General Description

The 14th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival kicks off on May 11, 2020 with the arrival of 32 juried, nationally recognized and emerging artists who have come to Wayne, Pennsylvania to capture the cool atmosphere and ephemeral, lush greens of spring in the Delaware Valley. As one of the premier plein air events in the country, Wayne offers the unique opportunity to showcase work created during the festival in spacious, light-filled and state-of-the-art galleries during an exhibition that hangs until the end of June. The galleries at Wayne Art Center are enjoyed by more than 30,000 visitors each year and sales during the Wayne Plein Air Exhibition remain steady throughout the six weeks.

Participants

For artists who previously have participated in Wayne Art Center Plein Air, the festival offers an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and collectors and to compete for top cash awards totaling $20,000. For emerging artists, acceptance in Wayne Art Center's Plein Air Festival represents an important step in achieving national recognition. As one of the first plein air festivals in the country, WAC Plein Air has attracted some of the best outdoor painters working in the field and has served an instrumental role in supporting the vibrant contemporary landscape painting movement.

Hospitality

Participating artists who are visiting the area are housed by local residents and Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival committee members. Following Monday morning registration and the first day of painting, artists gather along with sponsors for a hearty Welcome Dinner.

Locations

 Throughout the week, painters work on locations in the surrounding areas, a locale robust with colorful and varied landscapes. From quaint small towns filled with period architecture to rolling hills dotted with livestock, to the dynamic skyline views of Center City Philadelphia and its surrounding waterfronts, including the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, there is no lack of inspiration or subject matter. A guide to area locations is provided. A week of intense work culminates in an entirely fresh exhibition of more than 300 paintings.

The Collector’s Soiree

 The exhibit opens with a Gala Collector’s Soiree Party attended by more than 250 guests, where awards will be presented by juror, Kathryn Stats of Utah.

The Juror:

Kathryn Stats is an award winning artist known for works that capture the majesty of the Utah landscape. Her expressive paintings depict everything from rugged geological formations to cascading waterfalls. Her body of work encompasses not only the grandeur of the western landscape but also includes scenery of Italy’s Tuscan countryside to the Pacific shores of California. She has traveled to and painted the coastal areas of Oregon as well as locations in Alaska, Russia, Spain, France and Portugal.

Over the years, Stats has participated in numerous prestigious museum shows, including exhibitions at Oklahoma’s Gilcrease Museum and Utah’s Springville Museum of Art. She has also been featured in juried plein air shows such as Maynard Dixon County in Mount Carmel, UT. She has been represented at Legacy Galleries in Scottsdale, AZ, Jackson, WY and Bozeman, MT.as well as Settlers West Galleries in Tucson,Arizona, the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, MT, Illume Gallery of Fine Art in Salt Lake City and Wood River Fine Arts in Ketchem, ID.
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Her work is very much her own, not really echoing the styles of any of the painters with whom she has studied.  Although her red rock paintings remain among her most coveted compositions, collectors seem to respond positively to any subject she paints.


The Arizona Republic writes, "Kathryn Stats is a Utah artist whose best landscapes are a complete pleasure.  The paint in them is given over to the subject and you know that Stats doesn’t feel the need for any gimmicks to get her point across.  Direct, honest, and sensuous, these are the work of a genuine painter."

Calendar of Events for Wayne Plein Air 2020

December 1, 2019 – March 1, 2020
Online submissions accepted         

Friday, March 6, 2020
Notification of Accept/Decline   

Monday, May 11, 2020
8 am   Arrival of artists for registration and canvas stamping
7 pm   Welcome Dinner                             

Monday, May 11 – Friday, May 15, 2020
Artists paint within 25 miles of Wayne

Friday, May 15, 2020
Paint Out–Artists paint at a specific location (TBD)

Saturday, May 16, 2020
Artists paint in the town of Wayne until 12:00noon.

Saturday, May 16   6 to 9 pm
Wayne Art Center 13th Annual Plein Air Festival Collectors' Soiree & Sale – Awards Presented
Wayne Art Center, 413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, PA 1908

Sunday, May 17, 2020
3 pm
Juror’s Demo and Talk with Kathryn Stats

Monday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Kathryn Stats Three-Day Plein Air Painting Workshop

Register at www.wayneart.org

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria