon Paint Out winner

Evanston Roundtable Thursday Central Street Paint Out winner

Evanston Roundtable Friday Noyes Street Paint Out winner