If you are looking for that perfect piece to tie together your home, the Cashiers Plein Air Festival will have a variety of paintings available to raise funds for The Village Green. From July 15-20, 19 nationally and internationally acclaimed Plein Air artists will be seen around the area capturing paintings of compelling scenery.
The Village Green hosts the event every other year. On the off year, they hold the Joy Garden Tour. Village Green Director Ashlie Mitchell said the Plein Air Festival artists are invited after a committee carefully scours the Plein Air scene all year to find artists that can best portray Cashiers. Some artists are returners to the Cashiers Plein Air Festival. For returning artists, The Village Green looks at how they interacted with the community and how their work was received by the community. TVG also looks for a variety of mediums and sizes.
“We find artists who explicitly and professionally paint outside,” Mitchell said. “It’s all about capturing scenery.”
Plein Air is an old form of art which encouraged painters to take to the outdoors to capture the wonders of the world around them. In French it means “open air” and it became a centerpiece of French impressionism throughout the 19th century, although early American explorers were also detailing the scenery they found throughout the continent.
Artists spend the week creating one of a kind scenes across the Cashiers area in a variety of mediums, including water, charcoal, and acrylic paintings. Artists spend the Sunday before the festival scouting the area they want to portray. Community members interested in specialty pieces are also welcome to commission artists.
Plein Air Festival Chair, Jill Wolfe, said she loves “watching our local community get excited about art being painted before their eyes,” while also having such a unique event to help The Village Green.
From July 18 to July 20, the artists set up a gallery in Lewis Hall, giving the community the chance to secure unique paintings special to Cashiers. There will also be an online shop available through The Village Green’s website, VillageGreenCashiersNC.com. Prices vary, but 40 percent of proceeds go back to The Village Green to continue their free community programming.
“Each artist has their own wall at Lewis Hall,” Mitchell said.
The Village Green works with the community and artists to arrange housing for the week. Mitchell said community members donate their lodging for that period for artists to stay in Cashiers.
There are three free workshops throughout the week where community members can more closely observe the workings of an artist in their selected medium. The Plein Air Festival comes to a head the evening of July 20 with a ticketed artist gala where the community can meet the artists.
“Each of these artists are amazing,” Mitchell said. “It’s great to see these artists paint the same scenes but seeing them turn out so differently.”