The 13th annual Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival runs August 11–16, 2025, bringing 75 artists to Dexter, Michigan for live open-air painting, art sales, and workshops.
Photo: PaintDexter.Com
A recent interview on The Lucy Ann Lance Show on 1290 AM highlighted the upcoming 13th annual Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival. Host Lucy Ann Lance spoke with Dexter Assistant City Manager Josh Tanghe, Rotary Club President Steve Feinman, and Bev Hill of the Dexter Area Historical Society about the festival’s return from August 11 to 16.
“The painters’ easels will dot the landscape of Dexter soon, the third week of August,” said host Lucy Ann Lance. “Artists and patrons from across the country will converge on Dexter, Michigan the third week in August, as painters create masterpieces right in the open air, on the streets, on the hillsides, everywhere.”
Community Participation
Josh Tanghe, Dexter’s assistant city manager, emphasized how the festival has grown over the years.
“It’s a beautiful little town. And you know, even in this short amount of time I’ve been with the city, we’ve seen a lot of growth, a lot of great things and continuing to do great things,” said Tanghe.
Steve Feinman, president of the Rotary Club of Dexter, said the event strengthens community ties. “We believe in the community. We’d like to engage the community in this important event in terms of preserving and enhancing the economic and social well-being of the community,” Feinman said.
A Hallmark Setting
Bev Hill, from the Dexter Area Historical Society and the city’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee, said the charm of Dexter attracts artists and visitors alike.
“One artist said to me last year, ‘This is like a hallmark town, you know.’ And I just sort of paused. Yeah, it is, but I never thought of it that way,” Hill said. “[Artists] walk around and they say, ‘People talk to us. We see families going by.’… Families are attracted to this community.”
Events and Quick Draw
Throughout the week, artists will work around town, with their finished pieces displayed in a large tent in Monument Park.
“Friday, a lot of the artists will start checking [their works] in, explained Tanghe. The artists who decide to participate in the Quick Draw competition will go out between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm. They’ll do their painting and bring those back in. By 2:00 pm on Friday, you can come in and start shopping, checking out some of the art. It goes through till Saturday evening.”
Broad Range of Art
The festival highlights Dexter’s mix of city and countryside. “When you go into the tent, you’ll see the full range from city landscapes to farm landscapes,” Feinman said. “You have all representation, you have all media, so you’re not limited to a particular medium. So you can have the watercolors, you can have acrylics, you can have oil paints.”
Workshops and Emerging Artists
In addition to professional and emerging artists, the festival offers workshops.
“We have three different workshops. One’s for elementary, then middle school and in high school and to young adult aged or even anybody really,” Tanghe said.
He added that the festival helps young artists develop. “One of the really cool things about this, too, is seeing some of our emerging professionals. And it’s been really awesome to see them take those steps in their skill every single year,” Tanghe said.
Paint Dexter Plein Air Festival
- Dates: August 11–16, 2025
- Locations: Around Dexter, with art sales and exhibits in Monument Park
- Highlights: Quick Draw contest (Aug. 15, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.), workshops for all ages, live painting throughout the city
For more details, visit paintdexter.com.
To hear the complete interview, visit https://the-lucy-ann-lance-show.simplecast.com/
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
