11th Plein Air Art Festival Set

Credit: Lighthouse ArtCenter

(PRESS RELEASE)_Tequesta, Fla. (January 2, 2024) – Lighthouse ArtCenter's (LAC) 11th Annual Plein Air Festival brings together thirty-two award-winning artists to compete for over $15,000 in cash and prizes through the practice of painting "en plein air" or "in the open air."  
 
The festival takes place March 3 - 9, 2024. It includes free events and artist demonstrations, workshops, and hundreds of freshly painted pieces available for purchase throughout the week at Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery at 373 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, FL 33469. A full schedule of events, demonstrations, and workshop details can be found at lighthousearts.org/pleinair. 
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"Our festival attracts the nation's top Plein Air artists, who come to Palm Beach County to paint our local landscapes, coastlines, and landmarks. Their paintings capture everything from "Old Florida" found in places like Jonathon Dickinson Park and Riverbend Park to iconic landmarks such as Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse," said Lighthouse ArtCenter's Executive Director, Jeni Licata. "The only requirement is to paint outdoors. Plein air painting allows artists to express their creativity without constraint on subject or medium." 
 
Renowned artist Michele Usibelli was selected as this year's judge. Her impressive artistic background includes exhibitions in group and solo galleries and recognition in regional, national, and international juried exhibitions and Museum Auctions. Usibelli will honor the artists with a variety of awards including Best Marine, Best Seaside, Best Architecture, Best Nocturne, and Best of South Florida.  
 
Lighthouse ArtCenter’s 11th Annual Plein Air Festival Participating Artists:  

Hector Acuna - Grafton, Wisconsin 
Harsh Agrawal - London, England 
Marc Anderson - Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 
Natalia Andreeva - Tallahassee, Florida 
Pam Ayres - Tequesta, Florida 
Olena Babak - Hartland, Maine 
Carla Bosch - Liberty Hill, Texas 
Lon Brauer - Granite City, Illinois 
Carl Bretzke - Minneapolis, Minnesota 
Krystal Brown - Spring, Texas 
Edward Buonvecchio - Cornville, Arizona 
Kathleen Denis - Palm Beach Shores, Florida 
Erin Dertner - Santa Rosa, California 
Lori Cusick - Dallas, Texas 
Bill Farnsworth - Venice, Florida 
Neal Hughes - Medford, New Jersey 
Russell Jewell - Easley, South Carolina 
Tim Kelly - Baltimore, Maryland 
Chris Kling - Stuart, FL 
Jeffrey Markowsky - Savannah, Georgia 
Laura Martinez-Bianco - Marlboro, New York 
Ralph Papa - Boynton Beach, Florida 
Kari Ruiz - Interlaken, New York 
Manon Sander - North Palm Beach, Florida 
Mark Shasha - Swampscott, Massachusetts 
Richard Sneary - Kansas City, Missouri 
Mary Hertler Tallman - Jackson, Michigan 
Lyudmila Tomova - Raleigh, North Carolina 
Richie Vios - Austin, Texas 
Robin Weiss - Poulsbo, Washington 
Cory Wright - Palmetto, Florida 
Stephen Wysocki - Armstrong Creek, Wisconsin 
 
The festivities begin on Sunday, March 3, with a "Paint Out Competition" at Harbourside Place in Jupiter from 9 am - 1:30 pm. This fast-paced event is open to professional and amateur artists who compete for over $2,000 in cash and prizes. The public is welcome to watch as artists begin painting at the sound of an air horn and have two hours to complete their work, which is then displayed and available for sale.  
 
March 4 - 7, the award-winning artists paint in picturesque places throughout Palm Beach and Martin Counties, capturing the beauty before them on canvas. Free artist demonstrations are open to the public. A schedule can be found at lighthousearts.org/pleinair, and real-time updates are available on Instagram @lighthouseartcenter. All paintings can be viewed and available for purchase at the Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery throughout the week from 9 am- 6 pm.  
 
The culmination arrives on March 8 from 5 - 8 pm with the "Collectors' Party & Sale," where attendees can purchase freshly painted, one-of-a-kind pieces and mingle with the artists and other art lovers while enjoying LAC's signature hors d' oeuvres and refreshments. The festival finale is on March 9 at LAC Gallery from 10 am - 2 pm and includes a lively "Battle of the Brushes" painting competition (10 am - 12 pm), an Awards Ceremony, and the introduction of new 8" x 8" small works available for sale.  
 
Three visiting artists will offer workshops for artists looking to hone their craft. "Painting Seascapes and Waves" with Olena Babak for all skill levels (February 27 - 28 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm) focuses on painting realistic transparent water and rolling waves with oil painting through demonstrations and instruction. Carl Bretzke's "The Golden Hour and Sunset" (March 1 & 2 from 3 - 7 pm) is for intermediate to advanced artists and teaches how to capture the late afternoon and sunset "light effects" in paint. Michele Usibelli welcomes artists of all levels to "Bringing Life and Energy to your Paintings" (March 12 - 14 from 10 am -4 pm), which focuses on the essential steps to building a successful painting through a lecture, discussions, demonstrations, and one on one instruction. Advance registration is required at lighthousearts.org.