3rd Annual Paint the Peninsula Plein Air Painting Competition, Port Angeles, WA

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[caption id="attachment_47" align="alignright" width="300"] Eric Jacobsen Paints at Salt Creek[/caption]

uried professional artists from across the U.S. and British Columbia will gather in Port Angeles in late summer to paint their perceptions of the Olympic Peninsula’s diverse landscapes. New this year, all 28 participating artists will spend the first two days of the competition painting together in a common location before dispersing across the Peninsula.

Port Angeles, Washington, June 15, 2015 - Juried professional artists from across the U.S. and British Columbia will gather in Port Angeles in late summer to paint their perceptions of the Olympic Peninsula’s diverse landscapes from Sequim to Cape Flattery to the Hoh Rainforest during the 3rd Annual Paint the Peninsula Plein Air Painting Competition. The weeklong event, taking place September 7 – 13, 2015, will feature daily exhibits and sales of original artwork, a Friday “Quick Draw” competition and multiple awards receptions. The only event of its caliber in the state of Washington, Paint the Peninsula benefits the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center (PAFAC).  The public is invited and encouraged to attend and experience the week’s festivities.

New this year, all 28 participating artists will spend the first two days of the competition painting together in a common location before dispersing across the Peninsula. On Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7, the painters will be in Olympic National Park. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, they will paint in the Dungeness region, which includes the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, the Dungeness County Recreation Area, and the New Dungeness Light Station.

“The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center is partnering with entities that cater to tourism this year to increase public exposure to the paintings,” says Anne Dalton, Chair, Paint the Peninsula 2015. “Olympic National Park had 3.2 million visitors in 2014, and was the sixth most visited park in the nation. That’s a lot of potential exposure! Paint the Peninsula offers tourists not only the opportunity to observe plein air artists at work in this amazing park, but to purchase a one-of-a-kind memory of their trip.”

“At the same time,” Dalton continues, “we are hoping that the competition will attract new visitors to Olympic National Park and the Dungeness region to experience the diverse natural beauty that can be found there, from mountains to rainforest to rivers to salt water beaches.”

Interested visitors are welcome to view the painters at work throughout the week. To inquire about individual artist locations, call PAFAC at 360.457.3532.

Painting Exhibition and Sales
After painting outdoors each day, the artists will frame and hang their completed paintings at PAFAC for public viewing.  The gallery will be open from 11am – 8pm, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8.  The public is welcome to purchase paintings throughout the week, however, if the artist would like to enter a painting for judging, purchasers may pick-up the art on Saturday, Sept. 13, after the judging has taken place.

Friday Quick Draw
On Friday, Sept. 11, all 28 artists will compete in the Quick Draw portion of the competition, painting from 9am – 11am in downtown Port Angeles. Using morning light, the painters will choose from the historic buildings on Lincoln Street, the views from City Pier or the Waterfront Esplanade as their subject matter. At 11am, the paintings will be framed and placed on easels at the PAFAC for judging as a group. The art will then hang in the gallery for the remainder of the exhibit.

Awards Receptions
Another new aspect of this year’s competition, Paint the Peninsula will feature three public awards receptions. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, beginning at 6pm, PAFAC will host a reception specifically for the paintings created in Olympic National Park on the first day of the competition.

On Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6pm, PAFAC will host a second designated reception for the paintings created within the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and Recreation Area on Day Two of the competition.

Following the awards receptions, the paintings will remain in the PAFAC gallery for viewing and sale, and the artists may choose to enter these works along with their paintings from the other 2 ½ days in the final judging.  Gil Dellinger, current president of P A P A, the Plein Air Painters of America, and retired Professor of Art at the University of the Pacific, will judge the overall competition on the evening of Friday, Sept. 11.

Salon de Plein Air Reception and Awards Ceremony
The final overall awards will be announced during the Salon de Plein Air Reception on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 5:30pm – 8:30pm, again at PAFAC. This event is open to the public, and includes Plein Air wine, hearty appetizers and entertainment. Tickets are $75.00 per person, and are available for online purchase at www.paintthepeninsula.org.

Paintings will remain on exhibit in the PAFAC gallery for viewing and purchase through Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015.

For more information on the Paint the Peninsula competition, contact Anne Dalton, Chair, Paint the Peninsula 2015, (360) 457-7782, or email annegdalton@gmail.com. Web: www.paintthepeninsula.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Deborah Anastasi Black
Email: deborah@anastasiblack.com
Phone: (206) 799-4233
Media Visits: Please inquire
Web: www.paintthepeninsula.org