Door County Plein Air Festival Raises Awareness for the Peninsula School of Art

There will be a noticeable change to the Door County landscape on July 20. Forty nationally- and internationally-recognized plein air (outdoor) painters from the United States and Canada will become part of the scenery as they depict the beauty of the peninsula until July 25. As part of the third annual Door County Plein Air Festival, hosted by the Peninsula School of Art, these master artists welcome viewing of their works-in-progress as they lend their talents to the school’s main annual fundraising event.

“Our goals have been to draw attention to Door County as an arts destination, raise the public’s appreciation for this type of painting, and secure vital funding for our non-profit school,” says Cathy Hoke-Gonzales, Executive Director. “The excitement of the festival grows each year, with more people participating in their own way. This year we have added some additional family-friendly activities and to make it easier for visitors to spot our featured artists, the artists will mark their easels and painting sites with red and yellow flags.”

The Door County Plein Air Festival is the largest plein air painting event in the Midwest. In addition to impromptu meetings with artists as they’re painting, the festival includes family-friendly public events, ticketed events for serious collectors, the open Dockside Quick Paint competition (the winner claims a spot as a featured artist in the 2010 festival), and a live auction of freshly-painted works in the center of Fish Creek at noon on July 25.

Cinnamon Rossman, Director of Community Relations at Peninsula School of Art and the festival’s coordinator, points out that the annual fundraising event would not be possible without the help of over 150 volunteers and in-kind donations.

“There are people who give of themselves so generously because they value the cultural contribution that the Art School makes to the Door County community,” she says. “Their efforts are necessary to make the festival a success.”

The 2009 Door County Plein Air Festival is sponsored in part by Cellcom, fm106.9 The Lodge, the Artists Guild, Wisconsin Arts Board and Door County Living.

For further information on the Door County Plein Air Festival call the Peninsula School of Art at 920.868.3455, or visit http://www.doorcountypleinair.com.