For the 2026 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational,in Atlanta, Georgia, the mission remains the same as in past years. “Olmsted Arts seeks to connect and encourage artful conversation among top outdoor painters and the Atlanta collectors/art afficionados, to promote living artists and their work, and to provide educational opportunities,” says the organization's executive director Philip M. Cuthbertson.The event includes 31 participating artists competing in plein air for awards, each of whom will bring select pieces from home to display at the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Exhibition Gallery. Because of the geographic diversity of the artists, collectors will see a wide variety of subject matter. Each artist brings their own unique style and flavor to depicting the Atlanta region in a range of different mediums.
Scott Prior, Krog Street Stroll, oil on canvas panel, 16 x 20 in. 2025 Spirit of Atlanta Award winner.
“The first few days of the event, artists can paint anywhere in the state of Georgia,” Cuthbertson explains. “As a result, the mix includes coastal, mountain and rolling farmlands of the piedmont. In 2026, we embrace the urban environment and have thus named several awards to challenge each artist to do the same: Best on Peachtree, Best on Ponce de Leon and Best in Buckhead.”
Carole Gray-Weihman won Best of Show in 2025 with her oil Beneath the Golden Veil,depicting a vibrant landscape. “[The piece] began not as a composition but as a sensation,” the artist says.
Natalia Andreeva, Reflections, oil on linen panel, 24 x 18 in. 2025 Best Architecture winner.
“There was a moment when the southern light filtered through the canopy and seemed to suspend itself in the air, neither fully seen nor fully touched. The magnificent trees were present, but what moved me was the atmosphere between us; that subtle layer of warmth that softens edges and dissolves shapes. I wasn’t trying to paint trees. I was trying to paint that veil.”
Gray-Weihman adds that she’s delighted to be in the invitational again this year. “I will return the same way I did last year, open to what Georgia has to tell me,” she adds. “I rarely arrive with a predetermined idea. Instead, I listen. I look for that subtle shift, the hour when light turns translucent, when the shadows cool and the ordinary becomes quietly radiant. Those transitional moments are where I feel most at home. Atlanta offers its own particular poetry. It’s the humidity, filtered sun and architectural rhythms softened by luminous trees. I look forward to discovering what reveals itself this year.”
Krystal W. Brown, Love in Bloom, oil on aluminum panel, 20 x 24 in. 2025 Award of Excellence winner.
Additional artists to watch for are Natalia Andreeva, Jill Banks, Beth Bathe, Kip Bradley, Neal Hughes, Peggy Immel, Trijsten Leach, Martin Kotler, Crista Pisano, James Craig Reynolds, Seth Tummins, Susan D. Waters and Mason Williams, among others. In addition to the plein air competition—beginning April 18— and attendees can watch as artists create, there’s a bevy of special programming throughout the event. This includes talks, demonstrations, gallery tours, the PaintQuick competition, a judges panel discussion, ticketed evening events and more. The invitational continues through April 26, with the majority of events hosted by the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Exhibition Gallery, which is open to the public daily. A virtual exhibition of works will be available on the event website starting April 11.
Carole Gray-Weihman, Beneath the Golden Veil, oil on wood panel, 12 x 16 in. 2025 Best of Show winner.
As artists create locally, work will make its way to the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Exhibition Gallery, expanding the showcase with fresh work every day. —
12th Annual Olmsted Plein Air Invitational
April 18-26, 2026
Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Exhibition Gallery
1380 Atlantic Drive, Suite 14125, Atlanta, GA 30363
www.olmstedartsinc.org
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