More than three dozen visiting artists from Kentucky and surrounding states will converge in Owensboro September 25-27 for the 2014 BUFFALO PAINT OUT hosted by the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art.
During the three-day event, sponsored by Swedish Match, artists will document Owensboro’s sense of place as they compete for merit and purchase awards totaling $3,000. Those awards will be presented during the 4th annual Buffalo Gala, scheduled 6:30-8:30 p.m., September 27 at the museum. Reservations for the Gala can be made by phoning 270-685-3181.
The visiting artists are in Owensboro to document, through the lens of art, its architecture, landscape, events and people, and will be given a recommended list of sites of interest. Some are historic, such as the Campbell Club, the OMFA’s John Hampden Smith House and Union Station. Others are contemporary, such as the downtown riverfront development, Hampton Inn & Suites and Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.
Noted Kentucky painter Jim Cantrell, who is known for his landscape paintings rendered in both oil and watercolor, will serve as juror for the event. His works are featured in museums as well as public and private collections across the country. His paintings and ceramic sculpture are currently on exhibit at the OMFA.
En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air” and is used to describe the act of painting outdoors. En plein air painting became popular in the mid-19th century when working in natural light became particularly important to the French artists of the Barbizon and Impressionists schools. Outdoor painting was facilitated in the 1870s with the introduction of paints in tubes. Previously, each painter made his or her own paints by grinding and mixing dry pigment powders with oils or other binders. The popularity of outdoor painting was heightened in the late 20th century when en plein air societies and competitions were organized across the nation and abroad.
Artists may enter the BUFFALO PAINT OUT online at www.omfa.us or by calling the museum at 270-685-3181. They also may register during check-in 7-9 a.m. Thursday and Friday, September 25 and 26. The registration fee is $35, and participants must provide their own supplies.
Artists will submit their paintings 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, September 27, at the museum. The paintings will be exhibited for one night only during the Buffalo Gala that evening.
The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art is located at the corner of Ninth and Frederica streets in Owensboro, Kentucky, and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. For more information, visit the museum’s website, www.omfa.us, or phone 270-685-3181.
