In late July, Oil Painters of America (OPA) brings its 2026 National Juried Salon: Exhibition of Small Paintings to Cassens Fine Art in Hamilton, Montana. The exhibition will feature around 200 small-scale oil paintings, measuring 16 by 20 inches or less, offering collectors a wonderful opportunity to purchase high caliber pieces at a lower price point.
Calvin Liang OPAM, Spider Rock, oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in.
“In addition, [hosting a show of smaller works] allows us to maximize the number of paintings in the show,” explains OPA executive director Kurt Anderson. “We have so many members, and the quality of the submissions is so high, we want to do everything possible to expand the opportunity for these artists to showcase their work, compete for prizes and gain recognition.”
While the focus of OPA is on traditional representational painting, many members work in a wide variety of styles and approaches. “For instance, some members are very academic and have trained in traditional academies or ateliers,” says Anderson. “Some are very impressionistic and participate in the plein-air competition circuit, while others began their careers in commercial illustration.” Attendees will also find photorealists and those that work in trompe-l’oeil.
Elizabeth Robbins OPAM, Heaven Scent, oil on linen, 14 x 18 in.
Anderson adds that the diversity of styles embraced by the OPA can be seen in the piece that won the Gold Medal award at the last National Juried Salon: Exhibition of Small Paintings in 2024. “It was given to Blair Atherholt for a stunningly beautiful trompe-l’oeil still life,” he shares. “We have separate awards for our Master Signature entries, and the Gold Medal in that division went to a loosely painted tonalist landscape by Mark Hanson.”
Blair Atherholt OPAM, Cantaloupe with Stoneware Vessel, oil, 12 x 12 in. Gold Medal winner from the National Juried Salon in 2024.
In the 2026 exhibition and event, collecors will find powerful works like Calvin Liang’s Spider Rock. Liang is best known for his representational landscape paintings, particularly his seascapes and coastal scenes, but Spider Rock is a desert scene depicting the rock formation found in Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. “One of the central themes of the painting is the relationship between light, space and the vastness of the desert environment,” Liang notes. “I was particularly interested in conveying the canyon’s luminous air quality through the use of warm sunlight—not only defining the form of the rock formations but also creating a sense of depth and atmosphere throughout the composition.”
Whether painting the ocean, a harbor or a dramatic landscape, Liang’s goal is to create a sense of place while conveying the mood and emotional response that the scene inspires.
Bill Farnsworth OPAM, The Flats, oil, 14 x 18 in.
Elizabeth Robbins, known for her floral still lifes, showcases her impressive piece Heaven Scent. “I grow many of the flowers I paint in my own garden, tending them through each season and witnessing their quiet transformation from tender shoots to abundant blooms,” the artist shares. “Caring for these flowers creates a deep personal connection that finds its way into my work. I know the weight of a peony heavy with spring rain, the fragrance of a rose gathered at dawn, and the fleeting beauty of lilacs that bloom all too briefly. When I paint them, I am not simply recording their appearance; I am honoring the time spent nurturing them and celebrating the small, sacred moments of beauty they bring into everyday life.”
Attendees gather at the last National Juried Salon hosted in 2024.
In Heaven Scent, Robbins depicts roses, one of the artist’s favorite flowers to paint. “I grow over 100 varieties in my garden,” she says. “In this painting, there’s Mumstead Wood, Love Song, Tranquility and Sharifa Asma. As I was painting them, the scent was ‘heavenly,’ thus the name.”
The 2026 OPA National Juried Salon: Exhibition of Small Paintings opens with a reception on July 31 from 5 to 7 p.m., with awards presented at 5:30 p.m. The show will hang at the gallery through August 29. —
2026 OPA National Juried Salon: Exhibition of Small Paintings
July 31-August 29, 2026
Cassens Fine Art
215 W. Main Street, Hamilton, MT 59840
(815) 356-5987, www.oilpaintersofamerica.com
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