By 7pm on July 10, 2015, 58 nationally recognized artists from across the country will have arrived in Easton, MD at the Avalon Theatre. These artists will have stacks of canvases of all varieties and sizes tucked under their arms or rolling in on carts. Plein Air Easton’s 2015 juried participants competing artists of 2015 will gather for the first time, sizing each other up and wondering who might become the grand prize winners for this year. The canvases and their artists are met by a group of welcoming volunteers tasked with verifying that the canvases are, indeed, blank. Each is then stamped with an official Plein Air Easton 2015 mark, an overview of event rules and regulations is presented stamp and the date then the artists are unleashed on the landscape. “I love the artist orientation/registration every year” states Suzy Moore, House Manager for the Avalon Foundation, from which Plein Air Easton stems. “The energy is palpable.”
The artists are given restrictions regarding allowable painting areas: the Delmarva Peninsula on Saturday and Sunday, Talbot County on Monday and Tuesday and the Town of Easton on Wednesday and Thursday. Special opportunities abound, including access to private properties and invitations to celebratory meals. They are given the list of event awards that defines the scope of the competition, encouraging the painting of maritime scenes or of this year’s agricultural landscapes; awards that highlight and draw attention to our changing landscape, and which celebrate the lives of loved ones. “I’m not sure that the average person really understands how fierce the competition actually is.
While plein air painting is not a sport, this is every bit a competition. As the most prestigious competition in the nation, winning in Easton is a larger conversation than prize money alone; it means an instant career boost. The winners get invited to other major competitions; galleries seek to represent them; their price goes up. It can be life changing. Artists are constantly playing strategic moves and jockeying for opportunities and position. Artists practice and train for success. It is really spectacular and exciting to witness,” explains Jess Rogers, General Manager of the Avalon Foundation.
Also on this evening, artists may leave two framed pieces, which will be on display (and for sale), July 13-19 in the Avalon Gallery. The gallery/sales/artists gathering location provides an opportunity to get to know the participants, their styles and perspectives – a benefit to choosing artists to follow week-long, and to plan one’s purchasing path at the Collectors’ Party and throughout the weekend.
By Friday, July 17 as many as 580 of these canvases will no longer be blank but will still be wet with fresh paint. The paintings will tell a dynamic story detailing the preceding week. From the phase of the moon to a lively lunch in a local café these paintings will capture a moment in time and become part of the history of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The artists must choose two paintings they feel most likely to garner awards; these will be to be hung and then judged in the i.g. Burton Competition Gallery at the nationally accredited Academy Art Museum (106 South Street, Easton, MD). With more than $20K in awards on the line, competition is stiff. Artists must determine their strongest eligible works. What this year’s judge (renowned art collector and publisher Christopher “Kip” Forbes) may be looking for and which awards to specifically seek from among the roughly fifteen varied categories.
This year, for the first time, the remainder of their works, as many as 464 paintings will be inventoried and readied for exhibition and sale at the new Library Exhibit and Sale at the Waterfowl Armory (40 South Harrison Street). Historically, these were stored on the second floor of the Academy Art Museum. While patrons could see them, they were required to be escorted into the limited space. The wait was often long and the experience, tedious. The newly-designed Waterfowl Armory Library Exhibition and Sale should relieve all of those issues, allowing easy view and purchase. “It was time to make a material change. The event has grown so large that we really needed to make a move to better serve our collectors,” stated Avalon Foundation Executive Director, Al Bond.
The change also allows the first-ever opportunity for the general public to view the i.g. Burton Competition Gallery with all competition works still in place, just as the judge sees them. Historically reserved only for those attending the Collectors’ Party (competition work that was sold, went home with buyers and was replaced by other paintings from the library), the new exhibition plan, allows everyone to view the entire collection. “In the past, award winning paintings were the only competition works on display all weekend. If you didn’t make the Collectors’ Party, your only opportunity to see the all the competition works was online. This will serve the entire community so much better,” believes Suzy Moore.
The Collectors’ Party will remain the highlight of the week for many. In past years, sales have topped a painting sold every 45 seconds for 90 minutes. With excitement around the awards ceremony coupled with the overwhelming beauty of fresh paintings, many people find the event unforgettable. Tickets ($150) apply in full toward the purchase of a painting, making it reasonable that anyone considering adding a new piece of fine art to their collection should plan to be there. Tickets always sell out quickly and can be purchased online at pleinaireaston.com.
“If you love the Eastern Shore, this is the year to come out and see what can happen to hundreds of blank canvases in a week when the best plein air painters in the country do their magic. With art from the competing artists at the Avalon, Academy and Armory, it is sure to be the best year yet. We hope to see everyone there,” enthuses Jess Rogers.
For a complete schedule, tickets, artist bios and gallery hours visit pleinaireaston.com.
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