by Allison Malafronte

A large crowd gathered during the Quick Draw contest at  the 2007 Plein Air Easton! event. Photo: Richard A. Dorbin www.paragonlight.com.

Plein Air Easton! Competition & Arts Festival—the East Coast’s premiere plein air event—is gearing up for its fourth-annual edition, which will be held July 21 through July 27, in Easton, Maryland. As in years past, the 2008 festival will attract some of the best plein air painters in the country and give them the opportunity to work in picturesque marine, rural, and downtown areas; offer educational opportunities through demonstrations and workshops with nationally recognized instructors; provide a competition and sale for selected artists with more than $11,000 in prizes; and include an arts festival, where participants will be able to interact with thousands of art enthusiasts and collectors.

Sweet Gloria by Scott Tallman Powers, 2007, oil, 16 x 12. Collection Mr. and Mrs. Howell.

To participate in the national competition portion of Plein Air Easton!—which will take place throughout the six-day scheduled event and include an exhibition of competitors’ work at the Academy Art Museum, in Easton—artists must be selected by having slides or digital images of their work judged by a prominent professional artist. This year’s entries juror will be Colorado artist and Plein-Air Painters of America member Brian Stewart, while California landscape painter and California Art Club member Lynn Gertenbach will judge the competition at the actual event in July. Artists chosen to compete will be announced March 24.

Because of the rare personal and professional opportunities Plein Air Easton! offers, artists travel from around the country to be a part of this popular event. “I’ve participated in Plein Air Easton! for the last three years, and of all the plein air events I attend, this is one of the best,” says Chicago artist Scott Tallman Powers, who won third place in the national competition last year for his painting Taking Care of Rosalind  and first place in the Quick Draw for Sweet Gloria. “The event is highly organized, and you get the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best plein air painters in the country. Also, there are so many enthusiastic collectors at Plein Air Easton!, and they are genuinely interested in meeting the artists and purchasing paintings.”

Robert Barber worked on his painting Lunch at Mason's, which ended up winning Grand Prize in Plein Air Easton’s 2007 national competition. Photo: Kevin Kleppinger,  www.kleppingerphoto.com.

In addition to the national competition and accompanying exhibition, there are a number of other exciting activities associated with the six-day festival. Prior to the commencement of the event, the Plein-Air Painters of America will present a workshop, exhibition, and seminar at the Academy Art Museum from May 18 through May 23. To officially kickoff the 2008 Plein Air Easton! festivities, a collectors’ party will then be held on Friday, July 25, which last year was attended by 175 regional and national collectors and resulted in the sale of 59 paintings grossing $69,000. Another popular staple of Plein Air Easton! is the two-hour-long Quick Draw contest—held on Saturday, July 26—which gives any artist-attendee a chance to create a plein air painting and compete for prizes and national recognition.

Sunday Brunch by Tracey Frugoli, 2007, oil, 11 x 14. Collection Academy Art Museum, Easton, Maryland. Photo: Ed Coleman.

“The first year I participated in Plein Air Easton! in 2005, I was lucky enough to win the Quick Draw event and Best Architectural Painting,” says East Peoria, Illinois, artist Tracey Frugoli, who won Honorable Mention in last year’s national competition for her painting Scossa and the Academy Art Museum Purchase Award for Sunday Brunch. “It ended up being a great way to increase awareness of my work on both a regional and national level, and I also ended up selling several paintings and finding a good gallery in Easton. I participated again in 2007, and I now have two pieces in the Academy Art Museum’s permanent collection. It’s just been a great experience overall and has become one of my favorite events.”

Kenn Backhaus and Russell Jewell at 2007 paint out for Sunday Brunch and Live Auction. Photo: Richard A. Dorbin, www.paragonlight.com.

Plein Air Easton! seems to have all the right attractions that make it a rewarding event for participants and attendees alike. In the three short years since its inception, the festival has seen tremendous growth, and in 2007 there was a 50 percent increase in both attendance and painting sales from 2006. “A successful plein air event is built on several components,” said Ross Merrill--the chief of conservation at the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, DC, and a regular participant in Plein Air Easton!—during a lecture he gave last year. “These include substantial prizes, sought-after artists from across the country, exhibition space in an accredited museum, a backbone of local art galleries, and strong community support. Plein Air Easton! has all of these, which has contributed to its great success.”

Ed Cooper painted in the mist during Plein Air Easton! 2007. Photo: Richard A. Dorbin, www.paragonlight.com.

Plein air painters who are interested in participating in Plein Air Easton! should review the prospectus and submit their entries by the declared deadline for that year. “Get the best images you have of your landscape work, and send them in,” encourages Frugoli. “And don’t be disappointed if you’re not selected. Remember, it is only the opinion of one person judging the images, and maybe the juror the following year will better resonate with your work.” “You won’t be disappointed,” adds Powers. “The location is beautiful—there are a variety of landscapes, harbor scenes, cityscapes—and the people are all so down-to-earth and helpful. It’s an experience to be remembered.”

For more information on Plein Air Easton!, including details on all scheduled events, visit www.pleinair-easton.com.

Allison Malafronte is the associate editor of American Artist.

Comments

Looks like an amazing event.

How do I sign up for the Plein Air Easton! Prepares for 2008 Event? I'm a plein air painter from Utah that has taken Best in Show at most of Utah's plein air competitions. You can see some of my plein air work at: http://bristleconegallery.com/Steven_Heward.php
Please let me know how I can sign up. Thanks so much and best regards, Steven Heward.

How do I sign up for the Plein Air Easton! Prepares for 2008 Event? I'm a plein air painter from Utah that has taken Best in Show at most of Utah's plein air competitions. You can see some of my plein air work at: http://bristleconegallery.com/Steven_Heward.php
Please let me know how I can sign up. Thanks so much and best regards, Steven Heward.