2020 Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival
- 2020 Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival -
August 19 - 22, 2020
The Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival is a four-day plein air painting event. It takes place in the beautiful mountainous area surrounding the town of Blowing Rock in western North Carolina. Its aim is to bring painters together from around the world to paint outside in the fresh air while getting to know each other and sharing their work. The event prompts applicants to explore the unique Blowing Rock architecture, spectacular Blue Ridge Mountain views, and overall Appalachian feel of one of the most scenic areas in the country.
After four days of painting "en plein air," painters are invited to display their completed works at the "Wet Paint" Art Show & Sale on Saturday afternoon, August 22nd. Collectors and the public are invited to attend this impressive display of Plein Air paintings to both view and purchase the unique works that highlight the incredible beauty of the High Country.
All submitted art to the art show will be entered into a judged plein air painting competition. Awards will be given in two categories, professional and novice.
COVID-19 UPDATE: We are still planning on hosting this event.
We will be reevaluating our procedures for artist check in and especially for the Wet Paint Show and Sale, and adhere to best practices to avoid transmission of COVID-19, while still giving the highest quality experience to our artists and buyers.
Updates may include:
Online auction possibilities.
Changes to the schedule Saturday to allow for smaller numbers of viewers at one time.
Limited, timed admission into the Wet Paint Show and Sale.
Any such changes will be communicated by August 1st.
Thank you to those who have registered and sponsored this event. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in August.
Schedule
Wednesday, August 19th
Artist check-in from 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Paint until dusk
Thursday, August 20th - Saturday, August 22nd
Artists continue painting until art drop off by 11:00 am on Saturday (see details below)
Saturday, August 22, 2020
9:00 - 11:00 am: Art Drop off. (Artists may drop off work anytime Saturday before the deadline of 11:00 am. Please complete paperwork in advance.)
1:00 – 2:00 pm: Ticketed Patron Preview and Judging
2:00 - 3:30 pm: Awards Ceremony, Public Reception, Wet Paint Show
3:30 pm: Artists collect any unsold paintings if they do not wish to participate in the online sale. Sold artwork claimed by purchasers with receipt.
4:00 - 5:00 pm: Online Sale of unsold works.
5:00 pm: Artist pickup of unsold works.
Registration
All artists should register online in advance of the event. Your festival name badge entitles you to free admission to local attractions during the festival for the purpose of painting on site.
$50/55 early bird registration- through June 30, 2020
$55/60 regular registration- July 1 – July 31, 2020
$60/65 “at the door” registration August 1 - August 18, 2020
Please Note: Limited space available. An 80% refund will be issued if the participant cancels at least two weeks prior to the event.
Check-in
Registered artists check-in at BRAHM the afternoon of Wednesday, August 19, 2020 between 3:00 and 5:00 pm (or if needed, between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm Thursday, or Friday) to have their canvas or paper stamped prior to beginning work to be eligible for entry in the Saturday show and sale.
Exhibition & Wet Paint Sale
2018 Blowing Rock Plein Air Wet Paint Sale
The Wet Paint sale will remain on view at the museum through the end of September. The sale is also available to shop online in our gift shop beginning on Monday August 24th.
The festival will conclude on the evening of August 22nd with an exhibition and sale of the art created over the four days of painting.
Each registered artist may submit up to TWO paintings to be available for viewing and purchase at the exhibition and Wet Paint sale
30% commission on all artwork sold during the Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival will be retained by BRAHM, with all event sales handled by BRAHM.
All proceeds from the registration and art sale will go towards fulfilling the mission of BRAHM in the community.
Payment to artists for awards and work sold will be mailed within 30 days after the event ends.
Any "off the easel" sales during the event will be asked to make a donation to BRAHM comparable to the event commission.
Any unsold art must be collected by the artist at the conclusion of the exhibition.
Blowing Rock Plein Air Competition
All submitted art to the Wet Paint Art Show & Sale (see information below) will be entered into a juried plein air painting competition.
Judging Panel: Judging will be performed by a panel selected by BRAHM that will include a mix of professional artists, collectors, and curators.
Awards Ceremony: BRAHM will announce the awards at 2:00 pm Saturday during the public exhibition and art sale.
Awards include: cash and in-kind sponsor donations of artist materials.
