Plein Air Key West

Plein Air Key West is both an organized painting event and an active local scene, offering artists opportunities to paint outdoors and capture the unique light, tropical scenery, and architectural charm of Key West. The annual Plein Air Key West competition—hosted by the Key West Art Center—will next take place on Saturday, March 7, 2026, and typically gives artists five hours to complete a painting outdoors at a location of their choice. Winners for the most recent event included John Clayton (1st Place), Andy Thurber (2nd Place), and Samuel Alvarez (3rd Place), with a People's Choice award going to Karen Beauprie.