Fifteen years ago, we launched a little art competition to celebrate plein air painters. Nobody imagined it would become one of the most prestigious art prizes in the world. In honor of the legendary French Salon, the PleinAir Salon was designed to help artists elevate the quality of their work by competing for top prizes.
Since then, the Salon has awarded nearly $530,000 in all-cash prizes to painters across every genre and medium. With 19 categories like landscape, figures, still life, and plein air, there truly was something for everyone.
But something has nagged us for years.
Fixing a Case of Mistaken Identity
We named it the PleinAir Salon because it was started by PleinAir Magazine. However, having “PleinAir” in the name was confusing to a lot of people. Studio artists, figure painters, portrait painters, still life painters…they often assumed the competition wasn’t for them, so they rarely entered. They left awards on the table that were rightfully theirs to compete for.
So we’re fixing it.
Starting with the 16th Annual Competition this month (April 2026), we’re renaming the competition: The Salon Art Prize.
Same competition. Same prestige. Now with a name that finally tells the whole story and welcomes artists of all styles.
More Prizes, More Recognition
And we didn’t stop there.
To celebrate this new, more inclusive chapter, we’re also increasing the total prize purse from $50,000 to a massive $65,000! This includes a brand-new $15,000 grand prize specifically for studio painters.
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines because you thought this competition wasn’t for you, know that it is, and the new name proves it. Whether you paint outdoors or in the studio, whether you focus on figures, still life, or landscapes, The Salon Art Prize is your chance to compete for top honors and significant cash prizes.
Entries for the 16th Annual Salon Art Prize are open. You can find details and enter each monthly competition in as many categories as you wish at TheSalonArtPrize.com.
We can’t wait to see what you create.
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Blog post prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Realism Today
