This is the Oil Painters of America 35th National Exhibition and it will be on display at Steamboat Art Museum from Friday, May 29 through Saturday, Aug. 29, with free admission throughout the summer. 

Every four years, the exhibition travels to Steamboat Springs as part of OPA’s effort to highlight distinct regions of the country through representational art. This year’s show drew more than 1,800 applicants, with roughly 180 artists selected through a juried process. Also featured are approximately 30 OPA Master Signature artists – the organization’s highest level of distinction – whose work is included by invitation rather than jury selection.

Founded in 1991, OPA has become one of the country’s leading advocates for representational painting, championing artists whose work is rooted in observation and craftsmanship. Its exhibitions bring together painters from across the United States who continue to work in a centuries-old tradition while finding contemporary ways to interpret landscape, still life, portraiture and Western subjects.

Among the artists selected this year is Steamboat painter Chula Beauregard, the exhibition’s only local artist. Chula describes the OPA National Exhibition as “the crown jewel” of the organization’s annual events and considers its members “some of the best representational artists on the continent.”

“When I found out I got into the National Exhibit, I was thrilled,” Chula says. “It is extremely hard to get into this show, and I have more red Xs than I have green check marks on my submission page. Nevertheless, I keep painting and I keep submitting, and sometimes it works out.”

In addition to the exhibition itself, a convention during opening week will include live painting competitions, artist demonstrations, panel discussions and educational programming. Chula will also present her show, “Legacy,” at the Tread of Pioneers Museum, as part of the event’s breakout sessions for convention attendees. “The event offers a rare opportunity for both collectors and students to engage directly with nationally recognized painters and museum-quality work,” she says.

The connection to the American West makes the exhibition especially resonant in Northwest Colorado. Steamboat has long existed within a visual mythology shaped by ranchland, mountains, snowfall and open sky. Those images appear everywhere: in tourism campaigns, real estate brochures, old photographs and local memory – but painters approach them differently. Their work is not simply about documenting scenery. It is about translating atmosphere and emotion into something tangible.

Jane Hunt, an exhibiting artist and vice president of OPA, believes viewers experience representational painting differently today than they once did.

“We’re so accustomed to consuming images quickly, often on screens, that sustained looking has become less common,” Jane says. “Because of that, representational painting can feel almost like an invitation to slow down. When viewers take the time to really look, subtle qualities of light, atmosphere and surface begin to unfold, creating a more intimate and meaningful experience.”

After decades in which contemporary art often favored conceptual or digital work, many artists and audiences have been drawn back toward realism and handmade craft. Part of the appeal may be cultural fatigue. People spend much of modern life moving rapidly through screens and images and work demanding sustained attention can feel unexpectedly grounding.

“When visitors move through the exhibition, I hope they take their time,” says Betse Grassby, executive director of Steamboat Art Museum. “Consider what the artist was trying to capture, the feeling behind the work and your own emotional response to it. In the middle of a hot summer, the museum offers a chance to slow down and experience something thoughtfully.”

Ultimately, the significance of the exhibition may have less to do with nostalgia than attention. In a culture built around speed, representational painting insists that some things cannot be rushed. To paint carefully, one must observe carefully. To truly see a painting, viewers must do the same. That quiet exchange between artist, landscape and audience is what makes the upcoming exhibition feel not old-fashioned, but surprisingly relevant.

The Oil Painters of America 35th National Exhibition will be on display at Steamboat Art Museum Friday, May 29 - Saturday, Aug. 29. For more information visit https://steamboatartmuseum.org/.