Art Rapids! is excited to announce the addition of a Plein Air event to the annual Fine Arts Fair held in beautiful Veterans’ Memorial Park, 410 River Street, Elk Rapids, MI. This year’s Fair & Plein Air event take place on June 25th, 2016. Proceeds are used to enhance the arts and art education in our community through scholarships, grants and community events.
Click here to view the Plein Air artist application. Please note, this is a separate application from the art fair application, however artists who participate in the fair are welcome to apply to be in both events.
Art Rapids! will match up Art Patrons to sponsor individual Plein Air Artists for a fun day of painting in and around the fair. We expect a friendly spirit of competition as Patrons cheer on the artist they sponsor, and an enhanced experience for fair patrons as they get a glimpse of the amount of work that goes into producing a work of art.
Patrons pay the sponsorship fee ($400) and get the honor of sponsoring a selected Plein Air Artist. They will receive the original piece of artwork produced by that artist at the fair and the satisfaction of knowing that they are contributing to the widely known charity work done by Art Rapids!
Plein Air Artists will have the pleasure of painting in the beautiful waterfront and riverside Veterans’ Memorial Park, gain exposure to thousands of fair goers and art patrons, be publicized on the Art Rapids! website, and will receive a $50 stipend for materials and expenses. They will also have the opportunity to win prizes when paintings are judged at the end of the day by professional artist and teacher Mary Guntzviller, www.guntzviller.com.
Participating artists and examples of their work (click on the artist’s name to see more):
Patt Bennett - sponsored by Laura Andersen
Patt Bennett is a painter exploring water media. What started with crayons has gone full circle. As a spirited free range artist, Patt is enjoying an adventure away from a boxed in existence, open to new art related experiences. She is a possibilitarian, so to speak. Her work showcases a full range of media and technique expressing an exuberance of joyful painting.
In the beginning her home was in a suburb of Detroit Michigan, however almost 10 years ago her preferred place to be was in Northern Michigan. Home has gone full circle as well - having just returned to this area from 3 years in Abiquiu, New Mexico - winter in Boca Tomatlan, Mexico and a year in Portland, Oregon...
Coming home, serving her work with radical play and flowing forward into something more.
Pat Dixon - sponsored by anonymous
I have painted on and off for 40 years, and have taken many classes fromgreat instructors, who have always shared with me their enthusiasm, knowledge, and techniques in their medium. In 2012 I joined the 'Plein AirPainters of Northwest MI' and began entering shows and expanding my interest in perfecting my skills in acrylics, oils, and watercolors. Ideas flow from one project to another and with each medium has a way of helping me express my insight in the painting, and still surprising me with the results. The quote from T. Merton sums up my need to paint and how I feel the continued growth within myself. 'Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.’"
Mary Guntzviller - juror, on exhibition
Mary Guntzviller has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University, with a major in Art, including an emphasis in figure drawing and sculpture. She has been a professional artist since 1988. Through both teaching and demonstrations, Guntzviller enthusiastically shares her work first-hand with others. Since 1993, she has taught in several mediums; watercolor, acrylics, and life drawing. A few of her workshop locations have been at St. John, Virgin Islands; Cincinnati, Ohio; Mackinac Island, Glen Arbor, Tustin, Battle Creek and Traverse City, MI. She also critiques paintings by appointment at her Studio.
Heidi Marshall - sponsored by Cassie & Mike Gambrell
Heidi
Marshall was born in Detroit in 1958. She is descended from a line of painters
including her father who was Chief Illustrator for the Detroit News. She is now
a northern Michigan artist who strives to capture the singular beauty of
Michigan’s lakes, dunes, woods and farmland. Each painting is created on site
En Plein Air. “It is a joy to paint here. Michigan is my home and I am blessed
to live in the natural beauty of the north. The subject matter here is
inexhaustible. There are limitless scenes of wonder and interest.” After a
successful career as Creative Director and Senior Writer at Young & Rubicam
and Saatchi & Saatchi advertising, Heidi decided to devote herself
exclusively to painting.
She holds a BFA from Albion College and an MFA from Wayne State University.
