Cover Artist: Ruth Squitieri

2019 Celebrates the 9th Plein Air Paint Out
in New Smyrna Beach

On October 19 – 26, twenty-five of the finest professional artists will come together to paint our coastal seascapes, dune habitats, lagoon, marinas and the unique and historic scenes of our charming community.

Outdoor enthusiasts and art lovers will once again have the opportunity to come together in support of two wonderful causes. The Marine Discovery Center and the Artists’ Workshop are pleased to host the 9th Annual New Smyrna Beach Plein Air Paint Out from October 19 – 26, 2019. Twenty-five professionally-acclaimed plein air artists will paint outside from dawn to dusk at locations in New Smyrna Beach and nearby areas. The public is invited to watch the artists at work, view their recently completed paintings in the Artists’ Workshop gallery, and attend free daily painting demonstrations. Special events include a Collector’s Champagne Reception and Plein Air Grand Finale.

The 2019 Plein Air Paint Out will continue the legacy of fund-raising to enhance our environmental education and art programs and to further the goals of both the Marine Discovery Center and the Artists’ Workshop of conservation and stewardship of the Indian River Lagoon and art appreciation to our youth, community and visitors.

How Can You Be Involved?

This exciting event allows you to get involved in a variety of activities.  First, we urge you to interact with the painters; they love the attention!  Attend the Quick Draw event, the evening paint outs, and the artist painting demonstrations.  Become a patron and attend the Collector’s Champagne Reception and the Plein Air Grand Finale.

But most of all become a collector.  There is no better way to support the artists and New Smyrna Beach than to buy paintings.  While the artwork represents a mix of subject matter and styles, all paintings offer a true sense of place and your own meaningful remembrance of our beautiful surroundings. 

Not in town for this event?

Not to worry! Photos of all art will be updated daily on our online gallery for viewing and purchase.

• Become a NSB Paint Out Sponsor and/or Patron •

We invite you to support the Marine Discovery Center and the Artists’ Workshop by becoming a Sponsor and/or Patron. By joining our patron/sponsor program you are pledging your support for conservation of the Indian River Lagoon and art programs in our community.

Deadline for Business Sponsorship program participation is Friday, September 6 to be assured of all the benefits of advertising in Program Brochure, Rack Card and Posters.  Patron program deadline is Saturday, October 16.

Want to know what benefits you’ll receive by becoming a NSB Paint Out Sponsor or Patron?
Download our Sponsor/Patron pamphlet for all the details.

• Schedule of Events •

9th Annual New Smyrna Beach Plein Air Paint Out | October 19 – 26, 2019
Hosted by Marine Discovery Center (MDC) & Artists’ Workshop, Inc. (AWI)

Saturday, October 19
Three opening events for the public

9:30 am – 11:30 am | Quick Draw. This fun, fast-paced event is open to all levels of amateur artists and all types of media. Location: Old Fort Park, 115 Julia St.
     • Pre-register below or on-site at Old Fort Park from 8:30 am – 9:15 am.  Registration fee is $25.
     • Prizes | 1st Place: $100 and invitation to participate in Paint Out 2020; 2nd Place: $100; 3rd Place: $50.
     • Prizes will be awarded at 12:30 pm.
     • First 10 entries receive a free event t-shirt!

Register for Quick Draw today!!

10 am – 11 am  |  Fish Printing (Gyotaku) Demonstration. Watch a demonstration of the beautiful Japanese art of gyotaku, or fish printing on rice paper by Ken Nusbaum.  Location: Old Fort Park, 115 Julia St.

1 pm  |  Art Lecture: “What the Heck is Plein Air Painting?”  by artists Cathy Berse and Frank Ferrante. Location: The Hub on Canal St., 132 Canal St.

Sunday, October 20

5 pm – 7 pm  |  Artists’ Welcome Orientation. Private Event. Location: MDC Learning Lab, 520 Barracuda Blvd.

Monday, October 21
Gallery is closed to the public.

10 am – 12 noon  |  Artist Painting Demonstration: Michelle Held, “Painting a Living Bird”. A living barred owl will be provided as the subject by Wild About Birds, Inc. Location: MDC/AWI Pavilion, 520 Barracuda Blvd.

