I got an email this week from an artist who works at an art gallery. She and her gallery have been asked by the city to sponsor a plein air event (even though she has never participated in one). She knows that I have participated in several plein air events and was asking for my thoughts. First and foremost she/her gallery will have much work to do!
Plein Air Organizers Needs:
Organization Item
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Artist Note
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Questions
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My personal thoughts
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Application for Artist
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Online App preferred,
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?Cost/Free?
Limit # of Artists?
?Limit size of works
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Do not charge a lot for entry & you will get more
applicants. Is it open to all artists or will artists be juried in?
Regarding limiting artists, you cannot control the quality
of artist if it is open to all.
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Prizes
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IMPT!
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Awards are good, prize $ is good. Will get artists interested.
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Rules
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This is impt, must be painted the day of, from life.
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?Location
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Rules for where (location) artists can paint/boundaries,
rules for no photo ref must be from life, ?size rule (not bigger than),
canvas/paper must be stamped, wet paint works must be framed
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List/Map of Suggested locations/boundaries
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location
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What are the boundaries of city where are the parks,
businesses etc where artists can paint?
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I do expect a list of where I can paint when I participate
– esp if I do not know the area. A map of boundaries is good, a suggestion of
painting locations is a must. Are there parks, downtown businesses that will
let artists paint there?
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Printed timeline
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VERY IMPT
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One day event?
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One day event may be a good place to start, but it will be
hectic. Artists need an hour by hour schedule and rules print out at check
in. ? One day one work? If more than one day, maybe more than 1 work?
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Timeline & Organizers, Day of
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You need multiple workers for all hours
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If it’s a one day event, you will need people for check in
and canvas stamp, to hand out printed rules/timeline, wet canvas check in and
return<<<this will back up, if you stop at 4pm all artists will arrive
around 4 to turn in work. You will need many there to take artist name, title
and price of work. And to take the work from the tired hungry artists,
framing screws and hammers may be nice to have on a table.
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Stamp- for back of canvases and paper
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Make it ARTY, not just a ‘date stamp’ – One org did a
hummingbird
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?Multiple stamps so multiple people can check in at once?
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Artists will all show up at once for canvas stamping and
waiting in line wastes valuable paint time, the organization must be fast and
efficient.
Artists will bring MORE than one canvas to stamp, prepare
for that, multiple stamping per each artist (as once you get outside you need
options). I would say if event is for one day, have check in and stamping
from 8-12 (2-3 hours at least). Some will come early some will come late,
many will arrive at SAME time magically…
One idea – offer canvas stamping the day before the event –
with clear rule requirement that painting cannot start until day of event.
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Reception
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Artists Reception/Show
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Is this the same night as the paint out or at a later
date? How long is the show?
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For me the artist the application
process is typically:
Apply for the event online, review rules and location
requirements and timeline online, get email notification of acceptance. Yay!
Put on calendar, day before pack car and pre-wire frame(s)
The day of the event: the artist
process is typically: (my car is my studio)
1.
Pack car: Frames, framing gear,
canvases, organization and timeline information, lunch, art supplies
2.
Check in, get 5 canvases stamped
(need multiple organizers w stamps as the line will get long and artists need
to get out to paint). FYI -- I always take more than one canvas to be stamped
as you never know what size you need. Be prepared to stamp multiple canvases
per person.
3.
Go to location to paint, hope for
nice weather (what will you do if it rains, if weather is severe reschedule or
keep event going?)
4.
If same day event, Take wet painting
and frame it from trunk of car (this is a process!!).
5.
Return to location to turn wet
painting back in, with title and price (again, you will need multiple people to
take in wet paintings and complete paperwork).
6.
Attend reception, hope for a prize. #exhaustion
