The Mendocino Art Center (MAC) hosted three prestigious featured artists and 60 participating artists, from throughout California, as well from Illinois and Pennsylvania, as part of the Mendocino Open Paint Out (MOPO), a plein air festival, September 19-25. The event presented the public with free opportunities to view artists paint en plein air, attend featured artist hosted demonstrations, shop “wet paint” sales, with new oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media paintings hung each day, and watch the Quick Draw Competition and cast a vote for the winning piece. This year’s event culminated with an “After Party,” with live music by Mendocino’s own Mama Grows Funk.
More from the organizers:
During the week, the artists painted more than 350 works of art, plus an additional 48 paintings created in a two-hour Quick Draw Competition on Saturday, on Main Street, Mendocino. A MOPO celebratory reception was held on Saturday, September 24, to present 17 awards valued at more $10,000 in cash and prizes. The paintings were juried by the featured artists, Maeve Croghan, Ryan Jensen and Carolyn Lord.
Kristian Matthews from Vacaville, CA, received the Southwest Art magazine “Best in Show” award for his oil painting, “Out for a Walk.”
Carol Tarzier from Oakland, CA, was awarded the PleinAir Magazine Best Collection Award for her oil paintings.
The PleinAir Magazine/OutdoorPainter.com Featured Artist Award was presented to John Paul Marcelo from Santa Rosa, CA, for his oil painting, “Morning on Big River.”
“Best of” awards were bestowed in four different media: John Bucklin (San Rafael), “Caspar Beach,” oil on panel; Jamie Morgan (Oakland), “Bluffs at Russian Gulch,” watercolor; Pamela Miller-Dollar (Pleasant Hill), “Hope Garden,” acrylic; and Teresa Steinbach-Garcia (Wilton), “Early Cloud,” pastel.
The Quick Draw Competition Viewer’s Choice Award, voted on by the public, was received by Najeeb Abdulrahiman (Fremont), “Main Street,” watercolor. An Early Bird Award for the best painting hung by the end of the first day of the event went to Rose Irelan (Poway), “Majestic Muse,” oil. The Artists Showcase Exhibition, for the best painting brought for this event-opening exhibit, was awarded to Roseanne Burke (Nevada City), “Evening at Glass Beach,” oil. And, a Founders Award, given by Mendocino Open Paint Out co-founders and local artists John Hewitt and Dale E. Moyer, was bestowed on Susan Otten (San Pablo), “Cypress Point,” oil on panel.
Each juror awarded two honorable mention awards. Maeve Croghan’s went to Rob Anglin (Livermore), “Mendo Cove,” watercolor gouache; and Moira Donohoe (Mariposa), “Big River Sweet Spot,” pastel.
Ryan Jensen’s were received by Najeeb Abdulrahiman (Fremont), “Church on Main Street,” watercolor; and Martha Diaz (South San Francisco), “Morning Shadows,” oil.
And, Carolyn Lord’s were given to Karyn Lynn Newman (Berkeley), “Snug Houses,” watercolor; and Kathleen Strukoff (Palm Springs), “Into the Sun,” oil on panel.
All award winning works may be viewed at MendocinoArtCenter.org/mopo.
A Mendocino Open Paint Out Featured Artists Exhibition, showing September 30 through October 30, highlights the paintings of the three featured artists in the Mendocino Art Center’s September plein air festival, Croghan, Jensen and Lord. The exhibit includes works created during the event, as well as paintings created previously.
The Mendocino Open Paint Out was inaugurated in 2013. The Mendocino Coast, located along a beautiful expanse of the Pacific Ocean in northern California, is a spectacular setting to paint en plein air. Artists claim that the quality of light is unlike anywhere else in the world. From the rugged surrounding landscape, to the bay and beaches, to the quaint Victorian architecture and water towers in the town of Mendocino, to the nearby vineyards and wineries, artists always find abundant creative inspiration.
The Mendocino Open Paint Out was sponsored by Southwest Art magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, PleinAir Magazine, as well as KZYX & Z, Sea Pal Cove, The Stanford Inn by the Sea and Visit Mendocino / Mendocino County Tourism.
Support has also been provided by Frankie’s Pizza and Ice Cream, Frey Vineyards, Gallery Bookshop, John Hewitt, Husch Vineyards, Rick Keller, Debra Lennox, Dale E. Moyer, North Coast Brewing Company, Noyo Harbor Inn, Trish and Trevor Orchard, Janis Porter, Prentice Gallery, Rollin’ Dough Baking Company, Thanksgiving Coffee and Village Veterinary.
The Mendocino Art Center is located at 45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino.
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