Paint Out Artist Information
Call for Artists
Apply for one of the 48 spots available for the 2025 Bluff Strokes Plein Air Paint Out (28 September-4 October) in Dubuque, Iowa. Applications are due by 31 March.
Check out Paint Dubuque for painting location suggestions with photos and maps.
Want to learn more about the event venue, party, and sales?
Meet Our 2025 Judge
We are delighted to announce that Hector Acuna will be the judge for our 2025 Plein Air Paint Out.
Hector Acuna holds a BFA from UW Stevens Point and an MFA from Michigan State. Working primarily in oil, Hector's outdoor work is very organic, allowing shapes, colors, and textures of time to inspire his paintings. In the studio, his images drift toward surreal and imaginative compositions, pulling visual references from life. Hector has recently won awards at several prestigious events, including Best of Show at the 2022 Door County Plein Air Festival. At the 2023 Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE23 ) he was named the M. Stephen Doherty Breakthrough Artist of the Year. He was featured in the 2023 Oct/Nov issue of Plein Air Magazine and was on the faculty for PACE24.