CAPITAL PLEIN AIR

Artwork Submissions for Exhibition and Judging

Exhibition & Awards – Conditions of Entry

  • Your board or paper must be stamped on the back before you begin painting.
  • Take a photo of your completed work in front of the scene—no touch-ups allowed off-site.
  • You must be fully registered to paint at CaPA, workshop paintings are not eligible for awards.
  • Judging takes place on Sunday morning during the Quick Draw, with awards announced Sunday afternoon.
SUBMIT ARTWORK
FOR JUDGING HERE

Submitting Your Artwork

  • Frame your work
  • Attach the label on the back with artwork details. Labels are in your welcome pack. Blue for Open/ Pink for Non-Professional. We have extras if you make a mistake or lose one.
  • Write your name directly on the back of the artwork (in case the label falls off).
  • Register your artwork electronically via the trybooking form. See link on the Artist Information page at www.capitalpleinair.com/artists-information/
  • Submit entries at the Terrace Room, National Arboretum, between Friday morning and Saturday 5pm. Hanging will begin Friday continuing to Saturday evening.

FESTIVAL RUN SHEET

WORKSHOP WEEKEND – STRATHNAIRN ARTS (90 Stockdill Drive, Holt )
SATURDAY19th April 2025
9am – 3pm, Workshop Day 1 of 2  – LEON HOLMES – Light & Colour in the Landscape

SUNDAY 20th April 2025
9am – 3pm, Workshop Day 2 of 2 – LEON HOLMES  – Light & Colour in the Landscape

Sunday 20th April 2025 – Strathnairn
12pm – 3pm, Optional EARLY BOARD STAMPING and ARTISTS CHECK-IN

PRE-FESTIVAL PAINT OUT LOCATIONS
From 8am onwards
MONDAY 21st April 2025- COTTER BEND AND COTTER AVENUE

  • Pre-Festival Paint Out Day 1
    CHECK-IN at the Festival Tent at Cotter Bend Car Park to pick up your Festival Information Pack and get your boards stamped!
    Note: There is no phone reception at The Cotter. Festival Staff will have satellite communications for emergencies.

TUESDAY 22nd April 2025 – GUNDAROO

  • Pre-Festival Paint Out Day 2
    CHECK-IN at the Gundaroo Hall for people joining the festival from this day
  • Workshop – Day 1 of 1 – NATASHA RUSCHKA – Introduction to Plein Air Painting, Meet at the Gundaroo Hall on Cork Street

WEDNESDAY 23rd April 2025 – CUPPACUMBALONG HOMESTEAD,
21 Naas Road, Tharwa

  • Pre-Festival Paint Out Day 3
    CHECK-IN at the Festival Tent at Cuppacumbalong Homestead for people joining the festival from this day
  • Workshop Day 1 of 2– LEON HOLMES – Light & Colour in the Landscape
  • Workshop Day 1 of 1- CHAN DISSANAYAKE – Plein Air Watercolour Painting
    Note: There is mobile reception at Tharwa (Telstra and Vodafone
    coverage with 4G is strong across most of Tharwa) however there are
    some minor coverage gaps. WiFi will be available at the homestead. Festival Staff will also have satellite communications for emergencies.

THURSDAY 24th April 2025– WESTON PARK

  • Pre-Festival Paint Out Day 4
    CHECK-IN at the Festival Tent for people joining the festival from this day (Location TBA)
  • Workshop Day 2 of 2– LEON HOLMES – Light & Colour in the Landscape
  • Workshop Day 1 of 1– ANDY DOLPHIN – Plein Air Pencil Drawing

THURSDAY EVENING 24th April 2025– GRAINGER GALLERY, 34 GEELONG ST FYSHWICK
6.30 -7pm Onwards
Festival Social Evening, Drinks and Snacks provided, Portrait Painting
Free Entry to Registered Festival Artists and their Partners

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, YARRALUMLA

CAPITAL PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL WEEKEND

FRIDAY 25th April 2025- FESTIVAL DAY 1
THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM

Painting in the grounds of the Arboretum or attend demonstrations/presentations Arboretum Map Site Map

