06/01/2025
Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival
Save the Date - Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival is only a few months away!
Between August 11th to 16th, artists will once again converge on Dexter to render their artistic interpretation of our charming City and lush surrounding landscapes.
This year, weโre offering more time to view and buy art, reception to meet the artists to a background of jazz, a plein air painting workshop for aspiring adult painters, workshops for our younger artists, plus a fun childrenโs event in the park. Take a look at the sections below to see the variety of events the Festival has to offer.
Workshop for Adults
We are very excited to offer an adult workshop taught by nationally known, award-winning artist Steve Puttrich. Steve will also be serving as our Awarding Judge for the Plein Air and Quick Draw Competitions. His two-day workshop will be held on Saturday, August 9th and Sunday, August 10th.
Join award-winning artist and judge Steve Puttrich for a two-day immersive Plein Air workshop designed to elevate your painting skills and prepare you for success in the Dexter Paint Out event. As both a master instructor and this yearโs judge, Steve will teach you the essential elements that make a painting not only stand out but deeply connect with viewers.
Workshop Focus
Over two days, we will revisit The Art of Storytelling โ the narrative that transforms a painting into a visual experience โ while diving into the foundational power of Design. Emphasizing contrast, simplification, and confident decision-making, Steve will guide you through principles that strengthen your work.
Key Topics Include:
Design & Value Plans โ Understand how strong design and value plans become the framework for compelling art.
Principles of Contrast & Simplification โ Discover how to make your paintings bold and clear while avoiding unnecessary clutter.
Brushwork & Freshness โ Learn how confident, intentional marks can bring energy and life to your work.
The Power of Story โ Unlock the storytelling potential within your subject and scene to emotionally engage viewers.
This workshop is designed for artists of all skill levels who want to build stronger paintings that resonate with viewers and judges alike. By the end of the weekend, youโll walk away with practical tools to enhance your design, freshen your brushwork, and discover the stories waiting to be told through your art.
Mediums: Multiple Mediums
Cost: $250
Class size is limited
To register or for more information about the Steve's workshop, please visit https://paintdexter.com/workshop-for-adults/.
For more information about Steve, his accomplishments, galleries, workshops, and contact information, please visit his website at: https://www.steveputtrich.com/.
Workshops for Children and Young Adults
The Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival will host the Childrenโs Painting Workshops on Wednesday, August 13th. The sessions are separated by age bracket and include: elementary school age, middle school age, and high school age and above.
For more information, or to register for one or more of these sessions, please visit https://paintdexter.com/youth-workshops/.
All art supplies provided.
Workshops held rain or shine.
Cost to participate is $10 per child/young adult.
Host an Artist
Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival artists come to Dexter from all over the Country (and Canada) to participate. A week of hotel rooms can get very expensive, so we are reaching out to Dexter-area residents on behalf of the artists to find people that may be interested in hosting one of the artists from Monday, August 11th through Saturday, August 16th. If you are one of those interested individuals, please let us know by filling out the Host an Artist form available at: https://paintdexter.com/volunteers/.
Volunteers
The Dexter Arts, Culture, and Heritage Committee is looking for volunteers to assist with Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival operations. We welcome any interested individuals, groups, and artists to sign-up for one of the many volunteer opportunities that the festival has to offer. The Festival runs from Monday, August 11th through Saturday, August 16th. For additional information, please visit: https://paintdexter.com/volunteers/.
Have A Painting Made of Your Property!
Do you have an interesting house, field, stream, or barn on your property? Are you interested in having a painting of your property created by an amazing artist? For this yearโs Festival, we are creating a list of properties in and around Dexter where our participating artists can go to paint *with the permission of the property owner*. If you are interested in having your property added to this list, please visit our online registration page at: https://paintdexter.com/volunteers/.
Please only register your own property. Properties must be in the Dexter School District (Dexter-area). We cannot guarantee that any of the artists will choose to create a painting of your property, but the list will be provided to all of the artists. Finished paintings will likely be on sale in the Monument Park Tent Gallery from Friday, August 15th through Saturday, August 16th.
Welcome to the 12th Annual Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival! ย Festival Dates: August 11th to 16th, 2025 The Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival is an annual Festival held in Dexter, Michigan during the third week of August. The Festival is sponsored by the Dexter Arts, Culture & Heritage Committee and ...
