21st Annual Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout
July 25, 2026 8:00 pm
21st Annual Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout brings painters, neighbors, and art lovers back to Alameda starting Saturday, July 25.
The action begins at Frank Bette Center For the Arts, the cozy Paru Street arts spot that always feels more like a community living room than a formal gallery. It is the kind of place where people stop to talk about color, light, and what they just saw down by the water.
This annual paintout sends artists outside to capture Alameda in real time. Streets, shoreline views, old homes, gardens, and daily island life all become part of the work. The performers here are the painters themselves, working with brushes, easels, and whatever the Bay light gives them that day.
If you like seeing art before it reaches the wall, this is a good one. You get a closer look at how plein air painting happens, and you can meet the people helping make the event run. Volunteers are needed too, with more than 40 shifts open from July 25 through August 6.
The July 25 kickoff runs from 1 to 3 pm at 1601 Paru St. in Alameda. If you have a little time to give, or just want to be around a friendly local art scene, this is an easy way to plug in.
See event details and sign up here.
SIGN UP TODAY! VOLUNTEER FOR THE 21ST ANNUAL PLEIN AIR PAINTOUT OVER 40 SHIFTS AVAILABLE JULY 25 THROUGH AUGUST 6