  • 8.30am – Artist Arboretum Safety Inductions and Board Stamping (if needed)
  • 8.30am – Submit Pre-Festival Paint Out artwork to The Terrace Room for sale on the “Wet Wall” (no frames required – up to 2 pieces)
    Artists can paint in the grounds of the Arboretum or attend the presentations/demonstrations
  • 11.00am – Special Guest Interview, WARWICK FULLER – The artistic challenges of being a King’s Royal Tour Artist (Will be recorded and available online later)
  • 2pm – Feature Artist LEON HOLMES (WA) Painting Demonstration, Oils at the Event Terrace
  • 4pm-5.00pm – Artist’s painting delivery to The Terrace Room for Exhibiting and Judging. (Optional, you can submit your pieces to the exhibition anytime from Friday morning till Saturday afternoon at 5pm)
  • 5.30p Arboretum Gates Close

SATURDAY 26th April 2025 – FESTIVAL DAY 2
GOVERNMENT HOUSE

IMPORTANT VENUE INFORMATION
Due to security requirements, only registered artists and public who registered prior to 16th April may enter.
🔹 Entry Time– Entry to registered artists and attendees is between 8am – 9.30am. Gates for entry will close at 9.30am with no further entry allowed.
🔹 No re-entry – Once you leave, you cannot return.
🔹Limited parking available on site at Government House so we recommend car pooling where possible. Once capacity is reached, vehicles will be required to park outside the gates.
🔹 Bring everything you need for the day.
🔹 A food truck will be on-site for purchases.
🔹 A fridge and kitchenette are available if you bring your own lunch.

  • 8am – 9.30am Entry to registered artists only.  Multiple exit and entry is not permitted for security reasons. Once you leave Government House you will not be permitted back in.
  • 10am – Special Guest, WARWICK FULLER Painting Demonstration, Oils
  • 12pm – Lunch & Learn Presentation GRAINGER GALLERY “The Artist/Gallery Relationship”
  • 2pm – CHAN DISSANAYAKE Painting Demonstration, Watercolour
  • 4pm – VENUE CLOSE

LAST CHANCE PAINTING SUBMISSIONS FOR EXHIBITION AND JUDGING
THE ARBORETUM

  • 4pm – 5.00pm – Artist’s painting delivery to The Terrace Room at the National Arboretum for Exhibiting and Judging on Sunday Morning.
  • 5.30pm – Arboretum Gates Close

SUNDAY 27th April 2025 – FESTIVAL DAY 3
EVENT TERRACE, NATIONAL ARBORETUM

  • 8.30am-9.30am – All participating Artists QUICK DRAW CHECK -IN
    This is a separate event to the rest of the festival. All registered Artists must check in before competing.
  • 9.30am – Quick Draw Set-up
    Secure your place, set up your equipment, mix paint or sketch in a book.
    The canvas must remain blank until the horn sounds.
  • 10.00am – Horn Sounds to start the Quick Draw
  • 12.00pm – Horn Sounds to end the Quick Draw.
    Step away from your easel.  Pack up and immediately take your artwork on the easel to the judging area.
  • 12.15pm – Judging
  • 12.30pm – Quick Draw Winners Announced

QUICK 1hr BREAK FOR LUNCH

  • 1.30pm – Award Ceremony and Festival Close
  • 4.00 – 5.00pm – Collect exhibited artwork from The Terrace Room

Capital Plein Air Festival – Final Countdown Checklist!

🚨 SAFETY AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS
Before you arrive, please complete our short Safety & Emergency Contact Form
It only takes a few minutes and helps us ensure everyone’s safety during the festival.

👕 PRE-ORDER YOUR FESTIVAL SHIRT
• Available for pre-order and pick up at the festival. Order here.
• Let us know your size and pay on pick up at the festival.

🎉 RSVP – ARTIST SOCIAL EVENT AT GRAINGER GALLERY
• Thursday, 24 April at Grainger Gallery, 34 Geelong Street, Fyshwick
• 6:30 PM onwards
• Portrait painting/sketching kicks off at 7 PM – bring your paints or sketchbook!
• Complimentary snacks and drinks provided
• Free entry for registered festival artists and their partners
• Dress code: casual (or whatever you’re wearing if you come straight from painting!)

✅ EARLY CHECK-IN OPTION
• Available Sunday, 20 April at Strathnairn Arts (90 Stockdill Drive, Holt)
• Drop in between 12 PM – 3 PM.
• Perfect for eager artists wanting to get started early on Monday!

🎨 OIL PAINTERS
• Need solvent? We’ve got you covered
• Small containers of odourless mineral spirits (Gamsol) will be available for purchase
• Let us know if you’d like us to reserve one for you. Email capitalpleinair@gmail.com

🖼 FRAMING
• Need frames? Orders can still be placed with Framing Doctor for pickup at the festival.
• Contact them directly using these instructions.

