The 18th Sedona Plein Air Festival opens on Friday, Oct. 21, with a Meet & Greet Happy Hour at Sedona Arts Center. 26 professional artists from across the country are descending upon Sedona for nine days of painting and events. Some of these artists will be painting in Sedona for the very first time and some of them know every nook and cranny that our beautiful region has to offer.
We are asking the artists to weave our “Stories” theme into the pieces they create, and the theme will be posted next to their paintings throughout the event, adding even more dimension to their work.
More than $12,000 in prize money will be awarded throughout the week, and there will be many opportunities for the general public to interact with the artists and view and purchase their work. This is an important program for the Arts Center that also raises critical funds for our ongoing operations. In addition, most of these artists make their living through the sale of their art, so the Sedona Plein Air Festival is an important contributor to their annual income. We are committed to supporting artists and we hope this year’s sales are fantastic.
This year’s schedule is as follows:
Meet & Greet the Artists Happy Hour: Friday, Oct. 21, 4 to 6 p.m.
Location: Sedona Arts Center
The public is invited to meet the artists during this informal opening at the Art Barn. This will also be an opportunity for the artists to get to know each other to start the week. Artist’s studio pieces will be displayed and up for sale.
Main Street Paint Out: Saturday, Oct. 22,10 a.m. to noon
Location: Sedona Arts Center
Artists will paint in Uptown Sedona along State Route 89A from the Sedona Arts Center to the Pink Jeep Café. Awards and a sale will take place at 12:30 p.m.
Artist Demos: Sunday, Oct. 23, 1 to 3 p.m.
Location: Sedona Arts Center
Sunday’s event will feature Durre Waseem, Gwen Ethelbah, and Hadley Rampton.
Artist Demos: Monday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to noon
Location: Sedona Arts Center
Monday morning demos will feature Michelle Held and Elizabeth St. Hilaire.
Artist Demos: Monday, Oct. 24, 1 to 3 p.m.
Location: Sedona Arts Center
Monday afternoon demos will feature Casey Cheuvront and Carol Douglas.
Creekside Paint Out at L’Auberge: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to noon
Location: L’Auberge de Sedona
Shuttle provided from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Arts Center. Awards and sale at 12:30 p.m.
Painting Outside the Box by Carl Judson of Guerrilla Painter: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Location: Sedona Arts Center, South Classroom
Taking place at the Arts Center immediately after the L’Auberge Paint Out, Carl Judson of Guerrilla Painters will present “Painting Outside the Box.” In the current plein air movement it can sometimes be hard to differentiate the work of different professional artists or their students; much of their work looks very much the same. Many painters have learned from the same teachers — who themselves learned from the same teachers — and they use the same palettes and the same brushes and hold them the same way to make the same marks. How can artists develop a personal style that truly reflects their unique characters and insights? Artists who want their work to become more personally reflective of their personalities may find this helpful.
Carl Judson is a plein air painter of 40 years. His first 10 years were involved with learning how to paint, while his last 30 years were spent learning how he needed to paint. After some surprising success with galleries, he quit selling his work for personal reasons about 20 years ago. He continues to paint several times a week and has a storage problem as a result.
Airport Paint Out and Reception: Wednesday, Oct. 26, reception from 4 to 6 p.m., Paint Out from 5 to 7 p.m.
Location: Sedona Airport
Our first ever Paint Out in partnership with the Sedona Airport. The evening’s festivities will include a reception with a barbecue theme provided by Heartline Catering. Awards will follow at 6:30 p.m.
Awards Night Celebration: Friday, Oct. 28, 5 to 7 p.m.
Location: Sedona Arts Center
Final awards will be presented, including Best of Show and more. Judges for final awards will be Susan Lynn and John Caggiano. This event also includes a reception with fare provided by Heartline Catering.
Final Sale Day & Artist Games: Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Sedona Arts Center
New this year, artists will be participating in “games” that will showcase their flexibility, creativity and ingenuity. The Artist Games will take place at 11 a.m. Art sales will continue until 2 p.m.
All events are free to attend. We hope you will join us for one or more exciting and educational events.
