Signature Event · 2026
Tidelands Plein Air
Celebrating our rivers, streets, and working landscapes through outdoor painting.
Tidelands Plein Air is TAG's celebration of the Northern Neck's rivers, streets, and working landscapes — painted live, outdoors, over the course of the event. Registered artists set up around Tappahannock and the surrounding waterfront to capture the town as it actually looks and moves.
The event wraps with two community gatherings: a picnic where artists and neighbors can mingle mid-event, and a collector's party where the day's finished paintings go on display — and up for sale — to close things out.
Every dollar raised through registration and added donations goes straight back to Tappahannock Artists' Guild, supporting the gallery, its classes, and its year-round programming.
HOW THE DAY UNFOLDS
Paint, Picnic, Party
Three parts to the event, from brush to sale.
Outdoor Painting
Registered artists spread out across Tappahannock and its waterfront to paint on location, working the town's streets, storefronts, and river views into finished pieces.
Part One
Community Picnic
Artists and neighbors gather to eat, rest, and compare notes mid-event — a chance for the town to see the day's work in progress.
Part Two
Collector's Party
The day closes with a reception where finished paintings go on display, and collectors get first chance to take a piece of the day home.
Part Three