Join other plein air painters for weekly paint-outs. The gatherings, each with a brief demo, are held at various spots around Asheville. They’re sponsored by the Asheville Urban Landscape Project and take place every Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., April 7-May 19.
Press release from event organizers:
The Asheville Urban Landscape Project is sponsoring 7 “plein air” Paint-Outs this spring in the Asheville Area. The Paint-outs will take place from April 7-May 19 every Tuesday morning between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at different sites around Asheville. Each Paint-Out will begin with a Featured Artist doing a brief demonstration. All attending artists then choose their own spot nearby to paint alongside the Featured Artist. At noon the group reconvenes for an “Art Sharing.” (Artists who attend the demo are responsible for their own transportation and for bringing their own painting supplies.) Members of the public are welcome, and the great thing is that the art demonstrations are free!
New this year is a mentoring approach, where emerging artists from last year’s group will be working closely with the Featured Artists as Location Hosts. They will interface with the Featured Artists about the location, introduce them, and be at the site to greet community members attending the demonstration. This will give them an opportunity to learn from the professional artists about their approach, philosophy and techniques for painting “en plein air.”
We are delighted to have such a great group of skilled, talented and proficient artists willing to be a part of our community project this year. Our Featured Artists demonstrating in the spring will be Chris Moses, Peggy Root, Marilyn Fairchild, Rich Nelson, Edward Morris, Cheryl Keefer and Jo Ridge Kelley. In the fall we will be hosting 8 more Paint-Outs from Sept. 9 to Oct. 20. Our Featured Artists in the fall will be Sarah Sneeden, Virginia Pendergrass, Deborah Squier, Ann Vasilik, Richard Oversmith, Sandra Moore, John Davis and Jim Carson. We look forward to this diverse group of artists lending their time, energy, skills and techniques in order to inspire the emerging artists of Buncombe County.
The Asheville Urban Landscape project was created by Lisa Blackshear, former illustrator and web designer, when she was serving as Asheville Coordinator for Western North Carolina Plein Air Painters. “I wanted artists to paint with, and I wanted to take advantage of the amazing Plein Air talent in Buncombe County,” Blackshear said. Funded in 2014 by the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Arts in the Parks & Community Grant, we have recently been refunded for 2015 and we are so excited! Joining Lisa as coordinators for 2015 are Coleen Hester and Sue Dolamore. “It is just so fantastic to have these great friends jump in and help!” Blackshear said. Coleen Hester attended all the AULP Paint-Outs in 2014 and when Lisa expressed hesitation about applying for the grant again in 2015, Coleen offered to help. “These Paint-Outs have been so wonderful, I didn’t want them to stop,” said Hester, former school counselor and art teacher. Then Sue Dolamore, who joined AULP in the fall of 2014, felt that the mission statement of AULP dovetailed with her career goals. “I’m done homeschooling my children, and they’ve all become artists, and now I realize that I finally want to pursue my dream of becoming an artist,” Dolamore said. Coleen coordinates the grant and scheduling, Sue is the communications coordinator, and Lisa documents, photographs and maintains the website at www.ashevilleurban.com.
These paint-outs are wonderful opportunities for artists to get out of their garrets and practice their art together. Artists painting together in a group enlivens a neighborhood for residents and tourists alike. From the site of the old Zealandia Hotel, to the French Broad River, to Pritchard Park and the Governor’s Western Residence our group visits and paints, and enriches historic sites in Asheville.
To join our Paint-Out simply show up with your art materials, ready to paint. If you want to be put on the e-mailing list send Sue Dolamore your email address suedolarmore@aol.com. You can always find out where we’re painting on our schedule at www.ashevilleurban.com/calendar.
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