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North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival
May 14, 2023 - May 21, 2023
Mark Your Calendars for May 14-21, 2023
The 3rd Annual North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival in New Bern begins Sunday, May 14, and continues through Sunday, May 21. The eight-day Festival showcases 35 nationally and globally acclaimed plein air artists, including 15 newly juried painters, joining 20 award winners and top performers from 2022’s Festival.
“The term ‘plein air’ is French and means ‘open air’,” said Kippy Hammond, Festival organizer. “Plein air painting can be traced back to Impressionist artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Degas – painting outdoors and capturing fleeting moments of light, color, atmosphere, and the mood of a scene, rather than detailed representations.”
Outdoor Venues
Painting venues include Historic New Bern, the first capital of North Carolina; Beaufort, the home of the North Carolina Maritime Museum; and Oriental, the sailing capital of North Carolina. In addition, artists will choose more sites and landscapes in Craven, Carteret, and Pamlico Counties.
Festival headquarters, including demonstrations, workshops, art displays, and sales, will be based at Historic New Bern’s Farmers Market, less than two blocks from Tryon Palace. In addition, pop-up exhibits and art sales will happen in Beaufort and Oriental, with location details, dates, and times on the NC Plein Air New Bern website. All activities are free except the workshops, Saturday’s awards celebration, and a modest fee for artists to enter the Quick Paint competition (no charge for spectators).
Be Part Of Art
According to Hammond, artists will create approximately 400 paintings featuring local scenes, subjects, and vistas, in a friendly competition to win the Best of Show Koffenberger Award, plus other prominent awards and recognition.
Festival attendees will have numerous opportunities to meet and talk with the artists, including using a real-time cell phone app showing the locations of featured painters each day. In addition, youth and adult amateur artists can meet with the pros and compete for ribbons and cash awards in the annual Quick Paint competition.
Workshops include award-winning plein air artists Suzie Baker of Texas, past president of the Oil Painters of America, and James Richards of Georgia, regarded as one of the top oil painters in the nation. Both are renowned American Impressionist painters and in-demand instructors conducting workshops across the United States and Europe.
“Plein air is a popular form of art and recreational activity influenced by the rise in global tourism,” said Hammond. “Artists are interested in capturing the essence of a particular place and time and celebrating the world’s beauty. Plein air painters typically work in oils, watercolors, or pastels.”
Calendar of Events:
MONDAY – May 15
Exhibition & gallery sale
9am – 8pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
ARTISTS PAINTING ONSITE – craven, pamlico & carteret counties
Artist Demonstrations:
• Jeff Steiner – 8:30am – 10:30am
New Bern
• John Eiseman – 10:30am – 12:30pm
New Bern Battlefield Park • 300 Battlefield Trail
• Deliese Blanchard – 1pm – 3pm
Pollock St. & Bern St. • New Bern
• Thomas Bucci – 5pm – 7pm
New Bern
TUESDAY – May 16
Exhibition & gallery sale
9am – 8pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
ARTISTS PAINTING ONSITE – ORIENTAL
POP-UP EASEL SALE & RECEPTION – 4pm – 6pm
Village Gallery • 300 Hodges St. • Oriental
Artist Demonstrations:
• Antwan Ramar – 8:30am – 10:30am
Oriental Water Front
• Jim Laurino – 10:30am – 12:30pm
Oriental
• Craig Reynolds – 2pm – 4pm
Oriental
WEDNESDAY – May 17
Exhibition & gallery sale
9am – 8pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
ARTISTS PAINTING ONSITE – craven, pamlico & carteret counties
Artist Demonstrations:
• Jim Rehak – 8:30am – 10:30am
Duck Creek Marine Service • 699 Galloway Rd
• Martin Geiger – 10:30am – 12:30pm
Middle St. & Pollock St. • New Bern
• Dee Beard Dean – 5pm – 7pm
Union Point Park • 210 E Front St.
• Vlad Duchev – 8:30pm – 10:30pm
Middle St. • New Bern
THURSDAY – May 18
Exhibition & gallery sale
9am – 8pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
ARTISTS PAINTING ONSITE – BEAUFORT
POP-UP EASEL SALE & RECEPTION
4pm – 6pm
Beaufort Historic Site • 130 Turner St. • Beaufort
Artist Demonstrations:
• Katie Dobson-Cundiff – 8:30am – 10:30am
Beaufort Docks • 500 Front St.
• Ralph James – 10:30am – 12:30pm
Beaufort Docks • 500 Front St.
• Amanda Lovett – 2pm – 4pm
Beaufort
FRIDAY – May 19
Exhibition & gallery sale
9am – 8pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
ARTISTS PAINTING ONSITE – NEW BERN
EXHIBITION OF 2024 Calendar section
4pm – 6pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
Artist Demonstrations:
• Rose Kennedy – 8:30am – 10:30am
E. Front St. • New Bern
• Karen Crenshaw – 10:45am – 12:45pm
Lawson Park waterfront
• Lyudmila Tomova – 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Middle St. • New Bern
• Natalia Andreeva – 6pm – 8pm
Tryon Palace • 529 S Front St.
SATURDAY – May 20
Exhibition & gallery sale
9am – 2pm
Opens back up to public at 7pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
ARTISTS PAINTING ONSITE – NEW BERN
YOUTH PLEIN AIR ADVENTURE
9:15am – 11:30am
Harrison Center • 311 Middle St. • New Bern
Pre-registration, emergency contacts and waiver required.
Artists to artists forum #1
2pm – 3pm
Harrison Center • 311 Middle St. • New Bern
Artists to artists forum #2
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Harrison Center • 311 Middle St. • New Bern
COLLECTORS PREVIEW &
Awards reception
5pm – 7pm
Limited tickets sold online
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
Competition exhibit &
award winners
7pm – 8:30pm
Open to public
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
Artist Demonstrations:
• Durre Waseem – 8:30am – 10:30am
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
• Russell Jewel – 10:30am – 12:30pm
New Bern Grand Marina • 101 Craven St.
SUNDAY – May 21
QUICK PAINT
8am – 11am
Pre-registration recommended – ncpleinair.org.
• Open and Youth Categories Start at 8am
• Featured Artists Start at 9am
• Quick Paint End of Painting – 11am
• Quick Paint Paintings on Easel for
Judging – 11:30am
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
• Quick Paint Winners Announced
Sale Begins – 12pm – 1pm
New Bern Farmer’s Market • 421 S. Front St.
