May 20 - 25, 2019, Eureka Springs, AR
The First Plein Air of Eureka Springs International Festival is being held in Eureka Springs, Arkansas May 20 - 25, 2019.
This year's competition hosts 25 of the best plein air painters from the Northwest Arkansas region and around the USA.
HISTORY
Plein Air is a form of painting in which artists step outside of their studios and paint the natural outdoor surroundings. Most plein air pieces are (1) landscapes, (2) specific buildings or (3) beautiful natural areas.
In the early 1860s, four young rebel painters in France met in art school and discovered that they shared an interest in painting landscapes and contemporary life. They often ventured into the countryside together to paint in the open air. At the time it was customary to make sketches and later develop the sketches into carefully finished works of art back in the studio.
Instead, this form is painting outside in nature, and finishing the work on location. This was fascinating to onlookers and passers-by and not soon after, these young rebels became legends: Claude Monet (1840-1926), Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), Alfred Sisley (1839-1899), and Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870) discovered that by painting in sunlight, directly from nature, and making bold use of the vivid synthetic pigments that had recently been invented, they could develop a lighter and brighter style of painting.
Plein air painting spread across America, and art colonies developed in places like Cos Cob and Old Lyme, Connecticut; Taos, New Mexico; Laguna Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea California; New Hope, Pennsylvania, Brown County in Indiana and our very own Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
ARTIST WELCOME
=======================
ARTIST WELCOME RECEPTION
========================
Monday
May 20, 2019 5:00 PM
Main Stage, 67 N. Main Street
This "meet & greet" event is for Invitational Artists only. Thank you.
All of our Invitational Artists are highly encouraged to meet at The Main Stage to pick up their Welcome Bag and mix-n-mingle with the other artists and participants.
At this meet-n-greet we will take a group photo and go over important details for the week. You will not want to miss this kick-off event.
**Art will be for sale each and every day of the Festival.**
SPECIAL FEATURED EVENTS
Thursday & Friday
May 23-24, 2019 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Click here to book this Guest Artist Feature.
Special "Open Event" Feature - QUICK DRAW
Friday & Saturday
May 24-25, 2019
9:00 AM - 12 noon
This featured event is open to everyone.
$25 per participant per day
All artwork from these two Quick Draw Event Days will be on display at the New Orleans Hotel, 63 Spring Street
Judging for the Quick Draw Event artwork will take place at 2:30pm on Saturday May 25, 2019 at The Main Stage, 67 N. Main Street, Eureka Springs, AR 72632.
In the true style of Eureka Springs, The 1st Annual Plein Air of Eureka Springs International Festival has partnered with local high school art students to provide the opportunity for them to paint with these highly acclaimed international artists visiting this Festival by invitation. Students from around our region and from the following High Schools will be participating in this STUDENT FEATURE EVENT.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
10:00am - 12:00noon
Bentonville High School
Bentonville West High School
Berryville High School
Rogers High School
Fayetteville High School
Springdale High School
Eureka Springs High School
Clear Springs High School
Harrison High School
All artwork from the STUDENT FEATURE EVENT will be on display at the New Orleans Hotel, 63 Spring Street
Students are encouraged to register their interest with their Art Teacher at their High School.
THE NIGHTLY PULSE
Stay on the pulse of the festival all week at THE MAIN STAGE
67 N. Main Street, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Open to the Public Events at The Main Stage
*Live Music will be different each evening. Please come enjoy.
Nightly, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Tuesday, May 21, 2019 through Friday May 24, 2019
-*Live Music, Light Appetizers, Cash Bar, Meet the Artists, View Artwork
AWARDS PRESENTATION
DATE: Saturday, May 25, 2019
TIME: 7:30pm
LOCATION: The Main Stage, 67 N. Main Street, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
All Welcome!
PLANNERS
James D. Statton (Jom) is the creator, owner, and head designer of Statton Design Group, Inc. (SDG), a small, boutique firm that specializes in commercial interior design.
Jom graduated from Oklahoma State Tech in 1982 with a double major in CAD drafting and graphics design. After graduation, Jom moved to Dallas where he spent time at Texas Instruments, Bell Helicopter, F. Brown & Associates, and Staffelbach Design Associates.
In 1993, Jom created Statton Design.
In 2018, Jom created The Statton Gallery, Madison's Garden.
The Statton Gallery, Madison’s Garden, 137 Spring Street, Eureka Springs, AR 72632 is an art gallery, with an outdoor sculpture garden in honor of Jom’s family, art, Eureka Springs, the artists and their positive impact on humanity, the beauty of nature found in the hills, springs and mountains of Eureka Springs and North West Arkansas, and of course, the wonderful memory of Jom's son Madison and his love for people, and life.
Our thanks to Jom, his wife Judy, and the Statton Gallery, Madison's Garden of Eureka Springs for their hard work and dedication to plan and organize The 1st Annual Plein Air of Eureka Springs International Festival.
SPONSORS
The 2019 1st Annual Plein Air of Eureka Springs International Festival is the highest paying art competition and exhibition in the State of Arkansas.
May is Festival of the Arts in Eureka Springs, so there is no better place for this plein air experience. Learn more about Eureka's May Festival of the Arts here.
