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Suffolk has hosted artists all over the city to highlight its unique landscape.
Suffolk is hosting its first Plein Air Festival this weekend, with events from September 9-12. This event was presented by a partnership between the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, the Suffolk Art League and Suffolk Tourism.
The festival was scheduled for last year but has been postponed due to COVID-19. This allowed the organizers to advertise in Plein Air Magazine, which spread the word to artists across the country.
“Our overall goal is to teach the public about the Outdoors and its distinctive artistic style,” said Sandy Waters, associate director of exhibitions at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.
Plein Air is a particular style of painting where artists go outdoors to paint the landscape in its natural light, capturing the scene as they see it.
About 38 artists from across the East Coast came to participate in the festival. Many were from Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina. Others came from further afield, including other parts of Virginia, Maryland, and Orlando, Florida.
Betty Huang, artist and owner of Studio B art gallery, traveled from Easton, Maryland. Having never been to Suffolk before, she was thrilled to paint these new and beautiful sites and to support another group of Outdoor Artists.
“It’s wonderful that Suffolk is hosting their first Outdoor Event,” said Huang. “The event will bring a lot of art and culture to the city and hopefully more people will come to see the art at the Cultural Arts Center.”
The artists spent the weekend across town painting the unique nature and city scenes of Suffolk. Many went to Johnson and Sons Seafood off the Dogwood Trail on Friday to paint the boats on Chuckatuck Creek. Others traveled to other locations including Sandy Point off Pitchkettle Road, Decoys Marina and the Cahoon Lake Fishing Station to capture the Suffolk waterways.
They haven’t forgotten the scenery of downtown Suffolk, as many artists have saved this location for the quick draw competition at Taste of Suffolk on Saturday. The competition was open to more than festival-goers to spend two hours making an Plein Air painting to be judged wet.
Festival attendees submitted two of their paintings which will be exhibited at the BB&T and the Norfolk Foundation at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts to be judged for a prize of $ 3,000. According to Waters, with nearly 80 paintings, the galleries will be the fullest they have ever been.
Suffolk Center marketing director D’Arcy Weiss said the community has come together to support the festival. Some people have made donations as well as corporate sponsors.
“It’s a great economic boost for the community,” Waters said. “As it grows, more and more people will come to the region and eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and sleep in our hotels. It could really make Suffolk a destination.
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