Bruce Wiltsie

Back in 2003, my friend and founder of South Street Art Gallery, Patricia Spitaleri, told me about an idea she had for a plein air arts festival. She asked me to approach the Academy Art Museum to discuss the possibility, but the museum director at the time passed on the idea. A couple of years later, the idea resurfaced with Al Bond and The Avalon Foundation, and together we were able to engage the Academy’s involvement. 

Meanwhile, I became acutely aware of the tremendous development pressure that Talbot County and its rural environment was facing. I was looking for a way to make people more aware of the problem, and draw attention to this special place around us, which naturally one takes for granted on a day-to-day basis. The great thing about Plein Air Easton is that it offers a fun concept with an economic basis that showcases our spectacular natural surroundings. 

Some of my notable contributions to the festival may have been helping to secure the Academy’s involvement, and cross-promoting other non-profits in festival activities. I was happy to bring them together to work toward a common goal by underwriting Plein Air Easton prizes that could be sponsored by local nonprofits. I also helped to develop the concept of what was then the Paint-Out Brunch, which has now evolved into the Meet the Artists Dinner.

My favorite Plein Air Easton memory happened in 2007 when the Paint-Out Brunch was hosted on our farm field. I drove over to check on the progress of the setup and saw all the painters working in our beautiful morning light. They were so serenely connected to the land, the horizon, and the task. The whole scene looked like a painting in itself.