The Prizes for our 2026 Winners
Winners of the Cambridgeshire Plein Air Artist of the Year 2026 in both the Amateur, Professional and categories, will receive a prestigious prize package that recognises their artistic achievement and supports their continued growth.
Prize Package will definitely include:
Weekend Exhibition Opportunity at Modo Gallery, Cambridge on 20th and 21st June – Showcase your winning artwork in a professionally curated group show at one of the city’s leading contemporary art spaces.
Trophy – Each winner will receive a trophy in recognition of their success.
Bottle of Champagne provided by Cheffins
One of the following: An Auto Turntable, D70X Book Shelf Speakers or a Dab Radio all supplied by our supporter Majority Audio.
Modo Gallery, Cambridge - A Showcase Like No Other For Our Winners
A larger more dynamic space designed to inspire with installations and immersive experiences, reflecting our commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and redefining the contemporary art experience for everyone.
MODO is an emerging force in the contemporary gallery landscape, distinct in its dedicated focus on the work of David Hockney. Recognised as a leading destination for collectors, investors, and admirers seeking museum-quality works and focused guidance, MODO combines market awareness with a distinctive curatorial voice. With spaces in both Cambridge and London’s historic Piccadilly Arcade, the gallery provides access to a carefully curated selection of Hockney’s work across two key locations. Its partnership with Art and Culture Education CIC (Ace CIC) MODO also contributes to wider advocacy for access to Art for children, aligning its commercial success with a broader cultural mission.
MODO’s curated approach and market expertise make it an essential partner for anyone looking to invest in art with both confidence and purpose and turn a hobby into something more.
"MODO is proud to support the 2026 Cambridgeshire Plein Air Artist of the Year Award, and to host this year’s winning artists.
Plein air painting is not simply about working outdoors, it is about thinking in real time. It asks the artist to respond to light as it shifts, to time as it unfolds, and to perception as something active rather than fixed. These are questions that sit at the heart of David Hockney’s work, and as a gallery dedicated to his practice, we see a clear continuity between this tradition and his sustained exploration of seeing, whether in Yorkshire, California, or Normandy. Much of his work is grounded in this same direct engagement with the world, where observation becomes a form of enquiry.
This year’s works bring that process into focus. They are not just records of place, but evidence of attention, decisions made in the now, perception tested against reality.
We are particularly interested in the Young Artists category, where this way of thinking is still forming. What emerges here is not simply talent, but the early stages of cognitive development through art. This is where perception becomes active, where judgement begins to take shape, and where inventive thinking emerges. The ability to observe, question, select, and reinterpret is not separate from education, it is foundational to it. In this sense, these works are not endpoints, but evidence of thinking in motion, of agency beginning to form.
At MODO, we see this as part of a broader conversation. As a gallery dedicated to David Hockney’s work, we explore how art shapes perception, attention, and the way we understand the world. Alongside this, through Art and Culture Education CIC, we extend this work into education, developing programmes that position art as a core cognitive system, not an optional extra, but a foundation for how thinking evolves. Together, these strands connect the gallery, the classroom, and the wider public, forming a space where art is experienced not just as something to look at, but as a way of thinking" Sally Clarke, Owner
A huge thank you to Majority Audio for proudly supporting the Cambridgeshire Plein Air Artist of the Year Award and for providing such an amazing audio prize for each of our category-winning artists. Your generosity helps us celebrate the incredible creativity and talent within our artistic community, and we’re truly grateful for your support in recognising and rewarding the hard work and passion of our winners.
Little Shelford Cream DAB radio
MAJORITY D70X Bookshelf Speakers Bluetooth 70W