“Mississippi Riverscapes: The 2025 Plein Air Art Competition” to be Held in the Riverbend

ALTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rivers Project, in partnership with Jacoby Arts Center, is excited to announce its inaugural Plein Air art competition, “Mississippi Riverscapes.”

This event is an open-air painting and drawing competition at Rivers Project recreation areas throughout the month of June and is open to all amateur and professional artists ages 16 and up. Artists will compete for regional and cash prizes, including a weekend artist retreat at the Green Tree Inn in Elsah, IL. The competition will conclude with the opening of the new “Mississippi Riverscapes” temporary art exhibit at the National Great Rivers Museum which will feature the artwork of all participants, as well as information about the featured Rivers Project recreation sites.

Artists may paint or draw independently at any of eight selected Rivers Project recreation sites, any time between June 1st and June 22nd, 2025. For a one-time entry fee of $25, artists may submit up to one painting or drawing per recreation site, for up to a total of eight submissions. All submissions are due to the National Great Rivers Museum by 5:00 p.m. on June 22nd, with winners to be chosen by a jury panel of local artists and art experts, selected by Jacoby Arts Center. Winning artwork will be announced at an awards ceremony at the National Great Rivers Museum on July 12th at 3:30 p.m. The art exhibit will then run from July 14th to September 14th, 2025, with the option for artists to list works for sale, if desired.

“We are excited to offer this new opportunity to artists throughout the region,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Specialist and contest coordinator Elise Ratcliff. “By hosting an open-air art competition, we hope to not only engage the public in a new way, but also to bring awareness and visitation to some beautiful Rivers Project sites that visitors may not be aware of.”

Plein Air, a French term meaning “in open air,” is a method of painting in which the artist paints entirely outdoors, capturing the essence and lighting of the real-life scene in front of them. It first gained popularity in the 19th century when paints became available in tube form, which allowed artists to more easily work outdoors. Today it continues to be a popular art form, practiced by artists all over the world.

Contest eligibility, regulations, and registration for the contest, as well as a map of contest sites, can be found online at https://www.mtrf.org/plein-air-art/. All entry fees go to the Meeting of the Rivers Foundation, which provides support to the National Great Rivers Museum and Rivers Project outreach efforts.

For additional information, please contact the contest coordinator, Elise Ratcliff at 618-462-6979 or by email at Elise.M.Ratcliff@usace.army.mil.

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