Plein Air Unleashed is an annual weeklong plein air painting and art event by Jeff Cherry and Allure Art that is held the last week of April (Monday – Saturday). This event is one of the largest gatherings of Plein Air painters in the state each year and was the first plein air event in the region. Plein Air Unleashed receives glowing reviews from the artists, patrons, and community partners.
Fine Artists from all across Virginia and Maryland are juried and invited to spend the week in Middlesex County, Virginia painting our beautiful scenery “en plein air”. The public is able to observe award winning plein air artists working in a variety of mediums, out in natural settings around the region, striving to catch the light in their interpretations of the scenery. This en plein air method is most often associated with the famous impressionist painters like Monet and Renoir, although it was practiced in many other art movements.
On Friday night at 6pm an RSVP wet paint preview reception showcasing many of the works created by the exhibiting artists during the week is held. Saturday of the event exhibiting artists are on site in the area of the exhibit to paint, do demos and greet patrons. The exhibit will be open to the public 9am - 4pm to view and purchase works. Local and regional community artists are encouraged to come out during the week to paint along with the exhibiting artists. At the beginning of the week, we provide an online map of the event painting locations so that local community artists can go out and see the exhibiting artists at work.
This event is free to everyone to attend and participate. The free reception Friday night requires advance registration to attend. Any demo's are free unless specified otherwise. Any workshops that may be offered are for a fee and require registration through Allure Art at info@allureartcenter.com.
Typical Schedule (April 29th - May 4th 2024)
Monday/Tuesday – artists painting on location throughout the area, workshops offered
Wednesday – artists painting on location throughout the area all day, nocturn paint out weather permitting
Thursday – artists painting on location throughout the area all day, nocturn paint out weather permitting
Friday – artists painting on location throughout the area in the morning
Friday Night Preview Reception at 6pm - Meet the artists and preview many of the works created during the week. Works available for purchase. Held at the Deltaville Community Center - 17147 General Puller Highway
Saturday 9am - 4pm – artists in the area of the exhibit, painting, doing demos and greeting. Exhibit of the works opens to the public and works available for purchase. Local community artists invited to come paint with the exhibiting artist group. Held at the Deltaville Community Center - 17147 General Puller Highway
The Venue
Middlesex County, Virginia is located along the Chesapeake Bay and bordered by the Rappahannock and Piankatank Rivers with over 135 miles of shoreline. Deltaville, Urbanna, Hartfield, Saluda, and Topping are just a few of the communities located within the county. Deltaville, billed as the boat building capital of the bay, literally has more boats than people. The boat building history can be seen at the Deltaville Maritime Museum. Deltaville is also home of one of the oldest wooden ball parks still active in the country. Urbanna, who claims the largest oyster festival in the country, is a historic seaside port town with a mix of main street charm, history, and water heritage. Topping is home to the Rappahannock River Oyster Company operations and their renowned Merrior waterfront café. Saluda, the county seat established in 1849, is home to many historic buildings like the 1852 Courthouse, veterans memorials, the Museum of Middlesex, and the 1712 historic Christ Church. The county is a mix of farmland, waterfront, maritime industry, historic buildings, and charming small communities. Throughout the county you will find quaint Inns, boutique shops, a variety of fresh dining options, and incredible scenic views to make your visit memorable.
Plein Air Unleashed - Our Story
Plein Air Unleashed came about in 2015 from a conversation between a couple local artists discussing the state of plein air in the local community. While Plein Air had taken hold in the cities around Virginia, it was felt that it was lagging behind in the more rural areas of the state in terms of recognition and inclusion in the regions shows. Once it was decided to create a dedicated show, we reached out to other plein air artists from around the state to get their input on what they thought would make a good event. We found that there was a desire to have a small, less competitive and more inclusive event that more closely resembled an artist retreat than the big, competition focused events that were growing bigger by the day. So, we set out to create an event focused on plein air artists from Virginia that would stay small, be casual and less focused on competition while giving artists from across the state a chance to come together, network and work together. This event is about celebrating and appreciating the medium and all of the talented local artists from the region. Our event is casual; it’s not a competition, it has minimal rules, and we’re focused on getting painters that are interested in plein air painting to get outside on location, painting together, collaborating, and raising awareness in our region. One day several of the artists conduct demos and workshops during the event for patrons. We put out an open call to all local area artists to come join the exhibiting group in painting on location during the event. The goal is to really let yourself be open to working with the other artists, learning from and sharing with each other, collaborating, making connections and networking. It is a great way to find out about how others approach their work, maybe new techniques, shows they have done that you may not know about, etc. Each year we will talk to the participating artists to get ideas for improvements for the next year.
Outdoor Painter has featured our Plein Air Unleashed event in their publications the past several years and you can see one of the articles here. Outdoor Painter Article
Information for Plein Air Artists interested in participating - read more
Lodging and dining options in the area - read more
