Special Events

​Plein Air Event!!​

January 28, 2026

Historic Canoa Ranch/Consevation Park

10 am - 1 pm

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Directions: I-19 south to Exit 56, Canoa Ranch Rd., south of Green Valley.  At traffic circle, east under the freeway to the frontage road.  Turn right (south) on frontage road.  1.8 miles to entrance to Canoa Ranch on left.  Meet in parking lot.

​Great paintout at Gates Pass!

Great paint out photos from past events!!!!!

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What Is Plein Air?

Plein Air is a term derived from the French phrase 'en plein air,' which literally means 'in the open air.' It's a familiar concept today, but in the late 1800s, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, artists were able to carry small metal paint tubes out of their studios for the first time in all of history. This allowed them to paint on site and record the colors they saw from observation instead of from a drawing or a sketchbook with notes. For the first time they were able to observe, investigate and capture the true colors and effects of sunlight during different times of the day on a particular landscape or subject, and it was revolutionary.  ​