Take some time this August to appreciate the beauty of the Glens Falls area at The Hyde Collection‘s latest contribution to the local art scene. Watch talented artists as they paint and draw in and around Glens Falls during the Plein Air Festival. They will be working on-location around the area from Wednesday, August 7 to Saturday, August 10, and their completed works will be judged at The Hyde’s Community Day on Sunday, August 11.
Plein air is the French term for painting scenes outside and on-location, in order capture the ever-changing influence of light. Stop when you see an artist to watch them work and to learn more about their techniques. Visitors are encouraged to take photos and post them to social media using #hydepleinair.
The festival’s 17 artists have been selected out of 35 applicants by George Van Hook, the festival’s juror and a local award-winning artist who has painted en plein air across Europe and North America. “Glens Falls is a really cool town, the architecture is beautiful, there’s access to the mountains, and I’m just really impressed by the way Glens Falls is using that art scene to showcase its other assets,” said Van Hook in a statement.
If you’d like to learn more about the artform, Van Hook will host The Practice of Plein Air on Friday, August 9 at 6 pm. Registration costs $5 for members of the museum and $8 for the general public. You can reserve your spot ahead of time by calling The Hyde at 518-792-1761, ext. 310.
Many of the artists competing in the festival hail from all over the Capital Region and Adirondacks. “We have an exciting group participating in this year’s festival,” Jenny Hutchinson, The Hyde Collection’s curator of Museum education and programming, said in a statement. “These are artists who are selected for plein air competitions throughout the country; the lineup really highlights the incredible concentration of talent we have in this region.”
On Sunday, August 11, stop by the Hyde Collection’s annual Community Day for an exhibition of the completed plein air works and the awarding of prizes. Artists will be honored in various categories, and one piece will take home the title of Best in Show. Community Day will be held from 12 pm to 5 pm, with the plein air award ceremony at 3 pm.
Enjoy Community Day to its fullest and take a free tour of the Hyde Collection’s galleries and historic house. Compete in the Family Art Battle and create your own plein air masterpiece with your group. Watch plein air artists at work, listen as local band The Switch plays live, grab a bite to eat courtesy of Plaid Pancake and Samantha’s Cafe and Catering, and scavenge for books at the book sale.
The Hyde Collection’s Plein Art Festival is a collaboration between the museum and LARAC, Plein Air Adirondack, Rocksport, and Events Under Tents.
