Paint the Town 2026

Live Art Event and Online Fundraising Auction in Support of ARTSPLACE Gallery

Paint the Town 2024

A New Chapter for Paint the Town as It Celebrates 31 Years

August 15 & 16, 2026
Online Art Auction: August 17 – 21, 2026
ARTSPLACE Gallery, Annapolis Royal

About the Event

ARTSPLACE Gallery and the Annapolis Region Community Arts Council are pleased to present Paint the Town 2026, taking place August 15 and 16 in Annapolis Royal, followed by an online auction from August 17 to 21. Celebrating its 31st anniversary, the event enters a new chapter this year by welcoming artists from across Canada to participate.

For over three decades, Paint the Town has transformed Annapolis Royal into an open-air studio, inviting artists to create work on location in the town’s streets, gardens, waterfront, and historic landscapes. This year, 50 artists have registered; 36 will paint and create throughout the community over the weekend, while an additional 14 artists from across Canada will participate remotely from their studios. Remote participants will share works in progress online and contribute selected works to the auction, expanding the event while maintaining its strong connection to place and community.

Visitors are encouraged to explore Annapolis Royal throughout the weekend, where they will have the opportunity to meet artists and experience the creative process firsthand, an enduring tradition that has made Paint the Town a favourite annual event for residents and visitors alike.

“Paint the Town has always been about bringing artists and the broader community together,” says Sophie Paskins, Gallery Director of ARTSPLACE. “This reimagined format allows us to welcome artists regardless of geography while keeping the energy and community engagement that have made the event special for so long. This year we are especially fortunate to have realtor Brent Goertzen as our lead event sponsor.”

Paint the Town has served as ARTSPLACE’s signature annual fundraiser. Thousands of artworks have been created and sold, supporting participating artists while also helping sustain the year-round exhibitions, workshops, youth programming, and community arts initiatives of the Annapolis Region Community Arts Council.

“This event has always reflected what’s possible when a community commits to art as something that belongs to everyone,” says ARCAC board member Ted Lind. “Extending it across Canada is a natural next step.”

Bidder registrations are now open.

For more information or to register, visit arcac.ca/paintthetown or follow @arcac.artsplace on Instagram.

Also On View

Members’ Exhibition: More is More
August 1 – September 5, 2026

Charlotte Wilson-Hammond: Glass ½ Full
August 1 – September 5, 2026

Leslie McFarlane – Whispers of Wool: A Textural Language
August 1 – September 5, 2026

Philip Hare: Shots & Prayers
August 1 – September 19, 2026

About ARTSPLACE

ARTSPLACE is a public art gallery that is operated by the Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, a registered charitable, community organization dedicated to encouraging and promoting the arts. Supported through the Province of Nova Scotia and the Canada Council for the Arts.

ARTSPLACE is located in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. We recognize and honour the contributions of L’nu’k, the Indigenous people of Mi’kma’ki, and we commit to making space within our programs for people to learn about the history of the Peace and Friendship Treaties and the relationship between nations, both past and present.

We also acknowledge that land acknowledgements alone are not enough. We must seek out and support Indigenous artists. We must listen to diverse voices.

ARTSPLACE Gallery
396 St. George Street
Annapolis Royal, NS B0S 1A0
www.arcac.ca
admin@arcac.ca
902-532-7069

Facebook @ARTSPLACEGallery
Instagram @arcac.artsplace

Accessibility:
ARTSPLACE Gallery has one accessible parking space at the front of the building and a ramped entrance. The Main, Library, and Mym Galleries, as well as the washroom, are all wheelchair accessible on one level. The Chapel Gallery is wheelchair accessible via an external ramp and is located on a lower level than the main galleries. The upstairs programming space is accessible by stairs only.