Information for Artists
Painting En Plein Air
Artists may paint at a variety of locations of their choosing within the area surrounding the picturesque town of Blowing Rock. This includes incredible vistas, landscapes, gardens, landmarks, architecture, and street scenes. We encourage artists to paint at our patrons’ locations. A map of suggested locations is provided two weeks prior to the festival.
We also encourage you to take a look at our list of sponsor businesses, they have demonstrated a willingness to support the arts and might make good subjects for work more likely to sell. Well known landmarks are also popular with buyers.
Last years' sold pieces included everything from street scenes, to local landmarks, florals, to scenic vistas and lake landscapes.
Eligibility
Open to all registered artists 12 years and older
Paintings must be two-dimensional medium including oils, acrylics, watercolor, gouache, mixed media, and pastels.
All paintings must be done “en plein air” outside, in natural lighting during the time frame of the event.
Artists may stamp an unlimited number of canvases but will submit only up to two pieces for the Wet Paint Show and Sale and awards.
Canvases must be free of images prior to stamping, though a base coat of paint is allowed.
All work is to be done in a two-dimensional medium, wired for hanging and framed properly with an open back to facilitate viewing of the festival stamp on the back.
Information for Buyers
Attend the Wet Paint Sale
Past Wet Paint Sales have included both newcomers as well as established professional artists. They are a unique opportunity to purchase art of Blowing Rock landmarks and meet the artists, all while contributing to our community outreach and education programs.
The general public may view the Wet Paint Show & Sale on Saturday, August 22nd between 2:00 - 3:30 pm.
All previously unsold artwork will be available for purchase at that time.
All pieces must remain on display until 3:30 pm.
BRAHM handles all sales and retains a 30% commission as a fundraiser for our non-profit community programs.
***Update, the Wet Paint sale will remain on view at the museum through the end of September. The sale is also available to shop online in our gift shop beginning on Monday August 24th.***
Become an Event Sponsor
Opportunities to provide patronage of this event vary from the $250 level up. Patrons/Sponsors receive entry into the special Patron Preview on Saturday at 1:00 pm, one hour before the general public is admitted.
The Patron Preview allows our sponsors to view the show before the general public, in order to best select artwork to be purchased for their home or business collection.
Please note: Even if already purchased, all pieces must remain on display until 3:30 pm to allow for all work to be viewed and enjoyed by the public.
2018 Blowing Rock Plein Air Wet Paint Sale
Special Thanks to Our 2020 Plein Air Festival Sponsors
Show your support for the Visual Arts by becoming a sponsor
contact Jennifer Garonzik with sponsorship questions
Lodging
Numerous lodging options are available to meet a variety of tastes and budgets.
Visit BlowingRock.com for lodging information.
2020 Featured Artists
We're delighted to showcase these well-known artists who will be participating in the 2020 Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival. We can't wait to see their completed fresh works in the Wet Paint Sale on August 22nd!
Kyle Buckland
Kyle Buckland was born in Wilmington, Delaware, in January of 1984. Both parents fostered in him a deep appreciation for the arts and nature. As a child, his home was filled with a myriad of art objects and hundreds of art books of all genre. At age thirteen, after reading John Rewald’s The History of Impressionism, he began to take a keen interest in the French painters and the philosophies regarding plein air painting. He first became infatuated with the work of Monet, specifically his use of blues and purples to depict shadows and his ability to capture colored atmosphere.
At about age fourteen, he purchased Daniel Wildenstein’s four volume, fifteen-hundred page catalogue raisonne of Monet’s work, and within a year he had literally worn the covers off the books. Within this same period, he moved with his family from the inner city of Wilmington, five hundred miles south, to the Appalachian region of Southwestern Virginia. There, surrounded by mountains and lakes and thousand acre farms (some older than America, herself), he began to emulate the greats by moving outdoors and painting en plein air. At age 16, he traded his acrylics for oils and began a long personal and obsessive journey in an attempt to capture the colored nuances of the world around him.
