Easton, Maryland – July 22, 2024 – The 20th Annual Plein Air Easton (PAE) Art Festival and Competition, known as the largest and most prestigious outdoor painting competition in the United States, concluded on Sunday, July 21st. Organized by the Avalon Foundation, this 10-day festival achieved art sales exceeding $500,000 for the second consecutive year.

In celebration of it’s 20th anniversary, PAE introduced new features to honor its rich history and to express gratitude to those who have contributed to it’s success. From the selection of its founder, esteemed artist Nancy Tankersley, to serve as this year’s judge, a celebrated exhibit In the Academy Art Museum honoring her work over the same twenty years, a special Plein Air Easton Alumni Paint-out highlighting properties in conservation, banners adorning downtown Easton’s light poles showcasing grand-prize winning paintings from the last nineteen years, to its inaugural Hall of Fame recognizing the contributions of the founders, organizers, supporters and volunteers - Plein Air Easton was a ten-day celebration of art, legacy, gratitude and community.

Proceeds from Plein Air Easton directly support the artists, the festival itself, and the Avalon Foundation’s mission to inspire, enrich, and connect diverse audiences through arts, educational, and cultural experiences inside the historic Avalon Theatre and throughout Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Plein Air Easton is a juried competition that attracts artists from around the globe who apply to participate each year. This year’s judge, acclaimed artist Nancy Tankersley, seamlessly wove the festival’s history into the present offering glimpses of its evolution from an idea to a nationwide phenomenon.  She was a founder of Plein Air Easton and a major force in its early lift and success. 

A week of painting en plein air came alive in Talbot County, celebrating the convergence of art, community, and natural beauty at the beginning of July. Juried artists embarked on their creative journey with a canvas-stamping and orientation event for the juried artists on July 11th. Eager to capture the essence of the region, they were prepared to paint from life for the next seven days.

July 12, downtown galleries and merchants buzzed with excitement with the arrival of artists and celebrated the start of PAE with specials, a shop-to-win raffle, live music, and a captivating radio show – “The Ballad of Jesse Devereux” – performed by Easton’s local theatre group, The Factory set the stage for an unforgettable week ahead.

Saturday, July 13, juried artists could be found at the party of the summer known as the Meet the Artists Party. This event, for Friends of Plein Air Easton who support the event through charitable giving, is a true celebration of art where easels dot the landscape of a private estate in Talbot County. This year the event was held at the magnificent estate of Lisa and Tim Wyman of Wye Heights.  Art collectors, supporters, and onlookers strolled through garden rooms and roamed the grounds while the Wyman’s signature black sheep grazed and paintings of the bucolic landscape were created before their eyes. The evening culminated in an exhibit and sale of the day’s work while the easy sounds of the Eric Byrd Trio played in the background. For dinner, guests were presented with a gourmet picnic dinner crafted by chef Jordon Lloyd and Hambleton House Catering to enjoy either by the water’s edge or to take away and enjoy with friends in the comfort of their own homes.

Paint-outs in Oxford and Tilghman, were held on July 14th and July 15th respectively, and were born out of a desire to engage neighboring towns in the excitement of Plein Air Easton by bringing the magic of plein air art to these charming historic and working waterfront towns. The 93 degree heat during Paint Oxford produced exceptional paintings produced by juried artists tucked in and under the eaves of workshops, garages and boatyards with the early morning light providing inspiration.  While the heat may have been significant, juried artists worked smartly in the early dawn hours and many of the works created in Oxford could be seen in the competition gallery at the end of the week signaling that many artists produce their best work here.

The Tilghman Island Inn provided the backdrop for some gracious hospitality and a lively exhibit and sale for Paint Tilghman on July 15th. Artists checked in to the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum for their canvas stamping early in the morning (some even stamped the night before) to paint all day on the Island and then exhibit their paintings in the evening. While the juried artists could be found sprinkled throughout Tilghman Island during the day, PAE Alumni artist Mark Shasha gave a free and standing-room-only painting demonstration during the afternoon that met with rave reviews. Tilghman Island Inn owners Marlise and Tom Green welcomed the participating artists and the community to enjoy an art-filled evening exhibit and sale with a delightful summer menu and enchanting water views.

