Yavapai College’s signature outdoor painting celebration brings 23 artists from three states to capture Prescott’s breathtaking landscapes Aug. 26–30, 2026.
The beauty of Prescott’s pine-covered landscapes will come to life on canvas this summer as Yavapai College’s Prescott Art Gallery presents Art in the Pines: The 7th Annual Prescott Plein Air Festival, Aug. 26–30 at the Prescott Campus Gallery, the Richard Marcusen Sculpture Garden and selected scenic locations around Prescott and Yavapai County.
This vibrant five-day festival invites art lovers, community members and visitors to watch creativity unfold in real time as 23 artists from Arizona, California and Washington paint Prescott’s unique scenery. Guests can visit accessible demonstration sites throughout the festival, meet the artists and experience the plein air process up close at no cost.
The celebration culminates with a public reception and art sale from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center and the YC Prescott Art Gallery. Guests will have the opportunity to mingle with participating artists, discover fresh works inspired by Prescott’s landscapes and purchase original paintings directly. Works created during the festival that are not sold at the reception will remain on display and available for purchase at the YC Prescott Art Gallery Sept. 1–11.
Adding to the excitement, this year’s Best of Show Award will be judged by Phoenix-based artist and longtime Art in the Pines participant Tom Conner, with the winning artist receiving a $1,000 cash prize. Last year’s Best of Show winner, San Diego-based artist Jose Nunez, will present a solo exhibition at Yavapai College’s Patty McMullen-Mikles Gallery in Clarkdale. Nunez’s plein air exhibition runs Aug. 27–Sept. 17, 2026, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27.
The 2026 festival lineup showcases a dynamic mix of regional and visiting talent, including Dana Cohn of Prescott, a Yavapai College Art Department adjunct instructor and noted muralist; Prescott-based artist Alison Crary; Robin Deshayes of Los Olivos, Calif.; Priya Drews of Flagstaff; Kristine Dutton of Prescott; Lydia Gatzow of Sedona; Lance Gulseth of Phoenix; Igor Kogan of Gilbert; Barbara Mulleneaux of Tucson; Ben Norton of Rimrock, a member of the Yavapai College Art Faculty; Clarissa Kear, an MFA candidate at the University of Arizona; Prescott-area artist Josh Chaney; Sedona artist Hope Ricciardi; Seattle-based artist Sean Lamoreaux; Prescott artists Neil Orlowski, Steve Baker and Beth Okurowski; Casey Cheuvront of Scottsdale; Verde Valley artist Raven Boer; Tempe artist Cindy Carrillo; Phoenix artist Anton Nowels; Kadin Goldberg of Southern Arizona; and Tucson’s Cheryl Decker.