San Angelo, TX
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, October 19-27
Diane Frossard, Serenity, oil, 8 x 13.
This story was featured in the October 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
VISITORS TO San Angelo, TX, this month are treated to West Texas hospitality and a slew of paint-outs at the annual En Plein Air Texas festival, where nearly three dozen top landscape artists from around the country celebrate and share the pleasures of plein-air painting. Over the course of this lively, nine-day festival, the artists set up their easels at a variety of scenic locations, from historic landmarks to the San Angelo Roping Fiesta fairgrounds to the Concho River that runs through the heart of the city. Hosted by the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, the event kicks off on Saturday, October 19, when the artists can be seen painting around downtown San Angelo, giving the public a firsthand look at the plein-air process.
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- Richard Sneary, Gray Day, watercolor, 12 x 24.
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- Fran Ellisor, Solitary Endeavor, oil, 10 x 20.
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- Charlie Hunter, Milk Barns, Mims Ranch, oil, 12 x 24.
Artists’ demonstrations have always been the heart and soul of the festival, but this year, says event coordinator Barbara Rallo, “We’re calling the demos ‘Come Watch and Ask While I Paint.’ A big part of what we do is education. The artists are so engaging and welcoming, and they’ll talk about anything about their paintings.”
Throughout the week, there are numerous opportunities for visitors to interact with the artists as they capture the local scenery. “The biggest question we get is, ‘Where can I find the artists?’” notes Rallo. “We are going to make that easier for people this year.” On the days when the paint-outs take place downtown, for example, three designated artists will be painting at specific locations where the public can meet them. And every artist displays a balloon at their easel, adds Rallo, that helps make them visible wherever they’re painting.
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- Thomas Jefferson Kitts, Remains of the Day oil, 18 x 24.
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- Christine Lashley, For Love of the Land, oil, 16 x 20.
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- William Suys, Toe Man Joe, oil, 8 x 10.
Among the participating artists are Kathleen Hudson, Charlie Hunter, Thomas Jefferson Kitts, and Neal Hughes—last year’s four top award-winners—and 30 juried artists, including Jill Basham, Peggy Immel, Tim Oliver, and DK Palecek. Each artist produces multiple paintings during the event, says Rallo, including one small work for a special Mini Pearls of the Conchos exhibition on Saturday, October 26. It all adds up to around 300 paintings, including roughly 70 competition pieces, that are up for sale at historic Fort Concho during closing weekend. (Works shown here were created at last year’s event.) Collectors have their first opportunity to see the competition paintings at the ticketed Art Collectors Stampede on Friday evening. The festival concludes with a chuck wagon-style brunch on Sunday. —Kim Agricola
contact information
325.656.2500
www.enpleinairtexas.com
Yong Hong Zhong, White Waterlily, watercolor, 14 x 11.
This story was featured in the October 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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