A new paint-out opportunity for PAE Invited Alumni artists was made possible through a partnership with Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC). Eighteen former top-tier winning artists were invited to paint properties in conservation to highlight the efforts of ESLC to ‘preserve and sustain the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them’, fifteen artists participated and exhibited their works in a pop-up exhibit in ESLC’s Easton Headquarters. This partnership was funded by Bruce Wiltsie and Bill Davenport, long-time supporters of PAE and staunch advocates for art as a way to advocate for conserving our rich and diverse landscape. The winning, judged by competition judge Nancy Tankersley, was by PAE Alumni Debra Huse who, in addition to a monetary prize, will also be extended an invitation to compete in the 2025 Plein Air Easton Competition and Festival.

All week the exhibit in the PAE Headquarters was dynamic as new art by the juried artists flowed in as the week progressed and purchased art went to new homes. In addition to the exhibit of hundreds of paintings, the Headquarters was the place where visitors could enjoy artist demos and interviews by PAE Alumni artists Lisa Egeli, Mick McAndrews, Russell Jewell, Mark Shasha, and Debra Huse.

The 58 competition artists handed in two completed works each on July 18 to be considered by event judge, Nancy Tankersley, who focused on selecting the award winners from a spectacular body of combined work. Plein Air Easton’s Collector’s Party, July 19, was live-streamed and will remain available for viewing through our website and Plein Air Easton’s YouTube Channel. The Grand Prize: Timothy Dills Memorial Award (sponsored by Ellen Vatne) was awarded to Robert Simone and his painting “The Shipwright’s Apprentice” and the honor of an award by their peers, the Artists’ Choice Award (sponsored by Hali and Scott Asplundh) was awarded to Orville Giguiento for his painting “Ship-Shape”. {Link to awards show.}

On Saturday, July 20, the weather for Plein Air Easton’s famous Quick Draw (a two-hour painting competition open to all ages and skill levels) was typically humid but with temps in the low 80s, the conditions were pleasant and the mood light and fun while nearly 200 artists took to the streets for the Quick Draw Competition.  Juried artist David Orrin Smith won First Place overall, Eleanor Tanno won First Place in the non-competition artist category. Quick Draw Awards were sponsored by September First Partners.

Plein Air Easton is committed to both providing opportunity for and the nurturing of young artists and hosts a Plein Air Painting Camp each year in the Avalon Theatre. The campers are taught by local public school educators and often find the competition artists coming by to offer instruction and encouragement to the aspiring artists. This year, 26 young artists attended the camp, and the Avalon Foundation was thrilled to offer 10 scholarship spots this year with funding through the newly established Sara B. Ryan Fund.  The week culminated in a public art exhibition and sale on Friday. On Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st,  young artists registered to participate in the Next Generation paint out and Judge Nancy Tankersley pursued their artwork and provided encouraging commentary to the prize winners.

Finally, on Sunday, July 21, the festival culminated with Small Painting Sunday (held in honor of Suzan Estelle Brice in celebration of a life well-lived and sponsored by September First Partners) and the Judge’s Talk, during which Tankersley eloquently explained her award choices, and bestowed the final round of Small Painting Sunday awards to the 2024  juried artists. Jill Basham took home Small Painting Sunday First Place, followed by Zufar Bikbov, Daniel Robbins and Olena Babak with second, third and honorable mentions respectively. The Judge’s Talk is available for viewing through our website www.pleinaireaston.com or Plein Air Easton’s YouTube page.

Plein Air Easton is a juried competition, however, winning First, Second, Third Places; Artists’ Choice; First Place Quick Draw and the Easton Shore Land Conservancy awards also include the honor of an automatic invitation to the 21st Plein Air Easton competition, scheduled for July 11-20, 2025.