Watch a variety of plein air artists interpret Sedona’s breathtaking landscape at the Sedona Plein Air Festival. This marks the twentieth anniversary of the festival and makes this one of the city’s longest-running arts events. Events don’t tend to last that long unless they have some something special to offer the audience. “They only have a couple hours to paint, and they produce these absolutely incredibly beautiful paintings of Sedona. And it’s unique because it is Sedona,” says Kelli Klymenko, marketing director of the Sedona Arts Center. “Everyone seems to really enjoy it.” The event will kick off with a reception on Oct. 18. Over 20 juried artists from all over the United States will paint along Main Street and the Pink Jeep Cafe in Uptown Sedona and a variety of other locations they select. Social media channels will be updated with where the artists are painting specifically if you’d like to watch them in action.
New this year, artists will painting at D.A. Ranch in Cornville and at a private residence located near Red Rock Crossing. Both of those events are ticketed. On Oct. 25, awards like Best of Show will be handed out during the Artists Awards at the Sedona Arts Center. On Oct. 26, the Arts Center will host artists games. This can include activities like having the artist paint with their non-dominate hand. Art created at this event will be for sale and benefits the Arts Center.
Can’t make the festival? Select paintings will be on display in the special exhibitions gallery at the Sedona Arts Center through November. The Plein Air Festival celebrates not only the natural beauty of Sedona but also helps supports one of the city’s most prominent cultural institutions, the Sedona Arts Center. “Specifically for art collectors and anybody that’s interested in art, we’re an educational institution as well as a nonprofit. We have a gallery and a school. We do events and we do community outreach, and when people come to these events, they support our mission,” says Kelli. “I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback about paint outs at the creek or bigger paint outs right here on Main Street. People are always in awe. − Teresa K. Traverse
SEDONA CALENDAR: Events, activities, shows, happenings
