Thanks to the generous support of Bruce Wiltse and Bill Davenport, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) and Plein Air Easton (PAE) will host “Forever For Everyone,” a plein air invitational celebrating public parks and trails conserved and enhanced by ESLC. A new round of PAE award winners will paint spring scenes at Bohemia River State Park, the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Oxford Conservation Park, and Friendship Park. These properties were partly funded by Program Open Space, which was at risk of being zeroed out in Maryland’s most recent General Assembly.
Paintings will be on display July 17-19 during the Avalon Foundation’s 21st PAE festival, the largest and most prestigious juried plein air painting competition in the United States. ESLC and PAE will host a free preview reception and award ceremony on Wednesday July 16, 2025 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Eastern Shore Conservation Center in Easton—an excellent opportunity to get a first look at the artwork, meet the artists, enjoy refreshments, and learn more about ESLC’s conservation work.
More than 10,000 of the 67,000+ acres ESLC has helped to protect are open to the public. ESLC has a long history of purchasing properties before they can be developed and then transferring the conserved land to become parks, preserves, and extensions of public-access Wildlife Management Areas. This work began in 1992 with the transfer of saltmarsh and woodland to expand the Maryland Ornithological Society’s Irish Grove. And it continues today with the restoration of Camp Grove Point, which will expand Grove Farm WMA’s 1,000 acres of forest, farms, marshes, and beaches that provide public access for hiking, fishing, birding, and hunting.
“Forever for Everyone puts our public lands—made possible through Program Open Space and the conservation work of ESLC—right in front of people’s eyes,” said ESLC President & CEO, Steve Kline. “These places aren’t just scenic—they’re state investments in public access, community health, and local economies. ESLC is deeply grateful to PAE, the Avalon Foundation, Bruce Wiltsie and Bill Davenport, and to the exceptionally talented artists who bring our unique landscape to life.”
Marie Nuthall, Plein Air Easton’s Outdoor Event Coordinator commented, “We are deeply grateful for our collaboration with ESLC, which has brought to life a vision celebrating the beauty of our Eastern Shore landscape. We’re thrilled to welcome back exceptional PAE alumni artists for the exhibit from July 16-19 which is free and (like the featured properties) open to the public. Come by enjoy inspiring art, support our talented artists, and celebrate the Eastern Shore landscapes we cherish. Your support enriches our community culture and helps protect the environment we love.”
ESLC is grateful to Cameron Davidson, Dave Harp, Ashley Stubbs, Dylan Taillie, Hillel Brandes, Jill Jasuta, Kirk Marks, and Susan Hale who photo-documented these parks, enabling some artists to paint from home locations.
Those interested in attending the July 16th preview can register for free at www.eslc.org/events.
Established in 1990, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s mission is to conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, forever a special place of diverse and abundant natural resources and thriving rural communities.
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