Paint Grand Traverse, one of Michigan’s premier plein air painting festivals, returns to the picturesque Traverse City region June 21–28, 2026, bringing together 32 nationally recognized artists, including a standout group of Michigan-based painters, for a week-long celebration of art, landscape, and creative tourism.
Now in its ninth year, Paint Grand Traverse has grown into a signature early-summer event that attracts collectors and visitors from across the Midwest while highlighting Michigan’s role in the national plein air movement. Artists paint on location throughout Old Mission Peninsula, Leelanau Peninsula, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Downtown Traverse City, transforming the region into a living, open-air studio.
This year’s Michigan artists include painters from Traverse City, Empire, Petoskey, Omena, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Jackson, Saline, Fife Lake, and St. Joseph, offering a compelling statewide angle that connects place, practice, and creative community.
The festival culminates with the Fresh Paint Party on Saturday, June 27, a one-night-only event where more than 250 newly created works are unveiled and available for purchase, many leaving the gallery immediately with new collectors. It’s a rare behind-the-scenes look at how plein air festivals fuel both artistic careers and regional cultural economies.
