The First Annual Plein Air Competition & Community Arts Festival September 11 & 12, 2010

Following a popular trend which draws upon the French expression en plein air, meaning “in the open air,” the Doña Ana Arts Council (DAAC) proudly presents the first Color Las Cruces Plein Air Competition and Community Arts Festival, September 11 & 12, 2010. The premiere event will be two full days of ongoing activities in Downtown Las Cruces, featuring an artist workshop, a “Quickdraw” competition, two Plein Air competitions, a VIP Artist Reception and a Citywide gallery hop.

 During the event weekend, juried artists will compete for cash and merchandise prizes in one of two Plein Air categories. To compete, artists will go to an outdoor location in Las Cruces during a four-hour period on Saturday morning, where they will begin and complete a painting, then return with the finished piece. A Quickdraw competition will also take place during the Farmer’s Market, in front of the Rio Grande Theatre. These artists will have one hour to complete a drawing or painting and finished work will be displayed and judged by the public for prizes. Artists can register prior to the competition at the theatre.

Winners of the two Plein Air categories will be announced Saturday evening at the VIP Artist Reception at the Rio Grande Theatre, where attendees can meet the artists, sample food from the best restaurants in town, enjoy wine from local wineries and take in a live performance on the theatre stage. A public exhibit and sale of completed paintings will take place in participating galleries on Sunday afternoon, from noon until 4pm, with artists in attendance.

As an added treat, on Thursday, September 9 and Friday, September 10, Denver artist Kevin Wechbach will give a two-day Plein Air workshop, which is open to artists of all levels. Wechbach will also act as guest judge of the Plein Air competition on Saturday. The class size will be limited for personal instruction and a fee will be charged for the workshop, so attendees should contact the Doña Ana Arts Council immediately to reserve space.

Color Las Cruces is sponsored in part by the City of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, The New Mexico Tourism Department, the Frame and Art Center and Out Of The Blue. For artist entry applications, workshop enrollment and/or any general information, call (575) 523-6403 or visit www.Las-Cruces-Arts.org.

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