WAYNE — — Organizers recently announced the schedule for the 15th anniversary of the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival, one of the longest running and most popular outdoor painting events in the country. Founded in 2008, the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival has hosted over 450 nationally recognized artists and is one of most eagerly anticipated cultural events in our community.
Starting early Sunday, May 7, 32 invited artists selected by juror Bryan Mark Taylor of Utah will commence a multiday painting competition. Over six days, these prolific painters will create original works of art within a 35 mile radius of Wayne, drawing inspiration from the nearby historical architecture and lush landscapes found throughout our region. All paintings will be completed on site and from direct observation which is what it means to paint “en plein air.” In addition to this year’s theme day focusing on the bountiful, beautiful and bodacious barns of our area, there is also a day devoted to painting in downtown Wayne, capturing the town’s most recognizable buildings and churches.
“It is truly astonishing that over 300 paintings are created in less than a week” said Wayne Art Center’s Executive Director Nancy Campbell. “We are thrilled to have new artists join us while welcoming back several participants of earlier festivals. The artists’ enthusiasm over 15 years, along with the generosity of our many business sponsors, patrons, and volunteers shows how valued this festival is to our community.”
The Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival launches with a private Welcome Event at a local patron’s picturesque farm on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Artists arrive with blank canvases which are stamped to ensure that all work is original. Then the race is on to create as many fresh and new works as possible. In conjunction with the festival artists, local plein air painters may partake in a Community Paint-Out. Artists who are 18 and older of all skill levels and working in 2D artistics mediums are welcome. Completed works will be installed at Wayne Art Center along with festival artists and are available for purchase.
The week culminates in a Collectors’ Preview & Sale on Friday, May 12 at the Wayne Art Center in the Davenport, Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith and Vidinghoff Galleries. Doors open precisely at 6 pm for those with early patron-viewing tickets and 7 pm for regular admission. The event offers a chance to meet the artists in a festive and elegant setting with open bar and savory hors d’oeuvres by Catering By Design. Martinis will flow from a hand-sculpted ice luge created by Ron Capone, and Phyllis Chapell and Dave Posmontier’s live jazz music will create a celebratory environment for over 250 collectors and patrons who have the first opportunity to purchase these freshly painted masterpieces. Juror of Awards Shanna Kunz of Utah will distribute $20,000 in prize money at the awards presentation. The Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival Exhibition opens on Saturday, May 13 and remains on view and for sale through June 24, 2023.
The success of the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival is made possible through the dedicated efforts of the Plein Air Committee and the support and generosity of local business sponsors, patrons, and event attendees. Funds raised benefit Wayne Art Center’s diverse array of educational, outreach and exhibition programs for individuals of all ages and abilities. This year’s major sponsors include PNC Private Bank, National Arts Foundation, First Resource Bank, Oliver Heating and Cooling and the Archie W. and Grace Berry Foundation.
The community is invited to participate in several Plein Air activities being held at Wayne Art Center. These include a Juror’s Demo and Talk with Shanna Kunz on Saturday, May 13 at 1pm, and Mimosas and Masterpieces for Mom on Sunday, May 14 from 12-3pm. Other events include a Summer Succulent Gardens in Glass Workshop on Thursday, June 1 from 5-7pm, and a French Provencal Dinner hosted by Chef Patrick Gauthron on Thursday, June 8 from 6-8:30pm. Additionally, local artists Beth Bathe, Elise Phillips, Mick McAndrews and Randall Graham will present Plein Air Painting Demos. Bathe will speak on Wednesday, May 31 from 5-7 pm; Phillips will speak on Wednesday, June 7 from 5-7 pm; McAndrews will speak on Tuesday, June 13 from 5-7 pm; and Graham will speak on Thursday, June 22, from 5-7 pm. Please visit www.waynepleinair.org to register for these dynamic events.
Wayne Art Center 2023 Plein Air Festival Jurors
Bryan Mark Taylor of Utah, Juror of Selection
A painter, lecturer, entrepreneur, and world traveler, Bryan Mark Taylor is a renaissance man. As a painter, Bryan has won top awards in national and international shows and exhibits in museums worldwide. Bryan is a Signature Member of Plein Air Painters of America and has had many successful one-person shows. As a product designer, Bryan developed a premier outdoor painting system called the STRADA Easel, used by Plein Air artists worldwide.
Shanna Kunz of Utah, Juror of Awards
Shanna Kunz is a naturalist painter of the landscape that surrounds her, interpreting the quiet and familiar places of the American West. Her work has been featured in numerous major art publications, including a feature article in Art of the West, Western Art & Architecture, Plein Air Magazine, Outdoor Painter, Southwest Art Magazine, Western Art Collector and Fine Art Connoisseur
2023 Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival Artists
Barbara Berry, PA
Hai-Ou Hou, MD
Elise Phillips, PA
Olena Babak, ME
Qiang Huang, TX
Antwan Ramar, FL
Beth Bathe, PA
Neal Hughes, NJ
Cynthia Rosen, VT
Krystal Brown, TX
Fred Jackson, PA
Kari Ganoung Ruiz, NY
John Caggiano, MA
Allen Kriegshauser, MO
Julie Sanderson, TX
Henry Coe, MD
Christopher Leeper, OH
W. Jason Situ, CA
Eileen Eder, CT
David Lussier, NH
Paulette Staley, PA
Martin Geiger, VA
Mick McAndrews, PA
Caleb Stoltzfus, PA
Randall Graham, PA
Charles Newman, NJ
Stewart White, MD
Fei Guan, CA
Abby Ober, MD
Vladislav Yeliseyev, FL
Jennifer Holmes, CT
DK Palecek, WI
About Wayne Art Center
Founded in 1931, Wayne Art Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the community through the arts. More than 500 classes and workshops are offered annually to over 5,000 students of all ages and abilities. The galleries at Wayne Art Center receive over 35,000 visitors a year for their many exhibits, lectures and special events. Wayne Art Center is located at 413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am-5 pm, and Saturday, 10 am -4 pm.
The 15th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival Exhibition will remain on display and open to the public from Saturday, May 13 until Saturday, June 24, 2023. For more information, contact Wayne Art Center at 610-688-3553 or visit www.wayneart.org or www.waynepleinair.org.
