The Grand Prix d'Art Painting Race

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Grand Prix 2016

The Old School House Arts Centre (TOSH) in Qualicum Beach invites you to paint en plein air on July 23 in our twenty-third annual Grand Prix d'Art painting race. Each year we attract about fifty plein air painters from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland as well as hundreds of spectators.

Our Grand Prix d'Art is a "race"; competing artists must complete a work of art “en plein air” (working outside on location, not in a studio) within three hours. Each painter will be assigned a location in the picturesque town of Qualicum Beach by lottery.  The work must represent or be inspired by some thing or person that is visible from the assigned location. All locations are within walking distance of the arts centre, visitors are encouraged to watch the process and the progress of the artists, and maps are provided. The painters must complete their work within the three-hour limit and have the paintings in display condition, titled and priced for sale no later than one hour after completion. A panel of three judges then determines the winners of the contest. All the paintings from the event will hang in our TOSH galleries until August 7th.

The painters of all levels of experience and mediums begin painting at 11:00 a.m. At 2:00 p.m. the paintings are brought back to TOSH for framing and judging. At this point they go on sale to the public and will be hung for display in the TOSH gallery.