Art In The Open Festival - A Typical Week

There is a stunning daily Paintout location and we have provided a subsidised bus for those who would like transport. A weekly bus ticket can be bought on our site here which means you will be transported straight to the location with no parking worries. Daily return tickets can also be bought. It leaves Wexford each morning at 9am.

When you arrive at the paintout location, Art in the Open will have a central Registration Desk. On your first morning you will receive your AITO pack with lanyard and name badge. Our Volunteers will be waiting to welcome you every day and stamp your canvas or watercolour paper for the day’s painting. You will then scout for your preferred spot to paint, and we guarantee you will be spoilt for choice! Many artists stop at lunch time and gather for a break, a bite to eat, and to chat through the mornings work. After lunch is an opportunity to find a new location for a second painting or finish the first.

If you have signed up to do one of the morning or afternoon workshops, you will gather at the Registration Desk at at least 15 minutes before the workshop commences. One of our Volunteers will bring you to the spot where the Guest Tutor will paint. Most Workshops will be demonstration based, but do bring your brushes and easel as you have the opportunity to paint.

For anyone travelling by bus, it will leave the paintout location at 5pm to ferry you back to Wexford.

Time to relax after a busy day painting now!! If you enjoy the chance to gather in the evening we have a designated ‘social’ gathering spot where you can sit and chat with a glass of wine or a Guinness! On the Monday Night we will organise some local musicians and finger food for all as a ‘getting to know you’. Long lasting friendships have started at Art in the Open!

On the first Saturday morning you can choose to take a break, or you have the opportunity to enter the ‘Charity Quick Draw’ in Wexford Town, such a great festive atmosphere! Painting commences when the klaxon blows at 2pm, and entries are displayed on easels two hours later for the Winners to be selected. So many paintings are sold off the easel for this event .. it’s only 10 euro to enter. All of which, plus 20% of sales are donated to our chosen Charity.

You can select two of your paintings for submission to our celebrated Weekend Exhibition. If you are submitting work, you will hand in your completed exhibition form and paintings (framed and ready to hang) to the Gallery on Friday morning.

On the second Saturday, our Art in the Open’s Annual Festival Exhibition is a highly anticipated event in Wexford’s beautiful Greenacres Art Gallery. It is always great to see the many red dots after a successful week! Patrons Preview at 11am. Exhibition Grand Opening at 12 noon for AITO Artists & Public, and there’s always an eager and happy queue waiting with anticipation for doors to open to view and buy the art. If you would like to become an AITO Patron check out details here on our site. Our International Panel of Judges select the Art in the Open Festival Winners, with Prize Giving and Awards.

And of course we have our Gala Fancy Dress Dinner on the Saturday Night, what a way to finish the week! So whether you’re registering to join us for a couple of days, or for the whole week, you’ll love it and we look forward to meeting you!

Authors: Kate O’Donnell & Alma Hynes

Please download a copy of our Schedule for all info regarding times and dates.