The two-week competition invites artists to set up their canvases and find inspiration in and around the Wasatch Back.
Co-president of the art association Marge Bowen said this year is the 19th edition of the competition.
“Plein air is French for painting in the open air, so artists like to stop on location and paint, because what they're doing is capturing the true essence of natural light, shadow, and atmosphere,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 29. “There's no better learning of that than to be outside in the moment, because the shadows and the light change very quickly, so it kind of forces artists to really fine tune their skill by putting what they see on canvas.”
About 134 artists entered the event this year and their work will be on display starting Tuesday at Midway Town Hall.
Bowen said the artists hail from nine states.
“The furthest being Hawaii and Florida, but we have about 20 local artists from the Wasatch County and Midway-Heber area, and then we have more from the Wasatch Front,” she said.
Artists can enter several competitions, including paint-outs and a high-speed 90-minute quick draw and auction. The main competition will wrap on Tuesday with other awards and events happening through Saturday.
Paintings will also be for sale through July 4.