🏛 GOVERNMENT HOUSE ACCESS – LAST CHANCE!
• All registered artists have automatic entry.
• Companions/partners must register separately
• Registration closed

📋 QUESTIONS?
• If you haven’t seen an answer to your question here, try our FAQ’s page or email us at capitalpleinair(at)gmail.com

INFORMATION FOR ARTISTS

ARTISTS CHECK-IN & BOARD STAMPING

Artists must check in twice during the festival:

  1. First Check-In – On the first day they attend (or at the optional early check-in on Sunday, April 20).
  2. Quick Draw Check-In – On Sunday for those competing in the Quick Draw event.

Check-in tents will be set up at each location for registration and board stamping.

First Check-In

  • Receive festival information, location guides, and a lanyard (must be worn on location).
  • Get blank painting surfaces (boards/canvases/paper) stamped with the Capital Plein Air stamp.
  • Only stamped surfaces will be accepted for judging and exhibition.
  • Surfaces must be blank at the time of stamping—no exceptions. (a single colour ground/under colour is allowed)
  • There is no limit to the number of surfaces you can have stamped.

Stamping will be available throughout the week if additional surfaces are needed.

Early Check-In & Stamping – Sunday, April 20

Artists who want to start painting early can check in and stamp boards at:
📍 Strathnairn Arts, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt
🕛 12 PM – 3 PM

WORKSHOP LOCATIONS

All workshops will be held at the same locations as the pre-festival paint outs. Material lists are available on the Workshops page of the website. Specific meeting points at these locations will be sent out workshop participants closer to the time. Please arrive by 8.30am for a 9am start.

WET WALL ARTWORK

The “Wet Wall” is a casual display of artwork from the pre-festival paint out, available for sale to the public. There will be a designated wall for this work that has shelves to hold panels, canvas or watercolour paper in matt board.  Limit of 2 pieces per artist.  Hand in wet wall submissions to The Terrace Room on Friday morning.  This is optional – you do not have to hand in art to the wet wall.

FESTIVAL ART EXHIBITION

You can select and submit up to 2 pieces of artwork created anytime during the festival (except for work created during workshops).  Submit artwork between Friday morning and Saturday 5pm.  Artwork will be judged on Sunday morning during the Quick Draw and Awards announced Sunday afternoon.  Oil paintings on panel and canvas MUST be framed to avoid contact with wet paint .  Acrylic paintings will be accepted unframed with hanging wire on the back if they are dry. Watercolour/Gouache can be submitted in matt boards.  Where possible, we encourage you to present your artwork for judging and sale as professionally as possible with a frame.

Please refer to our full Terms and Conditions

FRAMING

Framing Doctor in Queanbeyan have put together some options for festival framing for panels (not canvas). See more information in the attached document below.

Framing options and ordering instructions

If you have a regular framer you use, take along your regular panels in your most used size and ask them to make a couple of timber frames to suit.  Have them add clips in a landscape and portrait position to give you more hanging options. Choose a wide moulding (4-5cm) for smaller works (8×10, 12×16) and have them insert the metal flex points so you can bend them open when it comes to inserting your finished artwork at the festival.

QUICK DRAW *updated

  • Entry is included in full festival tickets. Participation is optional. If you plan to participate, you will still need to check in on Sunday Morning to get sales tags for your painting. 
  • Set-up, thumbnail sketches, paint mixing is allowed prior to start at 10am. Surfaces can have a pre-prepared ground/gesso colour before start. Equipment set-up, thumbnail sketches and paint mixing is allowed prior to start at 10am. Surfaces can have a pre-prepared ground/gesso colour before start.
  • We recommend a frame for this artwork if possible.  The Quick Draw artwork is for sale and it will present better for judging and sale and be easier for a Collector to handle if it is in a frame/matt board.
  • Stay in the boundary on the QUICK DRAW MAP
  • Any 2D medium is able to be used during this competition including drawing, urban sketching, even collage! What ever you can competently do in 2 hrs!

SOCIAL EVENING – THURSDAY 24th April RSVP – Let us know you’re coming!

Grainger Gallery is kindly hosting a social evening at their new event space on Geelong Street in Fyshwick. Thursday’s painting location is in central Canberra, giving you plenty of time to return to your accommodation, have dinner, and freshen up before joining us for a drink, a chat, and even a portrait painting session if you’re interested! Bring your paints/easel or a sketchbook. We’ll have a dozen lightweight easels on hand.

