Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame 2026: Sue Bredekamp

Editor’s note: Behind every successful festival are the people who quietly make it happen. The Plein Air Easton Hall of Fame was created to honor those whose commitment, leadership, creativity, and support have helped the festival grow from an ambitious idea into a nationally recognized event. In this series, we celebrate the 2026 inductees and the lasting impact each has had on the Plein Air Easton story.

In 2004, Sue Bredekamp picked up a paintbrush for the first time in her life.

“I had had a very long career in early childhood education. It was a very intense job that involved constant travel,” Bredekamp said. “When I left that job, it was sort of like, gosh, I don’t have any hobbies. What do I do?”

Looking for something new, she signed up for a beginning painting class at the Academy Art Museum. “Prior to that, I had only ever painted my fingernails,” Bredekamp said.

The class introduced students to color wheels, value charts, and the basics of painting. At the same time, Plein Air Easton was getting underway. Bredekamp was learning how artists worked just as artists from around the country were arriving in Talbot County to paint outdoors.

In those early years, there were no demonstrations or educational programs. If someone wanted to learn, they would have to find the artists and watch them work. That’s exactly what Bredekamp did. Along with a friend, she spent hours driving around Talbot County looking for painters. “I was absolutely getting on-site instruction,” Bredekamp said. “And, I’ve continued to get free painting lessons for twenty-two years.”  

Along the way, she and her husband, Joe, also began collecting the work of Plein Air Easton artists.

It wasn’t long before Bredekamp became part of the festival herself. She joined the steering committee. “I was particularly into information, giving people what they needed to know,” Bredekamp said.

During the festival, that meant welcoming first-time visitors, answering questions, and helping artists and guests navigate a growing schedule of events. 

Another opportunity soon followed.

“I remember having lunch with Al Bond and his saying to me, ‘Would I be interested in trying to work with the children’s program?’” Bredekamp said. “It was kind of a natural, because of my wheelhouse of being an early childhood educator, and so I said, ‘Sure.’”

“We tried all different kinds of things,” Bredekamp said. “For instance, on Quick Draw Day, we had outdoor tables where the kids had crafts. We had things set up, and we could never get that many children. It was pretty hot out there, and we realized parents may not really want to be out there with them.”

They didn’t give up.

“Every single year, we would sit down and say: ‘What can we do to fix this? It just needs to be better. We need more kids involved,’” Bredekamp said.

Activities eventually moved indoors. Programming expanded. Camps were added, and scholarships followed. Art teachers began recommending students who showed talent and interest. Over time, those efforts evolved into what is now known as Next Generation.“I feel like now it’s really achieved its potential,” Bredekamp said.

Today, Next Generation includes camps, scholarships, exhibitions, awards, and opportunities for young artists to display and sell their work. Bredekamp continues to emcee the annual awards ceremony. “It’s so wonderful,” she said. “We have the real-life judge who explains their choices, and it’s an education for all.”

For many of the students, it’s also the first time they’ve sold a painting..

“When I do my little spiel at the beginning about what’s so great about being an artist, I say you can do it until you die,” Bredekamp said. “It’s not like playing football or something, where it has a half-life. You can always be an artist, and I also make sure to point out that now they’re professional artists because they’ve sold their work.”

One Next Generation participant especially stands out. “Early on, one of the winners of Next Gen, Bradley Milligan, got juried into the show the following year,” Bredekamp said. “He’s a professional artist now.”

Bradley Milligan wasn’t the only one.“There are so many stories, it’s impossible to document,” Bredekamp said.

Twenty-two years leave you with a lot of stories.

Bredekamp remembers when Plein Air Easton concluded with a brunch and auction. The bidding could sometimes become uncomfortable. She recalls one in particular when artist Stephen Griffin had painted the home where the brunch was being held. The homeowner found herself bidding against another attendee for a painting of her own house.

“That was number one, the end of auctions, and number two, the end of brunches, and we never did that again,” Bredekamp said. “However, it led to the fabulous beginning of Meet the Artists.”

The festival continued to expand.

“It used to be Easton essentially, and then it grew,” Bredekamp said. “Now it’s the Tilghman Day, the Oxford Day. There’s so much programming going on in the Waterfowl Building now, and so many great demos, and the Working Artists Forum, Local Color. There’s just so much.”

Part of that success, she believes, comes from a willingness to keep improving.

“The beauty of the staff’s creativity is that they are always looking to add something new and different,” Bredekamp said. “That’s what keeps it being a leader, as opposed to falling into just doing the same thing over and over.”

More than two decades after picking up a paintbrush for the first time, Bredekamp still volunteers at the information table. She still helps guide Next Generation. She and Joe still make Plein Air Easton the first thing they put on the calendar each July.

Odds are they’ll also head home with another painting.