An artist sets up to paint en plein air in Essex (Photo: Cape Ann Plein Air)
The annual seven-day Cape Ann Plein Air festival kicks off October 1, bringing 36 artists from across the country to this area to paint every day to produce art inspired by the life and locale of Manchester, Essex, Gloucester, Rockport and, starting this year, Ipswich.
“Plein air” describes a school of painting that eschews closed studio settings in favor of putting an easel down outside, en plein air (French for “in the open air”), and capturing a real life setting in one sitting. It has become a big trend in the US. And Cape Ann Plein Air, started seven years ago to mark Cape Ann’s role in the birth of plein air painting in the US, has become one of America’s biggest plein air competitions, with a big purse—$20,000 this year—and drawing the country’s best painters to the juried festival.
“Cape Ann Plein Air has grown in popularity each of the past seven years and is now recognized nationwide as a leading destination for the growing community of plein air artists and art enthusiasts,” said CAPA Manager Susan Coviello. “This year, we continue this tradition, again welcoming artists, art collectors and supporters of the arts to the birthplace of plein air painting.”
This year Cape Ann Plein Air Arts Week and Festival runs from October 1 to October 9 and the program will be feature daily free demonstrations, dinners with the artists, artists painting on location, a nocturne night, gala and gallery walks and talks.
The 36 artists were selected by a panel of judges, and they will paint all over the Greater Cape Ann communities, creating magnificent paintings of spectacular locations leveraging the natural beauty of local coastal spots, marshes, neighborhoods and vistas. Spectators can catch the artists on the rocky shores, sandy beaches, on the water and on the backroads of the five communities starting on Saturday October 1 until they must complete their works on Friday, October 7.
The produced pieces aren’t always predictable. In past years, when the weather was uncooperative for outdoor landscapes, CAPA artists showed their creativity by painting not-very-obvious vignettes, like the Manchester Commuter Rail Station at night (when the rain ebbed). One even painted patrons sitting at a local bar in Gloucester.
This year’s artists come from as close as Gloucester, Rockport and Ipswich and as far away as Oregon, Texas, Arizona and Wisconsin and there are plenty of opportunities to interact with them. There are daily demos where aspiring artists can learn from a local, seasoned professional. In the evenings there are organized dinners at area restaurants where a CAPA artist will be painting while you enjoy your dinner and watch a master at work.
On Sunday morning there’s the wildly popular Quick Draw at the Cox Reservation in Essex, where the artists will be joined by another 80 local artists to complete a painting in only two hours, and then have the paintings judged for prizes and offered for sale. This event is free to the public. Local food truck genie Phresh Phoods will be there with lunch for sale.
Sunday evening will feature the artists at the Booth Cottage in beautiful Manchester by the Sea. This event is free, but it’s limited on space so registration is required.
On Thursday, October 6 all 36 artists will paint at the “Nocturne” evening event in the west end of Gloucester, painting street scenes while the sun goes down and darkness descends. And the grand climax of the week is the ticketed gala at the Rockport Golf Club on Saturday, October 8 starting at 4 p.m.
In the end, the 36 artists are expected to produce a total of 180 works, which will be entered into the competition for more than $20,000 in prizes. All paintings will be offered for sale. On Sunday, following the gala, the sale will continue until 3 p.m. with the events judge offering his process of choosing top winners and the 12 specific awards during a Gallery Walk and Talk.
CAPA 2019 is organized by the Cape Ann Plein Air Board of Directors and Advisory Board, which includes local artists and community leaders. Among the board members are representatives from Rockport Art Assoc and Museum, Art Haven, and the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce.
CAPA sponsors including Applied Materials, New England Biolabs, Bazel General Contracting, Charles Fine Arts, The Cricket Press and the Beauport Hospitality Group. Other sponsors include Leslie Ray Insurance, Karen Berger, Epiphany Fine Art, Bank Gloucester, Cape Ann Savings Bank and Sullco, Inc.
For more information and tickets, go to capeannpleinair.org.
