"YES - Plein Air Easton is happening in 2020! We are redesigning the event for these unique and challenging times. Read on for more details on how this came about and the schedule of events." - Marie Nuthall, Event Coordinator
2020 Event Schedule
Paintings produced in 2020 will stand as records of this truly historic year. Certified with a special stamp on the back as Plein Air Easton Pandemic Paintings, owning one will be an enduring symbol of your generosity and support of the arts community during a very dark, challenging and uncertain time. Find the time to feel community pride and joy this summer. Support Plein Air Easton and its artists.
Saturday, July 11, 2020 – Meet the Artists Expedition – 3pm-8pm, an exclusive benefit for Friends of Plein Air only
Rain Date: July 12, 2020
For years, Plein Air Easton’s Meet the Artists Dinner has been the party of the summer. Highlighting beautiful estates, allowing for quiet moments of exploration with old friends and laughter with new ones, the Meet the Artists Dinner has been an exciting way to kickstart a week of compelling competition. It is also an important way for the Avalon Foundation to show sincere appreciation to those who are the backbone of the festival’s success, the Friends of Plein Air.
While in so many ways Plein Air Easton will not be the same as it has been in years past, the gratitude felt toward its donors (the Friends of Plein Air) and collectors has never been greater, and their enduring support never more important.
This year’s Meet the Artists Expedition, therefore, will be more special than ever. Plein Air Easton’s Friends of Plein Air will be invited to enjoy a driving tour featuring some of Talbot County’s premier estates. Participating juried artists will be set up within the properties, producing work at sites that can be viewed either from one’s car or, for those comfortable doing so, by parking and exploring on foot. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon full of beautiful countryside, and artwork still in the moment of creation. Gourmet by the Bay will place a delicious picnic dinner, including wine (and in a stylish cooler bag), in your trunk to be enjoyed as and where you choose.
Artists and Friends will be spaced such that both the beauty of the properties and the considerable talent of some of the best plein air painters worldwide can be appreciated. Artists will also have the opportunity to display additional paintings created in the last few months while nearly everyone was quarantined in their homes. Each of the paintings sold during Plein Air Easton will be certified as an official Plein Air Easton Pandemic Painting, to serve as both a mark of history and a badge of support for the arts during a very difficult time. All artwork will be available for sale on the spot, or through an evening of programming that Friends will be able to experience online.
This event is only open to current Friends of Plein Air Easton. If you have questions about this event or about becoming a Friend, contact Kimberly Stevens, Avalon Foundation Development Director at 410-770-4637 or Kimberly@avalonfoundation.org
Sunday, July 12, 2020 – Relax & Explore – All Day – Talbot County
Plein Air Easton will reserve this day should it be needed as a rain date for the Meet the Artists Expedition. More likely, it will be a day on which participating painters may independently explore Talbot County at their own leisure. They will have a chance to sketch and paint for pleasure, and to plan their painting time over the next several busy days. Be on the lookout for them. Say hello, and thank them for their participation. Remember: all of their paintings are for sale. Should you spot one in progress that moves you, don’t let it be the Painting that Got Away. You can purchase straight from the easel! Commissions will also support Plein Air Easton. Email for more information.
Monday-Wednesday, July 13-15, 2020 – Featured Artists Paint in Featured Places - All Day
Monday-Wednesday Plein Air Easton artists will be divided amongst four locations: Easton, Tilghman, Oxford and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Painting on their own schedules and capturing the landscape as it inspires them, consider spending these days in one or all of these picturesque locations. Take the time to explore, and to support their local businesses on your own and at your own pace, while practicing good social distancing.. You will likely spot artists at work along the way!
Hoping to catch a specific painter? Check our website for daily locations of PAE artists. Learn more about each location below and reach out to Talbot Tourism and Economic Development for more advice about enjoying your time there.
Easton – The home and heart of Plein Air Easton and the Avalon Foundation, the town is as sophisticated as it is lively. Tour the freshly restored Art Deco Avalon Theatre, a world-class performing arts venue.
