33rd Annual Carmel Art Festival
May 15th - 17th, 2026
Applications have been emailed!
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Applications were emailed out on August 15, 2025 with instructions how to apply. Note: about 1/2 have opened their email; if you did not receive it, please look under SPAM, unfortunately, that’s where it goes sometimes!
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Carmel Art Festival May 15-17, 2026
CALL FOR ENTRIES - ARTIST APPLICATION FORM
All Plein Air Artists may apply
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: October 15, 2025
Last Name:________________________ First Name:____________
Mailing Address City:__________________________ State:_____ Zip:__________
Email:_____________________________ Website______________________________
Phone:______________________
This is a juried plein air event, and participation is not guaranteed. Only 60 artists will be chosen from applications MAILED by October 15, 2025. Participants will be chosen by November 15, 2025. Nonrefundable application fee is $75.00.
Besides the application, two (2) high resolution images (jpg) of your work must be emailed to carmelartfest@gmail.com by October 15, 2025.
Other important information: The 60 juried artists will check in for the festival on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 in Carmel, CA (specifics TBA). Artists are free to begin painting immediately following check-in and will submit 2 paintings for judging on May 15, 2026 between 10am and 2 pm to CAF in Devendorf Park in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Judging starts at 3 pm. (Cash prizes of $15,000 will be awarded in various categories at 5:30pm.) ONLY these and other newly completed paintings on canvases stamped by CAF on May 13, 2026 will be sold through the Carmel Art Festival until the festival ends at 3pm on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Artists will receive 50% from the sale of each painting.
Mail application by October 15, 2025 to:
Carmel Art Festival, P.O. Box 7191, Carmel CA 93921
INCLUDE: $75.00 NON-REFUNDABLE APPLICATION FEE, PAYABLE TO “Carmel Gallery Alliance”, a registered non-profit 501c3 organization.
Signature_____________________________________ Date _________________
32nd Annual Carmel Art Festival
May 16-18, 2025 Was a Huge Success
This year’s festival included:
Carmel-by-the-Sea Plein Air Painting Competition & Art Sale
Plus Live Sculpture, Kids Programs, Live Music and much more
Venue is Devendorf Park and a "Quick Draw" & Auction
on Mission Street between Ocean and 6th Avenues
The main awards ceremony was held on Friday evening,
May 17. The following artists and works were honored.
1 st Place Joaquin Turner --Dunes at Dusk
2 nd Place Steve Weinberg --With Pride
3 rd Place Geoffrey Allen-- Secret Mist
Honorable Mentions:
#1 Najeeb Abdulrahiman --Monterey Marina
#2 Terri Ford - Dune Crossroads
#3 John Guernsey-- Garage Garden
#4 Scott Hamill-- Point Lobos
#5 Sally Jordan -- Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Jennifer Hill Award: Paul Kratter -- Light
Artist's Choice: John Guernsey -- Garage Garden
People's Choice: Joaquin Turner -- Dunes at Dusk
Mayor's Choice: Meisha Grichuhin -- Sunset Under The Canopy
On Sunday, the artists participated in a Quick Draw competition where they had just three hours to complete new works. In past years only one winner was selected from this group, this year the judges felt as though the submitted works were so strong that they made an exception and selected three winners. They are as follows:
#1 Joe Mancuso-- Stop and Look
#2 Paul Kratter-- From the Dunes
#3 Meisha Grichuhin -- TBD
The festival is also grateful for the record number of sponsors whose donations of funds and services made this year's event such a success. These generous individuals and businesses are as follows:
A's Creations
Agnes Biederman Photography
Ariel Mar Studio
Arts Council of Monterey County
Barnyard Shopping Centre
Bernardus Winery
Big Sur Vineyards
Bouchaine Vineyards
Carmel Cares
Carmel Coffee House
Carmel Gives
Costanzo Creative
Cypress Inn
Dawn's Dream Winery
Drawn 2 Art
Esperanza Carmel
FancyPansy Art Design
Folktale Winery
Forage Vintage Rental Company
Horizon Inn
Inns by the Sea
Jacquie Adams, Realtor Sotheby's
KAZU
Monterey History and Art Association
Monterey State Parks
Old Fisherman's Grotto
Oscar's Playground
The Party Senorita
Print Works.Solutions
Scheid Vineyards
Steven Whyte Sculpture Studios
Rothwell Realty, Inc.
Terry and Paula Trotter/Trotter
Galleries, Carmel and Pacific Grove
UPS stores of the Monterey Peninsula
The Wecker Group
