Artists on Location 2027

A juried plein air painting event held April 12–18, 2027, at outdoor sites in and around Knoxville, Tennessee, with exhibitions and sales at the Knoxville Museum of Art. The Art Show & Sale takes place Saturday, April 17, from 5:30–8:30pm; the La Petite Art Show & Sale takes place Sunday, April 18, from 1–3pm. The event is limited to 28 artists and benefits the museum. Artists receive 60% of artwork sales. A $4,000 prize pool is distributed among Saturday award winners, with additional awards for Sunday's La Petite Show.

Plein air painting

Open to professional artists ages 21 and older. Register and pay the $50 application fee through OnlineJuriedShows by February 1, 2027. Submit three JPG images, each under 4 MB; for best results, images should be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side at 72 dpi. Applicants are selected by an independent juror based on submitted images. Participation is limited to 28 artists. First-, second-, and third-place winners from the previous year's Friday night art show are automatically juried into the event; five slots are reserved for artists residing within a 100-mile radius of Knoxville. Mandatory check-in/orientation and canvas stamping are required. Artists must sign up to paint at one predetermined mandatory location, provide their own materials and transportation, and supply each painting's title, medium, location, and price. Artists must declare that artwork was produced entirely en plein air without photographic or outside assistance. Works submitted for judging must be original, painted during Artists on Location week 2027, and two-dimensional; no collage or sculpture. At least four finished pieces must be submitted for Saturday prize judging. The Featured Artist judges installed work, with awards announced before the Saturday sale opens. The $4,000 prize pool is distributed among first, second, third, and two Honorable Mention winners on Saturday; La Petite Show work is judged separately, with additional awards announced before Sunday's show. An 8x8 canvas for La Petite Show is provided at orientation, and all 28 small works are exhibited together on a separate wall. Saturday work remains available for purchase Sunday. Wall dimensions are supplied upon acceptance; all work must fit within the assigned wall space. Artists install their own work and must bring hanging hardware; no drills, sawtooth hangers, lighting from home, or artwork on the floor. Work must have appropriate hanging wire and be ready for sale. Framed and unframed work is permitted, but unframed work must use gallery-wrapped canvas at least 1½ inches thick with appropriately finished edges. Artists may bring one studio piece of any style to sell if it meets framing and size requirements, fits the assigned space, and is registered on the sales information form; studio pieces are excluded from judging and awards. Artists receive 60% of the sale price and the museum retains 40%. This split applies to sales made up to 30 days after the event and to commissioned artwork requests resulting from the event. A piece sold off the easel or before hanging at the museum on Saturday evening, April 17, will not be hung and is ineligible for judging.