Time TBD  |  Sunset Paint Out. Watch the artists paint! Location TBD

Tuesday, October 22
Gallery Hours: 10 am – 6 pm

1 pm- 4 pm  |  Art in the Park. All artists will be painting in Riverside Park, on Canal Street and along the Indian River Lagoon on Riverside Drive. Location: Riverside Park, 299 S Riverside Dr.

Wednesday, October 23
Gallery Hours: 10 am – 6 pm

10 am – 12 noon  |  Artist Painting Demonstration: Joe Palmerio, “The Sky is the Limit”. Location: Buena Vista Park, 550 N Causeway.

2 pm – 4 pm  |  Artist Painting Demonstration: Frank Ferrante, “Taming the Chaos of the Waves”. Location; Best Western Hotel, 1401 S Atlantic Ave.

Thursday, October 24
Gallery Hours: 10 am – 3:30 pm

9 am – 1 pm  |  Kids’ Paint Out too! Watch talented NSB Middle School children paint. Location: Outside on the MDC/AWI campus, 520 Barracuda Blvd.

1 pm – 3 pm  |  Artist Painting Demonstration: Chris Kling, “Figure It Out”. Location: Springhill Suites, 512 Flagler Ave.

5 pm – 7:30 pm  |  Collector’s Champagne Reception. Private event  An opportunity for patrons and sponsors to view the art and chat with the artists. Battle of the Brushes event, a high energy live paint out:  A unique work of art painted in succession by a selection of artists and silent auction of created art.  Appetizers, champagne, and dessert. Location: Wet Gallery at AWI, 520 Barracuda Blvd.    

Friday, October 25
Gallery Hours: 10 am – 7 pm

10 am – 12 noon  |  Artist Painting Demonstration: Ruth Squitieri, “10 Minutes of Prep Equals Hours of Confident Painting”. Location: Intersection of Live Oak and Canal Streets.

Saturday, October 26
Gallery Hours: 9 am – 3:30 pm

5 pm – 8 pm  |  Plein Air Grand Finale. Ticketed event only.  This is the final opportunity for collectors to purchase the art created throughout the week.  Silent auction for 2019 cover art by artist Ruth Squitieri.  Dinner, music by Amy Alysia duo with pianist Andrew Yancy, and plenty of art!  Location: MDC/AWI Pavilion, 520 Barracuda Blvd.

Get your Grand Finale Tickets Today!

• What is En Plein Air Painting? •

“One of the best things that artists can do to advance his/her art is to be in the company of other artists.  The opportunity to meet other artists, to talk to them and watch them work is of the highest benefit to anyone working to improve their art.” ~ Jean Stern, Executive Director, The Irvine Museum

Plein Air Paint Out offers just that opportunity.

En plein air is a French expres­sion mean­ing “in the open air,” and refers to the act of paint­ing out­doors with the artist’s sub­ject in full view. Plein air artists cap­ture the spirit and essence of a land­scape or sub­ject by incor­po­rat­ing nat­ural light, color and move­ment into their works.

Artists have long painted out­doors, but in the mid-1800s paint­ing land­scapes and other scenes on loca­tion finally became prac­ti­cal due to two impor­tant inven­tions: paints in tubes and the box easel.

The high point of plein air art came with the emer­gence of Impres­sion­ism. Artists of that period included Monet, Renoir, Pis­sarro, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Inter­est in out­door paint­ing has remained con­stant since the 20th cen­tury. Today’s artists carry on the tra­di­tions of these past mas­ters by cap­tur­ing the light and move­ment in land­scapes that can only come from see­ing the sub­ject out­doors in its nat­ural form.

The last 20 years has seen a resur­gence of inter­est in plein air paint­ing in the United States. Dur­ing this time, groups of plein air artists began gath­er­ing together to paint at sin­gle loca­tions or within cer­tain geo­graphic bound­aries. These “Paint Outs” are now very pop­u­lar and give artists a chance to share their tal­ents and cre­ativ­ity with the pub­lic and with one another.

• Why is it called a Wet Gallery? •

At the wet gallery, you will see artists bring their fresh-from-the-easel work in from the field to be catalogued, priced, and hung. Watch your favorite artist’s portfolio of work grow throughout the week. It’s called a wet gallery because most of the artists work in oils, and oils take several days to dry.