Friends of the Smokies, an official nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), brought 20 nationally acclaimed artists to paint en plein air in the national park for the inaugural Plein Air in the Smokies recently.
The event generated over $270,000 and included five days of in-park painting, a “Quick Draw” competition with local artists in the GSMNP gateway community of Maryville, and a ticketed private art sale and awards reception, and two public art sales.
“Plein Air in the Smokies” Winners
- Bill Farnsworth won Best of Show for his oil painting “Rock Mosaic.”
- Charlie Hunter won the Body of Work category.
- Christine Lashley was awarded Best Water for her oil painting “Aqua Pool, Tremont.”
- John Guernsey’s oil painting “Blue House in the Woods” placed first for the Best Structure category.
- Neal Hughes won Best Use of Light for his oil painting “Morning Light.”
- Carl Bretzke was awarded Best Landscape for his oil painting “Morning in the Smokies.”
“We’d like to thank the exceptionally talented artists who not only made the inaugural Plein Air in the Smokies such a success but also set the stage for this to be an annual, best-in-class plein air event in the country’s most biodiverse national park,” said Gass. “This was truly a partnership between the artists, the National Park Service, Friends of the Smokies, and the surrounding community, which included art collectors, business sponsors, individual supporters, local artists, volunteers, and Maryville College.”
As event details are finalized for the 2023 event, Friends of the Smokies will post information online at PleinAirintheSmokies.org.
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