Paint the Great South Bay 2026
Plein Air Event, Exhibit, and Wet Paint Sale
At a Glance
Register by: June 1, 2026
Packet Pickup: June 18 & 19 from 1:00 – 7:00 PM
Artists Paint: June 18 – July 1, 2026 — RAIN OR SHINE
Artwork Drop Off: Wednesday, July 1 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Exhibition and Wet Paint Sale on View: July 3 – July 12, 2026
PGSB Closing Reception: July 12, 3:00 – 5:00 PM
•Guest Curator: Kelynn Z. Alder
About the Event
The Patchogue Arts Council (PAC) is pleased to announce Paint the Great South Bay 2026 Plein Air Event, Exhibit, and Wet Paint Sale. The Patchogue Arts Council invites artists to paint en plein air along the Great South Bay, ranging from Smith Point Beach to The Fire Island Lighthouse.
Proceeds from this event help the Patchogue Arts Council continue to create events and programming that encourage, promote, and support the Arts on Long Island.
Procedure
To certify that work is created during PGSB, artists must complete the following during the painting time frame (June 18 – July 1, 2026):
Email two photographs of yourself in front of the work at the painting location — one at the start of the piece and one with the finished work.
Each photograph must include the official PGSB 2026 date card filled out with the day’s date. (Cards will be included with registration packets.)
Email all images before drop-off to info@patchoguearts.org.
**Submissions will not be accepted without them.
Important Event Dates
June 1, 2026 – Registration deadline to be included in promotional materials & recieve PGSB 2026 swag bag
June 18 & 19 – Packet pickup from 1:00 – 7:00 PM
June 18 – July 1, 2026 – Artists at work, painting the Great South Bay — RAIN OR SHINE
Wednesday, July 1, 4:00 – 6:00 PM – Artwork drop off at the Patchogue Arts Gallery, 20 Terry Street, Suite 116. You may drop off each other’s works.
Ready to hang means works MUST BE WIRED. Staff will not wire work.
July 3 – July 12, 2026 – Exhibition and Wet Paint Sale
July 12, 3:00 – 5:00 PM – PGSB Artists’ Closing Reception
July 12, 5:00 – 7:00 PM – Paintings picked up from the Patchogue Arts Gallery. PAC will not be responsible for work not picked up by Sunday, July 12, 2026 by 7:00 PM.
Special drawing events and meet-ups will be announced in May!
Locations
The Great South Bay on the South Shore of Long Island, including the towns, villages, and areas of Shirley, Bellport, East Patchogue, Patchogue, Blue Point and Bayport, Sayville and West Sayville — essentially the areas south of Sunrise Highway.
Plein Air Event Rules
The event will be limited to 40 plein air artists in the 18+ category on a first come, first serve basis. We are pleased to continue offering a special Young Artist category for artists 17 and under. There is no fee for the Young Artist category and the same rules apply.
All artists must register prior to the PGSB event.
All art must be completed en plein air during the outing.
No work done with photo references will be permitted.
Completed work no larger than 24×24 inches.
Attend the reception July 12 from 3:00 – 5:00 PM.
All painting mediums will be accepted for exhibit and sales.
Paintings must be properly framed and wire mounted (gallery wraps accepted, although the painting MUST be wired correctly), with no hooks or brackets, and brought to the Patchogue Arts Gallery on Wednesday, July 1 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM.
At drop-off, all paintings entered into the show will be checked for the email with images sent to info@patchoguearts.org.
Labels and other paperwork will be included in your artist registration packet.
A Facebook group has been set up for artists to post their locations so that spectators will know where artists are painting. Artists are encouraged to use event hashtags and post progress on Instagram.
Artists are encouraged to submit 2 pieces.
Allow images of work entered into the sale to be used by the Patchogue Arts Council for publicity purposes.
Artists are responsible for arranging pickup of paintings on Sunday, July 12, 5:00 – 7:00 PM. The Patchogue Arts Gallery will not store paintings. PAC will not be responsible for work not picked up by Sunday, July 12, 2026 by 7:00 PM.
PAC will not be responsible for any personal injury or property loss or damage regardless of the cause during this event.
COMMISSION AGREEMENT: All art painted during the event will be subject to a 30% commission. If you are painting at a location and are approached by someone interested in purchasing the painting you are working on, that painting is under the contract of the event and the 30% commission must be paid to PAC. Failure to pay the commission will result in the artist being ejected from the event and all participation fees will be forfeited. NO EXCEPTIONS. This event is based on the honor system and relies on the INTEGRITY of the participating artists.
Registration Details
Categories
Professional Artist 18+
Young Artist 17 and Under — FREE, no registration fee
Fees
Current Paid PAC Member: $15.00
Non-Member: $30.00
PAC Artist Membership ($30) + Event Fee ($15): $45.00
PAC Student/Senior (60+) Membership ($20) + Event Fee ($15): $35.00
All applications must be accompanied by the non-refundable registration fee and PAC member form. Please make checks out to The Patchogue Arts Council and write PGSB in the memo section. Registration will remain open until all 40 spots are filled.
Please contact info@PatchogueArts.org with any questions or concerns.
About Our Guest Curator
Kelynn Z. Alder
Kelynn Z. Alder is a Mexican American artist, illustrator, and educator whose work spans portraiture, journalism, and community-based practice. Her upbringing across the United States, South America, and the Middle East instilled a deep appreciation for cultural diversity that continues to drive her work. After earning her MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts, she traveled internationally — to Peru, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Mexico — documenting Indigenous communities, leaders, and disappearing traditions through fieldwork-based portraits and essays. Her work has been commissioned by The New Yorker, Time Magazine, and Australian Geographic, and is held in permanent collections in Australia and private collections worldwide.
Alder has served on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts and has led workshops at institutions including the Long Island Museum, the Heckscher Museum of Art, and the Southampton Arts Center. She was guest curator of SOMOS, a landmark exhibition at the Long Island Museum featuring 82 Latinx artists, and is a founding member of LatinoArtsLI.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding creative opportunities for underrepresented artists. Internationally recognized for capturing the dignity and humanity of individuals across cultures, Kelynn brings a powerful lens of equity, storytelling, and community connection to her curatorial practice.
Patchogue Arts Council • 20 Terry Street, Suite 116, Patchogue, NY • info@PatchogueArts.org