Plein Air Art Festival - Call For Artists
Attention Plein Air Painters
The Pima County Master Gardener Plein Air Art Festival is a fundraising event to help enhance the community education mission of the Pima County Master Gardeners Program.
The event will take place at the University of Arizona Pima County Extension Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens in Tucson. The dates for the public are November 9, and 10, 2024. From 9-4 pm. Artists will check in on Friday, November 8.
Artists will work outdoors in a medium of their choice in one of the 13 gardens maintained by our Master Gardener volunteers.
The theme of the event is A Day in the Life of a Garden. We as gardeners recognize and appreciate the ephemeral properties of our gardens and the ever-changing forces that shape them, climate change in particular. This event will provide a unique opportunity for attendees to experience and learn about Plein Air painting and take home a ready-to-hang memento of a fall day in a garden in the Sonoran desert.
Space is limited. Twenty -eight participants will be selected by a jury of local artists to ensure quality and a variety of styles.
- Artists must be at least 21 years of age
- To apply, send a hard copy photographic example ofyour Plein Air work, a short biography, and a statement ofyour artistic focus and experience. Maximum 1 page.
- The application period begins June 1.
- Participants will be selected from applications postmarked through July 30.
- If you are selected, you will be notified by August 15.
- Upon selection, a $50.00 entry fee and a registration form must be submitted by September 15 to:
Address TBA.
PRIZE CONTEST, SILENT AUCTION & SALES
- The fee entitles the artist to the option of setting up a sales area for other work on Sunday, November 10. Those who wish to participate, are required to provide their own set up and break down, and an attendant to conduct sales and provide security. Sales may begin at 10 am and must end by 4 pm. Proceeds go to the artist. Artwork and equipment must be cleared from the premises by 6 pm on Sunday .
- Artists are invited to participate in an opening reception to meet sponsors on November 8 and will receive a food/drink voucher for each day.
- All artists agree to work on site on Saturday only, and to submit a completed, framed, wired, and date-stamped work for a contest and silent auction, no later than noon on Sunday.
EVENTS
Friday, November 8th
- 12-2 pm Artists check-in, canvases stamped, name tags etc.
- 1-3 pm Artists will take a tour of the Master Gardeners Demonstration Gardens to determine where they will work.
- 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm Artists are invited to participate in a reception to meet sponsors, Master Gardener volunteers, and other VIPs
Saturday, November 9th
8 – 4 PM
- Set up for artists begins at 8 a.m. Public arrives at 9 am.
Sunday, November 10
Art sales, contest, raffle, and silent auction
- Only 1 work completed on site may be submitted to the contest and auction.
- Artists must complete their work for the contest and the auction by noon.
- The work must be framed, date-stamped, wired and placed on an easel in the gallery area.A title card with the artist’s name must be provided by the artist.
- The work will be entered in a People’s Choice Contest for Best in Show, Second Place and Third Place. A $500 prize will be awarded for Best in Show, $250 for Second Place and$100 for Third Place.
- A silent auction of work completed onsite will follow the contest.
- Silent auction bidding for contest winners, will begin at $300. Bidding for other works will begin at $200.00.
- Post auction, PCMG will issue a tax -deductible donation certificate to the artist for the amount the painting sold at auction.
ARTIST LIABILITY & CERTIFICATIONS
The artist agrees to bear all risk and expense for loss, theft, or damage to my paintings or other personal property, and for injury to their person, regardless of cause.
- The artist agrees to indemnify and hold harmless PCMG and the University Of Arizona Cooperative Extension from and against any claim, suit, action, liability, or expense arising out of any matter which would result from using images of themselves or their paintings for publicity.
Please submit your questions via email to the Festival Coordinator at PCMGPleinAir@gmail.com