Plein Air Easton (PAE) is preparing for its 15th year. Each year PAE chooses a single person to evaluate hundreds of slides from plein air painters around the world to select the 58 artists who compete in Easton, Maryland, in July. This person becomes the judge for the event in the following year. Relying on a single juror ensures a clear and new curatorial perspective from year to year and has led to the discovery of fresh talent, not just for Easton but for the larger plein air movement as well.
While this approach has been central to the Plein Air Easton’s vibrancy, it also means that the person selected as juror must have exceptional credentials and an interesting perspective.
“We are thrilled to announce this year’s juror is Daniel H. Weiss, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” says Marie Nuthall, PAE coordinator for the Avalon Foundation. “Having a juror and judge that are so highly esteemed in the art community speaks to the prestige of PAE itself and gives an exciting momentum going into our 15th year.”
Prior to his current appointment, Weiss served as the 14th president of Haverford College,16th president of Lafayette College, and the dean of the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University, where he had previously served as professor and chair of the History of Art Department. Weiss is also an author who has written or edited five books and numerous articles on art of the Middle Ages and other topics.
The 15th Annual Plein Air Easton competition is July 14–21, 2019.
PAE Competition Artists Announced
A large part of the appeal of plein air competitions is the fresh perspectives continually generated by a varied group of artists each year. Plein Air Easton prides itself on being a competition where the possibility of winning the grand prize is available to any artist — no matter what your skill set or level of accomplishment in the art community.
More than 230 artists applied from across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. Sixteen of the 58 artists selected are brand-new to the competition. “Our 15th year promises to be exciting,” says PAE coordinator Marie Nuthall. “This year’s artist’s group hail from 23 different states and one from Norway. We have several artists we haven’t seen in quite some time and we’re looking forward to having them back, as well as the masterful artists from 2018 that are returning.”
Some of the artists include:
Natalia Andreeva – Tallahassee, FL
Olena Babak – Hartland, ME
Suzie Baker – Shenandoah, TX
Tim Bell – Mayo, MD
Paul Bergquist – Viroqua, WI
Zufar Bikbov – Watertown, CT
Allen Brockbank – Centerville, UT
Jay Brooks – Callicoon, NY
(see the complete list at www.pleinaireaston.com).
