The Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy presents Plein Air Paint Out -- September 25 (artwork by Brad Bisbey).
Saturday, September 25, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Presented by the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy
A yearly outdoor tradition for artists of all skill levels returns on September 25 with the fifth-annual Plein Air Paint Out, an event sponsored by the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy, and one that can lead to artists not only selling their creations, but exhibiting them both in the Bettendorf venue and on the walls of Davenport's Adler Theatre.
“Not only is it a wonderful opportunity for the artist," says gallery owner, artist, and teacher Pat Beréskin, "but to be seen by many during Festival of Trees during the holiday season." Paintings will be offered for sale during the eventual exhibition of works, and the artists will receive 50 percent of the proceeds, with the remaining 50 percent going to the Beréskin Art Academy Scholarship Fund. Artists may paint along the Mississippi River from the I-80 Bridge to the Centennial Bridge on either side of the river, with all artistic mediums acceptable. From the entrants of the September 25 event (taking place from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), up to 30 artists will be selected to exhibit their work in a fall exhibition on display from October 1 through 30 at the Beréskin Gallery, with the opening reception held on Friday, October 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Following the exhibition, selected works will appear in the Adler Theatre display cases from November 1 through January 7.
Among the exhibit criteria: Paintings/drawings are to be executed “en plein air,” i.e., outdoors, from direct observation of the subject matter, with working from photographs not allowed; 90 percent of a painting/drawing must be completed on-site, allowing for minor adjustments to be made in the studio; artwork may be done in any painting/drawing medium (e.g., acrylic, gouache, ink, pastel, tempera,watercolor, mixed media, et al); artwork (unframed) size must not exceed 36 inches in any direction; and artwork may be done of any subject matter within the boundaries of Bettendorf. Completed, framed paintings/drawings may be turned in to the Beréskin Gallery after the paint out between 3:30 and 4 p.m., or on Monday, September 28 between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“We would love artists to focus on the river," says Beréskin, adding that "a special request is for the new and old (1-74) bridge.” Beréskin also notes that one painting will be selected for the annual holiday ornament that the Downtown Bettendorf Business Women sells to raise funds to support two scholarships ($500), for a Bettendorf and a Pleasant Valley High School senior planning on going into business. The scholarship is in honor of Debbie LaMar (1957-2018), a past Bettendorf alderwoman who worked hard for the city and the arts. “She was like the number-one cheerleader in the area, to get everything, public sculpture. Before she passed, we had been working on an Art Pride event in Bettendorf. She wanted to do that here. We have so much talent here.”
For the September 25 Plein Air Paint Out, artists much register by the evening of Friday, September 24, and all artwork should be available for sale. Registration is $25, and more information is available by calling (563)508-4630 and visiting BereskinArtGallery.com.