Grainger Gallery Event Space, Fyshwick

GOVERNMENT HOUSE – SECURITY REQUIREMENTS *Update

We are thrilled to confirm Government House as our painting location for Saturday, April 26th. Due to security requirements, the names and contact details of all registered artists and public attendees on this day will be submitted for AFP security checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to the festival committee via the contact page on our website. Artist details provided at registration will be shared with Government House, so there is no need for a separate registration. A separate registration form for public attendees is available on the tickets page of this website. If you have a partner or companion joining you at Government House on Saturday, they will need to complete a registration form. REGISTRATION CLOSES WED 16TH SO BOOK SOON

🔹 Entry Time– Entry to registered artists and attendees is between 8am – 9.30am. Gates for entry will close at 9.30am with no further entry allowed.
🔹 No re-entry – Once you leave, you cannot return.
🔹Limited parking available on site at Government House so we recommend car pooling where possible. Once capacity is reached, vehicles will be required to park outside the gates.
🔹 Bring everything you need for the day.
🔹 A food truck will be on-site for purchases.
🔹 A fridge and kitchenette are available if you bring your own lunch.

PARKING

There is free parking available at each painting location however in some instances it is limited. Please consider car pooling on the weekend as there is limited free parking available at The Arboretum and Government House.

Monday – plenty of free parking available at both Cotter Bend and across the bridge at Cotter Avenue

Tuesday – Gundaroo, plenty of free parking through the small town streets. Try not to park in the main street in front of the most paintable buildings!

Wednesday – Tharwa, plenty of free parking at Cuppacumbalong Homestead at along the driveway entrance to the property.

Thursday – Weston Park, this is a big area with multiple car parks scattered throughout the park. Cafe parking is limited at The Yarralumla Cafe, The Station Stop Cafe has a large car park.

Friday – The National Arboretum, there is limited free parking (30 cars) at The Margaret Whitlam Pavilion Carpark that will be available on a first come first served basis. However, there are many free car parks scattered around the park where there are paintable vistas. This is an ecologically sensitive area and parking outside of designated spaces is strictly prohibited. At the main visitor centre paid parking applies between 9am and 4pm, 7 days a week. Parking rates are $2.50 per hour to a maximum of $8.80 per day. We recommend managing paid parking via the “EasyPark” app is which is more flexible and convenient and used at most ACT government parking facilities.

Saturday – Government House, there is limited parking (60 cars) available inside the grounds of Government House. Please consider car pooling to avoid having to park outside the grounds.

Sunday – The Arboretum (as per Friday).

ART SUPPLIES & LOCAL ART STORES *Updated

Oil Painters, if you would like to purchase solvent from us directly at the festival upon arrival, please email us so we can make sure it is available for you. Email us at capitalpleinair(atsympbol)gmail.com

Eckersleys

Phillip, 21 Colbee Court, Phillip ACT 2606, t.02 6260 4444

Braddon, Unit 43, 38 Mort Street, Braddon ACT 2612 t.02 6257 1711

Belconnen, Level 1, Westfield, Benjamin Way Belconnen ACT 2617 t. 02 6251 6466

Artists Shed, 88 Wollongong St, Fyshwick ACT 2609, 0418 237 766

VOLUNTEERING

If you would like to volunteer while participating in the festival, or have a friend/partner who would like to volunteer while you are painting – you can see volunteering options via this link. https://signup.zone/42iz6PDzMi9hKsjnz You have to log-in to the site to see the shifts. If the times aren’t suitable once you have logged in, you are not obligated to put your name down.

FACEBOOK GROUP

Don’t forget to join our private Facebook Group.  You can use this group to connect to other artists who are attending, share information, work out carpool situations or call out for spare equipment if you find yourself caught. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS *Updated

Please check our FAQ’s page for any questions.  Our Terms & Conditions page outlines conditions for entering awards. You can also contact us on capitalpleinair<atsymbol>gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

If you are active on Facebook, make sure you mark yourself as “Going” on our Facebook Event.

When you post about the festival tag @capitalpleinair so we are notified and can share it. Our festival hashtags are #capitalpleinair #capa 2025 #pleinairaustralia

We will continue to update this page with information to make your festival experience as smooth as possible.

Thank you

Capital Plein Air Committee