Virtuosos

Oil Painters of America presents a juried showcase of works by its top-tier members.

By Sarah Gianelli

Reserved solely for Oil Painters of America’s Associate, Signature and Master Signature artists, Virtuosos of the OPAis among the organization’s most prestigious exhibitions of the year. This year’s event will be hosted by Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, and runs October 9 through November 8. The showcase will feature 70-plus fine oil paintings, selected through a rigorous jurying process. OPA assistant director Liz Pusch explains, “The paintings go through three rounds of jurying, where they are graded, narrowing down paintings that show the highest quality in draftsmanship, color and composition, emphasizing a diversity in representational style and subject matter. These paintings really are the best of the best in OPA.”

James Tennison OPAM, Coquille River Lighthouse, Sunrise, oil on linen, 18 x 24 in.

Collectors will find landscape, portraiture, still life, wildlife and figurative painting across price points ranging from $500 to $15,000, offering everyone the opportunity to take home a piece of artwork that suits their taste and budget.

The artists in the exhibition will compete for a total of 12 awards including Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, the President’s Award of Distinction, three Awards of Distinction and five Awards of Excellence, totaling around $20,000 in cash and prizes. Awards judge and Master Signature Member Bill Farnsworth will announce the winners at a public opening reception at the gallery on Friday, October 9 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., with the presentation of awards at 7:30 p.m.

Robert Johnson OPAM, Celebrating Peonies, oil on linen, 18 x 24 in.

Elizabeth Robbins OPAM, Reverie in the Keeper’s Light, oil, 20 x 24 in.

“Principle Gallery is a particularly good fit for an OPA exhibition because of its long history, strong focus on contemporary realism, established collector base, and reputation within the representational art world,” says Pusch about their decision to partner with the gallery for the show. “The gallery has exhibited and represented contemporary realist artists since 1994, and has built a strong reputation for the quality of the artists it represents, from emerging artists to established names. Its roster includes many nationally and internationally recognized painters, including many OPA members, whose work reflects the same high level of representational painting that OPA is committed to promoting.”

Calvin Liang OPAM, Tall Ship Sailing Along, oil on canvas, 16 x 12 in.

Among the virtuosos in the exhibition are Master Signature Artists Jeremy Goodding, Mark Hanson, Robert Johnson, Calvin Liang, Elizabeth Robbins, James Tennison and many more.

Known for his impressionistic, Southern California coastal scenes, and as a maestro of plein air painting, Liang will be represented by the juried work Tall Ship Sailing Along, featuring a sailboat leaving the harbor in the warm pink and purple light. Goodding has made a name for himself with exquisite chiaroscuro still life compositions, like his show piece Patina and Light,which depicts an imposing vessel alongside a small piece of fruit—signature subjects in the artist’s work. Robbins is also a still life painter who often makes florals the central focus, as in Reverie in the Keeper’s Light.

Jeremy Goodding OPAM, Patina and Light, oil on Artefex, 24 x 18 in.

The Virtuosos of the OPA exhibition can also be viewed online at www.oilpaintersofamerica.com and on the gallery website at www.principlegallery.com. —

Oil Painters of America: Virtuosos of the OPA
When: October 9-November 8, 2026
Where: Principle Gallery, 208 King Street, Alexandria VA 22314
Information: (815) 356-5987, www.oilpaintersofamerica.com