Plein Air Unleashed by Allure Art and Jeff Cherry is an annual outdoor plein air painting event situated in the Chesapeake Bay region of Middlesex County, VA. The event is held annually the last week of April. (Monday through Saturday) This event is about celebrating and appreciating the medium and all 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. Many of the past artists have called it a “fun art camp.” Currently there are no “prizes” or “awards” with this event. This is subject to change depending on sponsorships however it will never be a major focus of this event.
A couple weeks before the event, we publish an online map of the approved painting locations to help you navigate the area, allow patrons and local community artists to go out to see the exhibiting artists at work and even paint out with them. The event culminates with a Friday night preview reception of the wet paintings created during the week. On Saturday of the event, exhibiting artists are on location around the exhibit area to paint, do demos, workshops and greet patrons. The Plein Air Unleashed event is free for everyone to attend.
The event is made up of two artist groups. Exhibiting artist group and Participating artist group. The exhibiting group are required to apply with recent images of work and short bio to be juried. The works from this group will make up the exhibit Friday/Saturday. The deadline to apply for the exhibiting group is January 31st. The participating group is open to anyone who wants to come paint. There are no jury or experience requirements, you just need to register with us saying you want to participate. Works from the participating group will not be in the exhibit. The deadline to apply for participating artists is April 1st.
Artists who wish to be an exhibiting artist in the event must be an artist who lives and works in Virginia or the bordering Maryland and North Carolina areas. The work submitted for consideration must be of a professional level quality.
Any artist not invited to be an exhibiting artist is still welcome and encouraged to participate in the event by coming out and painting with the other artists. We will limit the exhibiting artists invited to a maximum of 35. In the event an invited exhibiting artist is not able to make it, we may review and determine if any of the participating artists can be added to the exhibiting artist list.
Fees:
There are no fees to participate for artists. 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. Currently there are no “prizes” or “awards” with this event. This is subject to change depending on sponsorships however it will not be a major focus of this event.
Apply:
Each year we extend invites to plein air artists to be exhibiting participants. We also allow artists to apply to be an exhibiting or participating artist. To apply, we need to be provided in an email to info@allureartcenter.com, your verification that you are a working plein air artist in the region stated, either a link to a website where your recent plein air works can be viewed or images sent of recent plein air work and a short bio. All submissions will be viewed by our artist panel to determine the artists invited to be exhibiting artists in the event. An email will be sent out notifying the invited exhibiting artists with additional details. All decisions of the artist panel are final. While all artists are welcome to participate in the event, only the invited exhibiting artists will participate in the culminating preview night show and Saturday exhibit. Any artist not invited to be an exhibiting artist is still welcome and encouraged to participate in the event by coming out and painting with the other artists. We will limit the exhibiting artists invited to 35. In the event an invited exhibiting artist is not able to make it, we may review and determine if any of the participating artists can be added to the exhibiting artist list.
The event artist agreement can be viewed at this link: Artist Agreement. Exhibiting artists must sign and return a copy of the agreement to participate.
Event Details:
Jeff Cherry is the host for the event and will be the coordinator. The event and painting locations will be located throughout Middlesex County, Virginia.
While we would really prefer all invited exhibiting artists be in town and actively working each day of the show April 29th – May4th, we understand that some may not be able to do so due to unforeseen conflicts. If you are unable to be here for all 6 days, please let us know as soon as possible which day/s you will not be here. Exhibiting artists are required to be here for at least 4 days of the event - Wed - Sat.
All artists invited to be exhibiting artists must confirm their attendance within 2 weeks of being notified or risk being replaced with another artist. We would like for artists not in the exhibiting group but intending to participate during the week to please email us to let us know so we may know who is around and for promotion. We will promote all artists participating.
All artists invited to be exhibiting artists must submit to us within two weeks a brief artist’s bio to use for promotion and the medium you primarily plan to use. You are not limited to one medium, but we would like to know a primary choice.
All works to be considered for the exhibit should be presented in a professional manner in terms of being clean and neat, if framed – a look of professionally framed and in good condition and have proper hanging attachments, if a gallery wrap then be properly wrapped with tight clean corners and painted edges. Edges can be painted a solid color if desired.
Exhibit Sale: There will be a 38% commission on sales of all work sold during the entirety of the event and the art center will handled all sales, payment processing and artists payments.
Works that do not sell can be picked up starting at 4pm Saturday May 4th.
Jeff Cherry and Allure Art will promote the exhibit and event via newspaper, radio, social media, posters, and email lists. We will provide artists with links and files that can be used on their social media, email lists or printed. Any questions email info@allureartcenter.com
Here is the schedule: (April 29th – May 4th 2024)
Monday/Tuesday – Artists painting on location throughout the area all day
Wednesday – Artists painting on location throughout the area all day. Nocturne paint out if weather is good and artists willing to participate.
Thursday – Artists painting on location throughout the area all day. Nocturne paint out if weather is good and artists willing to participate.
Friday – Artists painting on location throughout the area in the morning – all exhibiting artists need to have works to be considered for the exhibit ready for hanging and delivered to the Deltaville Community Center by 12pm (noon) at the latest, earlier the better.
Friday Night Preview Reception 6pm - Meet the exhibiting artists and preview many of the works created during the event. Held at the Deltaville Community Center 17147 General Puller Hwy. We encourage many of the exhibiting artists to be in attendance.
Saturday 9am -4pm – Exhibiting artists painting in DCA area, doing demos, classes and exhibit open, local community artists invited to come paint in the area. As many of the exhibiting artists as possible should be in attendance.
Lodging and Dining Suggestions: This page lists our suggestions on the lodging and dining options while visiting. Please not our sponsors and support them. Lodging/Dining Page
The Region
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.
For those wishing to stay in the area for the event, lodging and dining information is here at this link. Lodging. Most artists in the past have joined together and rented a house in the area. If you know other fine art plein air artists who may be interested feel free to pass this information along to them.
What some of our participating artists have said…
"Super fun event, laid back painting opportunity with inspiring landscapes! - Debra Howard
“It is surprising sometimes how small and strong the art community is here in Virginia. We all have known each other in one way or another, and those we may not have known well before soon become good friends! At the end of each day we enjoyed sharing the day’s events, painting locations, and a glass of wine. We artists oftentimes spend much time in front of our easels alone, whether out on location or in the studio. It is such fun, and inspirational, to be with other artists for an intensive painting experience like a plein air event. Events like this one, in which the main goal is to create a body of work for display in the gallery, rather than a competition for awards, is a different mindset. We artists sought to capture a variety of subjects that would show the community the beauty of the area in which they live.” ~Maria Reardon
“All in all it’s a great place to paint, with many possibilities and some great chances for camaraderie between artists, the art center, and the community. I found a lot of support and inspiration.” ~Jennifer Young
“We are all Virginia painters and have painted together at different events over the years. It’s a pretty small community. Last year at our first event, I finally got to meet Nancy, Kathleen, Daphne, and Cate.” ~Kim Hall
“This was an amazing event. I loved the relaxed non-competitive vibe; the coming together to create an entire exhibit was the reward. It would have been sweet to get a group photo and mingle more, but we all had that mission to create, and the results floored me. Looking forward to next year and appreciate everything Jeff is working on to make this event even better, asking for our input and supporting this unique artistic niche is so nice. Loved this whole concept!” ~Daphne Benton