Today, his style of painting, which is deeply rooted in the fundamental philosophies regarding Impressionism, is as unique as his subject matter is inviting. His work has been featured at Outdoor Painter.com, the home of Plein Air Magazine, over half a dozen times. He has won numerous awards, conducted paint-outs and taught painting classes at every level. His work is represented in hundreds of private, public and corporate collections around the world. He now resides in a small nineteenth century farm house/studio in Abingdon, Virginia, with his lovely wife, Jennifer, an artist in her own right, and their two dogs and two cats.
Wes Waugh is a Boone, North Carolina artist, juror, workshop instructor and presenter. Originally from Statesville, N.C., he has been painting since the age of 12 and is currently recognized as one of the southeast region’s leading landscape watercolorists. Wes’s artwork resides in private collections around the U.S., in the estate collection of the late Charles Kuralt, in the High Country home of author Lee Smith, in the Appalachian State University Turchin Center Permanent Collection, and has been featured in U.S. Air Magazine. Waugh describes his influences as stemming from the translational and design influenced watercolor landscapes of the late Eliot O'Hara and Edgar Whitney, both prominent mid-20th century American watercolor masters. His first watercolor workshop was taken with renowned artist and AWS Dolphin Award Winner, Joe Miller, in 1988. Wes has also studied with contemporary watercolorists William B. Lawrence, and Cheng Khee-Chee, both students of the late Edgar Whitney. He cites artist, author and friend, Noyes Capehart Long, with providing “great influence in pushing me to develop multi-media techniques. In addition, Noye’s art and process motivated me to explore textural work and construction pieces". Wes’s best known work is landscape oriented, and typically dominated by bold watercolor washes and the use of a variety of surfaces chosen to best reflect the nature and essence of his subjects. Being a lifelong outdoor enthusiast greatly contributes to the direction of his subject material as images collected over years of backpacking, canoeing and fishing excursions often form the base from which new paintings evolve. Travels to India, China, the U.S. west, and the Canadian wilderness have all inspired new work usually with a solo exhibition following. He has held twelve solo exhibitions and a number of partnered exhibitions during his painting career: "I find comfort in knowing that remote wilderness areas still exist, and often try and draw from my personal experience in visiting these areas as a new painting forms. There is no greater reward than someone feeling strongly enough about one of your efforts to make art, that they want to place the result in their home”.
Jeremy Sams is an award winning representational artist residing in Archdale, NC. He was born in 1977 and his childhood consisted of spending lots of time in the woods of the Uwharrie Mountains and playing in and along the banks of the Uwharrie River in the southwestern portion of Randolph County, NC. He became interested in art at a very early age, winning his first art competition at the age of 6. At age 15, he took his first art class where he was introduced to painting. His love for painting sparked a new change in his life and the beginning of a career was birthed by commissioned portraits and murals from the local community. Through these small art endeavors and apart from formal training, Jeremy was able to begin a professional art career at the age of 19.
Jeremy’s primary subject matter is landscapes while working in acrylics. He also loves the challenge of portraits and his work varies in size from just a few sq. inches to murals measuring upward of 40’x60′.
His artistic growth took on a new form in 2011 when he was introduced to painting en plein air. This same year, he and his wife mourned the death of two children. Through this trying time, Jeremy found new inspiration and healing through painting outdoors en plein air. “Painting en plein air has become a means of therapy and release of emotion for me…Here, I can enjoy God’s creation and relish in the beauty He has given us to enjoy in this short life.”
Jeremy’s personal inspirations come mostly from the play of light and atmosphere and their effects on objects and landscapes. His most favorite areas of subject matter are the rolling hills and mountains of North Carolina along with its waterways, and special array of trees and meadows. It’s not uncommon to see Jeremy with his outdoor easel set up on the side of the road or on a river bank somewhere with brush in hand.
Jeremy was a featured artist in the February-March 2017 issue of “Plein Air Magazine“.
Jeremy is currently a member of the North Carolina Plein Air Painters, Triad Outdoor Painters, Charlotte Plein Air Painters and Plein Air Carolina. He is also the founder of the Fellowship of Plein Air Painters.
Jeremy is currently represented by the Alta Vista Gallery in Valle Crucis, NC, The Art Shop in Greensboro, NC, and the Spectrum Gallery in Wilmington, NC.
Take your paints outside with North Carolina landscape painter Scott Boyle during a 3-day plein air workshop in beautiful Blowing Rock, North Carolina.