Tickets Now Available for Plein Air Litchfield Gala

The Plein Air Litchfield  painting festival returns in stylishly expanded fashion for its second year in a little more than a month.

This year’s festival will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5 and feature a series of events, including the gala art show and sale on Oct. 4 in the historic Firehouse property of the new boutique hotel Belden House & Mews.

Thirty-three nationally acclaimed artists will be painting Litchfield’s most scenic locations throughout the week and competing for $8,500 in awards.

Plein Air Litchfield Judge of Awards Eric Forstmann will curate the paintings submitted for judging and name the winners at the gala. Tickets to the gala start at $25 and can be purchased on the Plein Air Litchfield website by clicking the Donate button.

Plein Air Litchfield began as a weekend long event in 2024 and was so successful (more than $10,000 in paintings sold in one evening) that organizers expanded it into a week-long festival.

It is produced by Art Tripping, a Litchfield nonprofit, and is being planned and presented by a committee that includes Art Tripping principal and Economic Development Commission member Michele Murelli, Litchfield Historical Society Executive Director Jessica Jenkins, award-winning plein air artist Jim Laurino, events planner Sarah Kelley, Susan Coviello, formerly of Cape Ann Plein Air, artists Ellie Boyd and Zufar Bikbov, Pam Corning, and others.

Visit the PAL website to see the 2025 artists, and follow @pleinairlitchfield on Instagram and Facebook.

P.S. Don’t miss the Plein Air Litchfield Pop Up Art Show on Aug. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Bantam Arts Factory (where there’s also a new mural by Danielle Mailer commissioned by the Litchfield Arts Council).