The Elora Arts Council will be hosting Elora en Plein Air – a Grand River Painting Festival from May 19 to 22.
Artists and visitors are welcome to the four-day art event. The outdoor painting festival showcases the heritage charms of the town of Fergus and the village of Elora as well as the natural settings all around the Grand and Irvine River gorges.
The festival includes three days of painting outdoors and an art show and sale with juried awards going to the top three paintings as well as a People’s Choice award.
Awards include a first place prize of $1,000, a second place prize of $500, a third place prize of $300. The People’s Choice Award is $200.
The juror for this show is Sam Paonessa, a founding member of Plein Air Canada and a member of the Ontario Society of Artists.
Entry fees are $45 per person or $40 for Elora Arts Council members.
Once registered, participants may commence painting anytime between May 19 and 21. Maps and recommended painting locations will be provided at registration check-in.
The home base for the Plein Air event is the Elora Centre for the Arts, 75 Melville St., Elora, Ontario.
The team will be on hand daily between 7am and 7pm from May 19 to 21 for registration check-in and intake of paintings each evening.
The show and sale is on May 22, from 1pm to 5pm. The submitted work will be juried on Sunday morning. Awards will be presented at 2pm during the show and sale.
The Elora Centre for the Arts is collaborating with the Elora Arts Council in the Plein Air Festival. They will be offering plein air courses with qualified instructors.
During the festival there will be entertainment and social events available to participants, including a Film on a Plate evening, a club-style Jazz concert, both offered by Sensational Elora and a Sunday morning breakfast social produced by the Food School of Centre Wellington District High School.
Participants in the Plein Air Festival can find information and download the registration form and rules and regulations at www.elorapleinair.ca or contact eloraartscouncil@gmail.com
To register for the plein air classes contact www.eloracentreforthearts.ca.
