Events
Join us for upcoming events on our campus to see art, meet artists, and support the work of the Mendocino Art Center.
MOPO 2025
Join us at the Mendocino Art Center for the Mendocino Open Paint Out (MOPO), our annual plein air festival!
Sept 8th - Sept 14th.
Nestled along the stunning Mendocino Coast of northern California, our festival offers a picturesque canvas where the Pacific Ocean meets stunning landscapes. With its rugged coastal views, charming Victorian buildings and pastoral vineyards, Mendocino is not only a place with sublime natural beauty that inspires artists and nature lovers alike, but is also the ancestral lands of the Northern Pomo people.
Their future, along with Mendocino’s landscape, is once again placed in a precarious position. The gradual amplification of climate change and deregulation of environmental policies has brought to the fore the important role communities have to play in preserving the biodiversity and ecologies that still remain. MOPO offers an unique opportunity for artists, visitors and local residents to build community around a shared love for art and nature, and to contemplate the fragility of the remarkable coast that we call home.
Whether you’re looking to gather with fellow artists, enhance your technique, collect new works or simply celebrate art in one of the most scenic settings on the West Coast, MOPO promises an enriching experience for all.
This year we are thrilled to have Cathy Xu, 2024’s top award winner as one of our judges alongside local legend Maeve Croghan. Stay tuned for more announcements to come!
We’re working on creating a great event for 2025. Check back here for details on vendors, food, scheduling and more.
For lodging and accommodations, click here.
Our lodging is limited and does tend to sell out around the event.
Register
Registrations are now open for our 2025 MOPO.
A PROGRESSIVE ENSEMBLE
Art Explorers is pleased to present A PROGRESSIVE ENSEMBLE, a group exhibition highlighting artwork from eight progressive art studios at the historic Mendocino Art Center.
Co-curated by the studio artists at Art Explorers, this exhibition is a celebration of the vibrant communities of artists participating in progressive art studios throughout the country and the contributions these individuals are making to the contemporary art world.
It is a pleasure to share this world of creativity with Mendocino County on the 25th anniversary year of the Art Explorers studio art program. This exhibition is made possible through a partnership with our friends at the Mendocino Art Center, and features artwork across mediums including painting, weaving, sculpture, and mixed media.
Participating studios include Alchemia (Petaluma, CA); Art Explorers (Fort Bragg, CA); Cedars Art Studios (Ross, CA); Center for Creative Works (Wynnewood, PA); Elbow Room (Portland, OR); Fresh Eye Arts (Twin Cities, MN); Make Studio (Baltimore, MD); Neighborhood Center of the Arts (Grass Valley, CA).
We invite you to join us to celebrate this amazing group of artists at the Mendocino Art Center. A PROGRESSIVE ENSEMBLE is an opportunity to come together in joy and broaden our community, and to stand united with progressive art studios across the country in the fight for social visibility, inclusion, and respect.