The Plein Air Exhibition and Stories in Portrait Exhibition, sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild, will open Oct. 22 and run through Nov. 15 at The Next Picture Show in Dixon.

The opening reception and awards presentation will be from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 24.

En plein air, or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view. This class of paintings was started in the Impressionist period, when capturing the mood of the daylight intrigued many artists.

For Stories in Portraits, The Next Picture Show invited all who share in the love of capturing the essence of life through portraits. Visitors love to see personality on display, whether it’s human, animal or abstract.