Amerind seeks to foster and promote knowledge and understanding of the Native Peoples of the Americas through research, education, conservation, and community engagement.

A museum, art gallery, and research center dedicated to archaeology, Native cultures, and Western art. Located in Dragoon, Arizona, and surrounded by the spectacular boulders of Texas Canyon

The Sonoran Plein Air Painters invites all Signature and Artist level members to apply for the upcoming juried exhibition, “The Sound of Rocks and Wind.”

Juror of entries is Cody DeLong, formerly of Jerome, Arizona, currently residing in Portugal.  An experienced painter of 22 years, he says:

 “For me, great painting is about more that just the idea, though the overall emotional appeal is primary. The craftsmanship and skill in the brushwork, and design must be there too.

Many of today’s traditional impressionists, especially the hard core plein air crowd, seem to know only thick paint. They care little about edge variety, surface tension between transparent and opaque passages, drawing or design. For them ‘Impasto with Gusto’ or garish color is often the only goal.

Traditional impressionism is supposed to be shorthand for great understanding, not an excuse for lazy or sloppy painting.

‘Modern Impressionism’ demands even more from the artist. Art is not entirely subjective, there are measurable skills the artist possesses or not.

Ultimately, the question is, how well did the artist achieve that delicate balance between inspiration and skill? Both must be evident for a painting to succeed as art.”

Juror of the show, Charles Thomas, will award cash prizes at the reception on October 4.  . Charles is a fine artist whose work has been recognized by the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society, where he has been a finalist in their national exhibitions.

All sales will be handled by the Amerind Museum. A museum commission of 30% will be deducted from the sale price and the museum handles any relevant disbursements and shipping costs. 

Click HERE to apply!

Important dates for the show:

  • Thursday, May 1, 2025 - Application deadline via Jotform. Artists shall submit no more than three works each. Application fee is $35. Final selection will be determined by Juror of Entries. 

  • Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Notification of acceptance via email.

  • Thursday, May 22, 4 - 5:00 - Artists drop off artwork at Arizona Art Supply parking lot. Drop off art during designated window of time OR have someone bring it for you.

  • Saturday, October 4 from 1 - 4:00 pm - Reception at Art Gallery of the Amerind Museum. Awards to be announced

  • Sunday November 2, 2025 - Last day of show.

  • Tuesday, November 4, 2025 4 - 5:00 pm  Artists pick up art from parking lot of Arizona Art Supply. Pick up your art during designated window of time OR have someone pick it up for you. Art that is not picked up will be donated to Charity.

Eligibility: 

  • Art must be from current Artist or Signature level SPAP members. If you're not sure of your current status, confirm on the SPAP web page under Membership Directory.

  • Works must be created regionally in plein air only, during the last two years, and not created during a workshop.

  • Art must be ready to hang, framed with wire on back, no sawtooth hardware.

  • No wet paintings!

  • Label back of art with Artist Name, Title, Medium and Price.

  • 2 -3 paragraph Artist Bio is required for gallery book.

  • Art must be wrapped appropriately for transport to Dragoon, AZ. SPAP is not responsible for art work damaged during transport.

  • Two paintings per member, maximum 

  • Max framed size is 480 sq. inches (e.g. 20x24, 10x48, etc.)

  • Label on the back: Title, medium, price, artist name, contact info

Click HERE to apply!