Montgomery Art Association - Paint the Town Labor Day Show

2024 Paint the Town Labor Day Show

Saturday, August 31-Monday, September 2, 2024
Historic Armory (Kensington Town Hall)
3710 Mitchell St.
Kensington, MD

Celebrate MAA’s 70^th anniversary at one of the DC region’s largest and longest-running art shows. The Town of Kensington and MAA present the Paint the Town Labor Day Show August 31-September 2, 2024, at the Historic Armory in Kensington, Maryland. The exhibition and sale is free and open to the public all weekend.

At the Station © Madeleine Greenwald; all other images © MAA/Cristina Baccin and © MAA/Martina Sestakova

Schedule of events

Friday, August 30

Plein air competition, 4-7 pm
Participating artists' reception (by invitation only), 5-7 pm

Saturday, August 31

Plein air competition, 7 am-3 pm
Show open, 11 am-8 pm
Live art demo, 1-3 pm
Awards ceremony, 6-7 pm

Sunday, September 1

Exhibition and sale open, 11 am-5 pm
Live music from the Wilson Jazz Duo, 12-3 pm
Live art demo, 1-3 pm

Monday, September 2

Town of Kensington Labor Day Parade & Festival, 10 am-2 pm
Exhibition and sale open, 10 am-5 pm
Live art demo, 11 am-1 pm
Customers pick up purchases, 5-7:30 pm

Tuesday, September 3

Customers pick up purchases, 9-11 am

How to exhibit your work

MAA members in good standing may enter up to two pieces of art in any of nine categories. The call for entries is now open, with a maximum of 500 works accepted. A limited number of spaces are also available for participants to sell prints and cards.

Learn more

Plein air competition has been extended to Friday night

When you stroll through Kensington on Friday night and Saturday, you'll see dozens of adult and youth artists painting and drawing. They are participants in our annual Plein Air Competition, which is open to the whole community. In addition to making art of any view within the town of Kensington, artists will also have the opportunity to paint or draw costumed models stationed at Flynn Park.

Learn more

Vicky Zhou won the 2023 plein air competition for her watercolor Farmers Market.

Artist Teresa Oaxaca to serve as this year's judge

"In assessing the works submitted to this competition, my focus will be on identifying pieces that demonstrate a mastery of form and technique, originality, and conceptual depth," says Teresa Oaxaca, who will judge this year's entries.

Teresa is a DC-based full-time painter whose works can be seen in collections and galleries throughout the US and internationally.

Paint the Town prizes will be awarded during a ceremony on Saturday evening

2024 Donors

We are honored to have received donations from the following companies and individuals for this year's show. Donations will be used as prizes in our painting competition.

Interested in donating? We are accepting credit card, gift card or in-kind donations through July 31, 2024. We can accept credit card donations online, or you may email our donations chair at maacommsteam@gmail.com to provide a gift card or in-kind donation.