“There is something about painting in the out-of-doors that puts your finger on
nature’s pulse. As a painter you are almost literally in the painting. You
smell the air, feel the breeze, squint down the scene, enter another world and
become happily lost in it.” Heidi paints year round in all types of weather –
even on blustery winter days. At such times, she makes use of a portable
heater, fingerless gloves and a Siberian muskrat hat.
Lauren Moss - sponsored by Nancy & Gary McRay
Born and raised in Texas, I have worked collaboratively and individually on a variety of engaged interdisciplinary projects for over a decade. I obtained my BFA in Art History from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2005. Between 2013-2014 I received the RAW Director’s Highlight Award. I relocated to Sewickley, Pennsylvania in 2015. Since moving, I have had exhibitions many states, nationwide. I am currently involved several art leagues across Texas and Pennsylvania and am on display at Kara’s Art Brokerage in Station Square in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Additionally, in April of this year I took Bronze in Art Ascent’s magazine, themed Heat, Volume Eighteen. In July, I will be exhibiting at TC Higher Exhibition, in Traverse City, Michigan.
Louise Pond - sponsored by Mary & Mark Krizmanic
"The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state that makes art inevitable." Robert Henri
Living in northern Michigan is the inspiration that makes art "inevitable" for me! The lakes, orchard-filled rolling hills and forests provide enough inspiration for a lifetime of paintings.
I prefer painting en plein air (outdoors), but I dabble in studio work as well. My art education spans many decades with an Associates in Fine Art, to studying under Master Artists. But my time painting in nature is my best education. Nothing surpasses putting in the hard work of painting as often as possible.
My works can be found in both private and corporate collections. I have won a list of painting competitions as well as local, regional and national awards. I have an upcoming solo show "Beauty Brought To Light" July 23-Aug 2, 2016 at Three Pines Studio, Cross Village, MI. Opening reception July 23rd, 2-7 pm.
Ann Robinson - sponsored by Kris & Phil Elbert
Ann fell in love with watercolor painting in the early 1980's when she returned to college to study art, design and illustration, and she has drawn and painted since. A long career in commercial and architectural design kept her immersed in the arts, enhanced by visits to numerous galleries and the Art Institute of Chicago, where the Impressionists captured her emotions.
Many years spent camping and exploring the outdoors in Michigan and on the East Coast sharpened her observations of Nature’s moods. Now retired, Ann paints in watercolor, because of its independent character. She lives full time in Traverse City, focusing her painting on her much-loved Northern Michigan.
Ann recently won the Mission Point Lighthouse Friends competition for the Lighthouse Pinot Grigio label – a fundraising joint venture between the Lighthouse Friends and Bowers Harbor Vineyards. She also recently won the poster competition for the Suttons Bay 2016 Art Festival.
Adam VanHouten - sponsored by Kathy Moss
Adam VanHouten is a watercolor painter and photographer. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Art Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters in Education from Michigan State University. He currently is a full-time visual art instructor for Traverse City Area Public Schools, and teaches a variety of workshops and classes to both children and adults. Born and raised in Traverse City, he is an artist with a commitment to share his learning through his teaching and to continue to advocate for the expansion and growth of the visual arts in Northern Michigan. In 2014 he was awarded 1st place in the Commemorative Cherry Festival Print Festival competition. In 2015 VanHouten was awarded 1st and 2nd place in the Samels Farm Plein Air Paint Out. Most recently VanHouten was one of 25 artists juried into this summer’s 2016 Dexter Plein Air Festival in the category of professional artist.
Artists will paint during the fair under the following guidelines:
· Painting from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm
· Must be within eyesight of the fair
· Minimum image size: 9” x 12” (no maximum)
· Paintings on paper must be matted before presentation for judging.
· Artists are encouraged to promote themselves with business cards or other promotional materials, but are not allowed to sell during the fair UNLESS the artist is also participating with a booth in the Art Rapids fair.
Minimum prizes to be awarded (prize amounts may increase depending on participation.)
· $300 Best of Show
· $100 Honorable Mention (2 awards, $100 each)
A rain date will be scheduled in the event the juror determines that weather prohibits artists from painting.
If an artist is unable to finish their piece, they will be allowed to do a piece in-studio from reference. If an artist does not have a finished piece by time of judging, they will automatically be ineligible for a prize.
For additional information or to participate in Plein Air at the Fair as a sponsor or an artist, please contact Laura Andersen at Lpearlfive@aol.com.