Last year Dare Arts created a new plein air event called Fresh, which brought artists from all over the east coast to the Outer Banks, and after the event's success in 2025 the nonprofit is bringing it back September 2-4, 2026.
Plein air (open-air) is a style of painting that originated in 19th Century France, where artists take to the outdoors to find inspiration for their work.
Artists wishing to participate in Fresh can find the prospectus and register to participate online at DareArts.org/fresh. Artists can also call the Dare Arts Gallery at (252) 473-5558 to register over the phone. The Dare Arts member entry fee is $60 and non-member entry fee is $70, and the entry fee must be paid at
registration.
Award-winning representational artist Jeremy Sams from Archdale, NC will judge Fresh in 2026.
His primary subject matter is landscapes while working in acrylics. He is currently a member of the Plein Air Painters of the
Southeast and North Carolina Plein Air Painters and he is also the founder of the Fellowship of Plein Air Painters. Sams will also be teaching a two-day plein air workshop at Dare Arts the week of the event. Workshop registration will be open on his website (JeremySams.com) soon. Please note that the workshop
registration is separate from the event registration.
Artists who participate in the plein air event will have their work displayed in an exhibition at Dare Arts. There will be an opening reception for the exhibition from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday, September 4 at Dare Arts. The reception will take place during First Friday in downtown Manteo and is free and open to the public.
The Fresh exhibition will remain on display in the Courtroom Gallery during normal gallery hours September 5-
25, 2026.
Businesses or individuals interested in sponsoring the event or awards should contact Dare Arts Executive
Director Jessica Sands at
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This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural
Resources.
For more information about this event, visit DareArts.org/fresh or call Dare Arts at (252) 473-5558.
Dare Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to encouraging the arts in Dare County through
advocacy, enrichment and opportunity.
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Arts events in Manteo,
Workshops in Manteo,
Exhibitions in Manteo.
