Wallowa Valley Arts Festival Transitions into New Plein Air Celebration

Joseph, OR — For more than four decades, the Wallowa Valley Arts Council has proudly hosted the Wallowa Valley Arts Festival—one of Eastern Oregon's most cherished annual arts events. The Josephy Center (JCAC) merged with the Arts Council in 2018 and adopted the Arts Festival. While 2025 would have marked the festival's 43rd year, JCAC is entering an exciting period of transformation. With major construction set to begin on our facility this September, available space will be significantly limited.

In response, JCAC is embracing this moment of transition with creativity and vision. Rather than pause the tradition, we're reimagining it.

The celebration continues on Saturday, September 20, with free gallery admission and a lively Quick Draw event across the street, featuring live music and a welcoming community atmosphere. Artists are also invited to contribute to a Silent Auction, running from Friday evening through Sunday, September 21, at 1:30pm—a great way for collectors to support the arts and for the Josephy Center to raise funds for future programming.

We are excited to announce the Wallowa Valley Plein Air Festival, a dynamic, juried celebration of landscape painting. Open to artists working in all fine art painting mediums, this event will include plein air painting, a juried gallery show, a Quick Draw competition, a silent auction, and more.

We invite artists near and far to be part of this reimagined celebration of art, nature, and creativity in the heart of the Wallowa Valley.