Dedicated to the preservation of representational art
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Oil Painters of America is pleased to announce Steamboat Art Museum located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado as the host of the Thirty-Fifth National Exhibition. The Exhibition will take place from May 29 – August 29, 2026 at the Steamboat Art Museum.
MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW SOON………….
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The OPA Online Showcase is a rolling exhibition, offered three times per year, allowing OPA members to easily enter multiple paintings for only $15 per entry.
The Summer 2025 Online Showcase is accepting entries from June 1 – August 15 and boasts awards of $3,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place and $500 for third place for OPA Associate and Student Members only. 10 honorable mention awards will also be awarded.
June 1 – August 15, 2025
For Associate and Student Members Only
Awards Announcement: August 30, 2025
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This year Oil Painters of America is once again returning to the prestigious Beverly McNeil Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama, this time for the 2025 Eastern Regional Exhibition. The show will open on Thursday, September 11 and run through Saturday, October 11. The opening reception and awards ceremony will take place on Thursday evening, September 11 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm with the awards presentation beginning at 6:00 pm.
If you have previously visited Birmingham and have already seen the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Birmingham Botanic Gardens you might want to visit the world’s largest cast iron statue “Vulcan” at the Vulcan Park and Museum. This statue was named after the Roman god of fire and forge and symbolizes the city’s iron origins. Another site of interest might be America’s oldest baseball stadium, Rickwood Field, which is now a museum dedicated to the history of baseball. In addition to these sites, Birmingham is known for it’s varied southern cuisine and offers a multitude of exceptional restaurants.
Our goal is to assemble approximately 100 of the finest representational oil paintings by our Associate and Signature
members, as well as paintings by our Master Signature artists. The focus in the jurying process will be to select paintings that show the highest quality in draftsmanship, color, and composition, emphasizing a diversity in representational style and subject matter.
The total awards will be approximately $12,000 in cash and merchandise.
The awarding juror will be an OPA Signature or Master Signature member.
Artists eligible to compete are 2025 OPA members who are citizens of the United States and Canada who reside in:
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Labrador, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Current members who are citizens, both natural born or otherwise, of the United States or Canada are eligible to participate regardless of where they live. For sake of convenience, citizens who reside elsewhere will compete in the region that corresponds with their last place of residence within North America. Nonresident aliens who currently live in the above states of the United States or Canada, may also be eligible to participate. Please see eligibility details on the OPA website.
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The OPA Online Showcase is a rolling exhibition, offered three times per year, allowing OPA members to easily enter multiple paintings for only $15 per entry.
The Spring 2025 Online Showcase is accepting entries from March 1 – May 15 and boasts awards of $3,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place and $500 for third place for OPA International Associate, Associate and Student Members only. 10 honorable mention awards will also be awarded.
March 1 – May 18, 2025
For International Associate, Associate and Student Members Only
Awards Announcement: June 3, 2025
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With over 3,500 artists, Oil Painters of America is one of today’s leading professional art organizations in North America. OPA is pleased to announce its Fifth Annual Student Art Competition, which is open to all high school and collegiate-level students living in North America. OPA aims to raise awareness of representational art and allow students to learn more about this beautiful art form.
Students between 14 and 23 are invited to submit up to three oil paintings for award consideration. Students are encouraged to work under the direction of a teacher or faculty member, although it is not required.
Paintings must be created in oils in the representational style. This includes a broad spectrum of styles ranging from realistic to impressionist – or your style, as long as it is representational. Both plein air and/or studio work are acceptable. All submissions will be displayed online with the artist’s name, painting title & size, school name, and age on OPA’s website. All entries must depict family-friendly subject matter (any portrayals of graphic nudity, violence, or other non-family-friendly subject matter will not be accepted).
Student submissions will be accepted online through OPA’s website from January 1, 2025, through April 4, 2025. The competition results will be notified to winners directly on April 11, 2025.
The top three award winners in each division will be invited to exhibit their work in conjunction with OPA’s National Exhibition of Traditional Oils at Herrig Center for the Arts in Bradenton, FL, from May 30 – June 28, 2025. Note: winners who elect to exhibit their artwork will be responsible for shipping to and from the exhibition. All paintings must be framed and wired for hanging.
$10 per entry. Maximum three entries.
How: OPA Membership is free to all students ages 14 – 23. New student members must complete the online student membership application to enter the student competition. 2024 Student Members must renew their membership by logging into their account before entering the Student Competition.
AWARDS
High School Division – ages 14 to 18 years
First Place: $500 cash/$500 Blick Gift Certificate
Second Place: $250/$250 Blick Gift Certificate
Third Place: $100/$100 Blick Gift Certificate
AWARDS
College Division – ages 19 to 23 years
First Place: $500 cash/$500 Blick Gift Certificate
Second Place: $250/$250 Blick Gift Certificate
Third Place: $100/$100 Blick Gift Certificate
Both divisions will receive 3 Award of Excellences which will receive a $50 Blick Gift Certificate each.