As it has to nearly everything, the COVID 19 pandemic threw a monkey wrench into customary plans for Plein Air Easton. Each year hundreds of accomplished artists apply for acceptance into the nation’s largest outdoor painting event, with the knowledge that only 58 positions are available. Plein Air Easton is known for its enthusiastic crowds, lively local interactions, lavish parties, brisk art sales, and a multitude of generous cash prizes. Clearly, to occur in any form, big changes became mandatory. In an effort to provide financial opportunities for so many whose livelihoods have come to a halt, staff and key volunteers from the Avalon Foundation (which produces the event annually) have reconfigured it with an emphasis on safer, smaller, simpler. While all 58 will automatically return as PAE 2021 participants when offered the new event parameters, 34 have chosen to join in; their abundant talents will be welcomed and on display in a wide variety of brand-new ways.

“Truly, there would be no Plein Air Easton events this year without the creativity and willingness of our long-term nonprofit partners, most specifically the Oxford Community Center, the Oxford Business Association, the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum,” stated Avalon Foundation Event Manager, Marie Nuthall. “With their help, we will be able to spread the artists, their collectors, and our patrons evenly and safely across the county.” Designed to reduce crowding in any single place, this will also allow enthusiasts who choose to stay close to home the opportunity to view and to purchase work produced locally.  

Paintings unsold at the close of nightly pop-up exhibitions will travel to Easton for show and sale at the Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall, the former News Center. This spacious display area in the TalbotTown Shopping Center is entirely made possible through the generosity of the Stoltz family. The exhibition is free and open to the public; it will open on Monday, July 13 with participants’ works produced entirely during the pandemic. Daily, the exhibition will grow as pieces continue to be created throughout the county, so visiting multiple times is encouraged. Nuthall explains, “We are so very lucky to have this gallery space. It contains more than 11,000 square feet and offers great ventilation, air-conditioning, lots of parking, as well as a separate entrance and exit to accommodate one-way traffic flow. We will be able to allow a lot of people to safely enjoy this year’s exhibition. We know how much people love the work that celebrates this community, and we're so happy to be able to connect them with joyful art during a time that has been dark for so many of us.” 

The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused major hardships on businesses across the globe. The Avalon Foundation has not gone unscathed. “So much of our work is about bringing people together using the arts. We have had to cancel so many events since March and will not be able to resume much of our regular programming for the foreseeable future," explains Jess Bellis, the Foundation’s Chief Operating and Finance Officer. "It has been tough. While the staff continues to be hard at work serving the Foundation’s community-building mission by creating new programming and pivoting existing programming to be presented in new and safe ways (such as the CDC compliant drive-thru Farmers Market, the July Fourth fireworks minus a carnival, and an outdoor concert series in partnership with the Tidewater Inn and Wylder Hotel), earned income opportunities have been very hard to come by.” 

Nationwide, with many galleries closed, events canceled and workshops postponed, many of the artists able to participate in Plein Air Easton’s events this year believe them to be key to their financial sustainability. “If you have always wanted to purchase a piece of original artwork, now is the time to do it!” exclaims Bellis. “The Avalon Foundation needs your support more than ever, as do the artists, themselves. If you’ve become sick of the walls you have been staring at inside since March, make sure you take the time to visit our Exhibition Hall at TalbotTown to freshen things up.”  

Paintings purchased during Plein Air Easton this year will bear a special Plein Air Easton Pandemic Stamp. “This is a time that will go down in history, and the plein air work produced here will document that. As these paintings get passed from generation to generation, the stamp will tell that story and will speak to the generosity and support that was offered in a time of need by the collector,” explains Nuthall.  

“The support from our donors has been incredible,” says Bellis. “Truly, our Friends of Plein Air have continued to step up in a major way this year. If you enjoy any of the paint-outs, demos, or exhibitions, know that none of it would be possible without our donors’ contributed support.” While Plein Air Easton 2020 was redesigned to be a series of paint-outs and exhibitions, one family which has demonstrated longtime support knew they would miss the thrill of the competition. “In talking to Hali and Scott Asplundh this year, though they were glad that we were still planning events of some kind, they were especially eager to contribute their personal assistance to the artists,” reports Al Bond, Avalon Foundation President and CEO.  

