by Lisa D. Mickey
Artists will soon converge on New Smyrna Beach for the city’s 11th annual Plein Air Paint Out. The event is set for Oct. 19-23, and will once again be hosted by the Marine Discovery Center and the Artists’ Workshop, Inc., NSB. This year’s event is presented by Brown & Brown Insurance.
The Paint Out links art and nature with 20 nationally recognized artists traveling to New Smyrna Beach to create outdoor paintings from dawn to dusk during each day of the event. Artists paint at various locations throughout the city and surrounding areas, interpreting natural flora, fauna, landmarks and landscapes onto canvas.
“Our tag line this year is ‘Discover Nature Through Art’,” said Wendy Castino, marketing and fund development coordinator at the Marine Discovery Center and co-coordinator of the 2021 Paint Out.
“If you look at any paintings created outdoors, they are capturing nature through art and Plein Air is all about painting while outdoors,” she added.
The Marine Discovery Center’s educational programs are outdoor-oriented and it partners with its neighbor, The Artists’ Workshop, which is focused on art. The two non-profits will once again share Paint Out proceeds.
“The Plein Air Paint Out offers the best way to capture our flora and fauna, coastal habitat, seascapes and history of this area, and then allow residents to take a piece of it home,” said Castino. “Residents see places and natural local landscapes all the time and during in the Plein Air Paint Out, they may see some of those places captured as art.”
Each of the 20 artists will donate a piece of art from which 50 percent of sales will benefit the two nonprofits. The artwork will be available at the kick-off “Collectors’ Reception” on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the Grand Ol’ Barn in New Smyrna Beach, a former fruit-packing facility that has been renovated for special events. Admission is included for sponsors and patrons, but tickets are also available for $100 per person, which includes a $50 credit toward the purchase of art.
Paint Out activities begin at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 19, with two free art demonstrations at two sites that day, followed by an “Evening Paint at JB’s Fish Camp.
Free art demonstrations will be held at various sites through Saturday, Oct. 23, with another “Evening Paint” set for 5 p.m. to dusk on Flagler Avenue on Thursday, Oct. 21. The public is also invited to view a day of artists’ activity at Battle Island (612 Battle Island Road) on Friday, Oct. 22, with two art demonstrations scheduled.
Events will culminate on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Marine Discovery Center/Artists Workshop, with a final art demo set for 10 a.m., followed by the Grand Finale and final art sales from 5-8 p.m. Tickets for that event will be $50 each or $90 for two and will feature the popular “blending of the brushes,” in which five artists complete a progressive piece of work that is auctioned that evening.
Throughout the week, the Paint Out Gallery is free and open daily to the public and will once again offer a safe and socially distanced experience for visitors. The gallery is located at the Artists’ Workshop at 540 Barracuda Boulevard. Art created throughout the week will be taken to the gallery, where it may be viewed and purchased either in person or through the online gallery.
For the complete schedule of events and to view the virtual gallery during Paint Out week, visit NSBPaintOut.com
Art patrons and sponsors seeking more information may call 386-428-4828 or contact [email protected] at the Marine Discovery Center, and Cheryl Faber, president of the Artists’ Workshop NSB at [email protected].
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