Renowned art galleries and impeccably curated museums make Easton the heart of the Eastern Shore's arts and culture scene. This mini-metropolis draws international artists, musicians and cultural connoisseurs to a series of acclaimed festivals each year. And it's a foodie town to boot, chock-full of hidden culinary gems. Come for a show, stay for a week. This art lovers' retreat is rated among the Top Ten Best Small Towns and Top 100 Small Arts Communities in America. Opening Monday, July 13 be sure to visit the Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall.
Oxford - Like an old-fashioned postcard, Oxford is picture-perfect. Surrounded by water with Town Creek to the east and the Tred Avon River to the north and west, Oxford's waterways bustle with the passing of yachts, sailboats, powerboats and its own Oxford-Bellevue Ferry (America’s oldest privately owned ferry route, established in 1683). Author James Michener even penned “Chesapeake” in this peaceful nautical oasis. Take a stroll back in time as you navigate the tree-lined streets peppered with historic homes and picket fences, charming inns and taverns, and a Scottish Highland Creamery, a local treasure. It's a quiet escape with water views around every turn.
Tilghman - A quintessential historic American working-waterfront village, Tilghman Island is just off the beaten path on the southernmost tip of Talbot County. Watermen reign, pristine landscapes abound, and crowds only exist at the annual seafood festivals and docking contests. Nestled between the Chesapeake Bay and the Choptank River, the island offers serene vacations marked by fishing, crabbing, boating and relaxation. This watermen's territory brims with unmatched hospitality, and is just the place to leave your stress behind while you sample the Chesapeake Bay's best seafood.
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum – A favorite place for plein air painters. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels was once the site of a busy complex of seafood packing houses, docks, and workboats. Today, there are 35 buildings, ten of which house exhibitions that are open to the public. Ten exhibition buildings trace the geological, social, and economic history of the Chesapeake Bay through the age of sail and the steamboat era to the advent of the gasoline- and diesel-powered engines. The Museum’s Howard Chappelle research library holds more than 10,000 volumes. The Museum’s collection of Chesapeake Bay watercraft is the largest in existence, numbering about 85 boats. Eleven of the collection’s largest vessels are on floating display at the Museum’s docks. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is the only museum devoted to interpreting the entire maritime region of the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will offer special discounted $10 tickets for those wanting to explore the museum on the days when Plein Air Easton painters will be at work. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is always free to its members.
Monday-Wednesday, July 13-15, 2020 – Nightly Community Exhibitions – 4pm-8pm
After a day of painting, artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their fresh pieces in small pop-up exhibits right within the communities in which they were created. This will allow patrons who do not wish, or are not able, to travel to the Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall the opportunity to view and to purchase the artwork that was freshly created in their neighborhoods. Masks must be worn and social distancing rules will be enforced. Pick a location, enjoy the art and take in dinner or cocktails at one of the fine nearby local restaurants. If you are local, make a pass by the exhibit nearest to your nightly stroll.
Easton:
Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall
218 North Washington Street
Easton MD 21601
Oxford:
Oxford Community Center
200 Oxford Road
Oxford MD 21654
Tilghman:
Wylder Hotel
21551 Chesapeake House Drive
Tilghman MD 21671
St. Michaels:
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
213 North Talbot Street
St. Michaels MD 21663
Monday-Sunday, July 13-19, 2020 – Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall – Daily 10am-8pm/Sunday, 10am-4pm
Plein Air Easton will transform over 10,000 square feet of retail space into the largest art exhibition on the shore this summer. Beginning on Monday, July 13th and expanding frequently as more paintings are added throughout the week, plan to make several passes through this special show. Plein Air Easton staff will carefully monitor the door, so expect easy social distancing in a very large indoor space with air conditioning and plenty of parking available. The exhibition will be fully complete on Thursday, and will feature special appointment-only hours for our donors (please plan accordingly contact Kimberly@avalonfoundation.org for more details). All paintings sold through the Plein Air Easton Exhibition Hall will be certified as Plein Air Easton Pandemic Paintings and will become your piece of history that can be shared with pride for generations to come.
Artist Demonstrations & Live Streaming Events
Keep checking the Plein Air Easton website. Expect to see the addition of painting demonstrations across the county and the timing of Live Streaming content confirmed. Act fast if you see demonstrations offered, as space will be extremely limited to allow for appropriate social distancing and to act in accordance with all CDC guidance.
00
Days00
Hours00
Minutes