The sweeping mountain vistas surrounding Cashiers have long served as inspiration for all manner of artistic pursuits, providing a muse for painters, potters, pickers and poets for generations now.
Now, with indoor events and crowded gatherings on hold for at least the next month, and likely longer, the beauty and inspiration provided by the mountains is even more impactful for many artists who wish to continue their craft in such strange times.
The Cashiers Plein Air Festival, held this year on July 15-19, embraced that spirit of creative expression in the open air, bringing 13 artists from throughout the Southeast to Cashiers to paint many of the landscapes that define the plateau.
“They choose wherever they want to paint – we give them a list of suggestions, and then we set up a few special locations for painting events, too,” said Ann Self, Executive Director of the Village Green. “There are some that are especially treasured and loved by the community, like Camp Merrie Woode, and then there are other places like High Falls and other popular hiking trails.”
The Village Green organizes the festival every other year, with many artists returning for the biennial event to capture more outdoor scenes from Cashiers on their canvases.
The 2020 installment of the festival featured a heavily modified schedule to conform to state and local regulations concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, but Self said the event was already fairly conducive to meeting those standards.
“Back when we were in the stay-at-home phase, we had several meetings and conversations about moving forward with the festival with lots of different factors in mind,” Self said. “Obviously, health and safety was at the forefront, but we felt like painting outdoors lends itself to social distancing.”
What is plein air?
Plein air is the process of painting outdoors, with a focus on the natural light and shadows playing across a landscape. The technique became popular in the mid-19th century and grew to be a key component of the Impressionist style as seen in the works of Claude Monet and other prominent painters of the time.
By working outdoors in the natural light, painters see things differently than they might in a studio or when working from a photograph. Charleston, South Carolina-based painter Hilarie Lambert said this is one of the most important facets of the plein air style.
“Unless you’re outside, you don’t really see the color,” Lambert said. “It makes you a much better painter. People who only go from photographs, they never really get past the photo. A photo flattens everything – shadows are one color. If you come outside, shadows are many colors. They’re warm, they’re cool, all of that.”
For Madeline Dukes, another featured artist at the festival from Charleston, the act of painting outside has a profound impact on the artistic process, as well.
“It’s just all about being outside, and I love being outside,” she said. “I feel like it’s a physical thing, and a spiritual thing, to be outside. You’re more connected to your subject, instead of just painting from a picture or a photograph.”
A strong showing
Lambert, Dukes and 11 other artists combined to complete more than 125 paintings over the course of the festival, more than 50 of which were sold during the event and the remainder of which are currently on display on the Village Green’s virtual gallery at cashierspleinairfestival.com.
“A portion of every sale of the art benefits the Village Green, so when you buy art you’re getting something unique to the area to love and remember but you’re also benefiting the Village Green,” Self said.
In addition to a full week of painting, the festival featured numerous virtual demonstrations and workshops from many of the artists involved. Because of statewide restrictions on gatherings and social distancing requirements, the usual in-person painting demonstrations were canceled for this year, but Self said the virtual programs and videos created during the festival have been well-received in their stead. Those interested in viewing the demos or recordings of the livestreams throughout the week can visit cashierspleinairfestival.com/events for more information.
With the festival now behind her, Self said she was glad to be able to continue pursuing the goals of the Village Green amidst otherwise turbulent times in Cashiers and throughout the nation.
“People were longing for something to do, something to take their minds off the unpleasantness,” she said. “And that’s something the Village Green has done since the beginning, is provide a sanctuary from the constant confusing news and chaos around us.”
She was also quick to thank the rest of the team responsible for the event, including the many volunteers who take part each year and allow the festival to run smoothly.
“I would be remiss in not saying a huge ‘thank you’ to not only the people supporting the event but our tremendous team of volunteers who worked incredibly hard to make this happen,” she said. “Hanging art, checking in art, working the gallery floor, overseeing the day-to-day operations – it would not have been successful without that team of volunteers.”