For the last several years the Asplundhs have underwritten the $5,000 Artists’ Choice Award, considered by many to be the most coveted prize in the competition. “While this year a single award did not make sense, given that we are doing everything possible to avoid convening large crowds, the Asplundhs challenged us to find a new way to reward excellence,” continued Bond. Since all the artwork will purposely not be displayed in the same place at the same time, and since the Foundation is encouraging art sales throughout the week, a fresh take was required.  

With the Asplundh’s encouragement, their prize money will be portioned to allow for a $500 award to be presented nightly at each of the four pop-up exhibit locations. Each day, then, participating artists will have a one-in-10/12 chance of winning $500. Each evening (July 13-15) winners will be announced live at 5pm in each town and will be streamed on Plein Air Easton’s YouTube and Facebook pages. “This move brings excitement to each exhibition, each night,” Bond explains. “The artists are over the moon. We are grateful to the Asplundhs for their continued support and encouragement, and to the judges who certainly have some tough choices ahead of them.”

Nightly Judges:

Easton Exhibition – Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall – 218 North Washington Street, Easton

Mehves Lelic is an Istanbul-born artist and writer. She received her BA from the University of Chicago and is a graduate student at the Milton Avery School of the Arts at Bard. She has held teaching artist and lectureship positions at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Anne Arundel Community College and has curated and juried numerous exhibitions for Salisbury University Art Galleries and Washington College, among others. She currently serves as Curator at the Academy Art Museum. 

Oxford Exhibition – Oxford Community Center – 200 Oxford Road, Oxford

Bernie Dellario is currently President of the prestigious Washington Society of Landscape Painters, is on the faculty of the Academy Art Museum, and received “Best in Show” at the 2019 members’ exhibit there. Bernie has received numerous plein air awards of importance and has been included in multiple selected exhibitions. He has been selected to judge the Ocean City Plein Air event in August.

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Exhibition – 213 North Talbot Street, St. Michaels

Kristen L. Greenaway is the president of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, a position she has held for six years. Prior to joining CBMM, she held a senior position at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. While at Duke she completed a MA in Art History in 2017.

Tilghman Island Exhibition – Wylder Hotel – 21551 Chesapeake House Drive, Tilghman Island 

Jane Anderson is a dedicated artist painting in oil and exploring mixed media. After studying with Diane Tessler at the Art League in Alexandria VA,  Jane has continued her work with a small group of serious artists currently mentored by Nancy Tankersley.  She is a member of the Working Artists’ Forum, serves as a committee chair for the St. Michaels Art League, and has volunteered for Plein Air Easton for 15 years. She has exhibited paintings in Local Color as well as banner exhibits for both Easton and St. Michaels. Her most recent work, a portrait of Eric Garner, was part of the “Artists for Justice, Black Lives Lost” exhibit.  Jane studied art and education at Miami University in Ohio.  She earned a post-graduate degree in Interior Design at Mt. Vernon College in Washington, D.C., specializing in mural design and faux finish works. 

Dorie McGuiness is a practicing artist living in St. Michaels. She is active in the St. Michaels Art League and serves on its Board. She has a BA in Art History and Education from Principia College and has studied drawing and painting at the Corcoran, La Romita, and the Academy Art Museum. Dorie has had a lifelong interest in painting and recently enjoyed taking workshops with Sara Linda Poly and Richard McKinley.

Beth Wright is a resident of Tilghman Island and currently serves as President of the St. Michaels Art League.

The nightly exhibitions will run Monday, July 13 – Wednesday, July 15 (4pm-8pm) at the locations listed above. The Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall in TalbotTown will be open daily (10am-8pm) Monday July 13-Saturday, July 18 and (10am-4pm) on Sunday, July 19.

For the full schedule of events, please visit our website www.pleinaireaston.com

Plein Air Easton is the work of the Avalon Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster a strong community on the Eastern Shore by creating accessible, uplifting arts, education, and cultural experiences that appeal to the interests of a diverse population and which ensure the long term viability of the historic Avalon Theatre. This event is supported by the Maryland State Arts Council, Talbot County Arts Council, and donations from corporations, small businesses, media outlets, Friends of Plein Air Easton, sponsorships, and strong community involvement.

For additional information or to become a Friend of Plein Air Easton, email info@pleinaireaston.com or call the Plein Air Easton hotline at 410.822.7297.