Midlakes High School art students from the Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District will take their work outdoors Saturday as part of a community painting event that will bring more than 40 artists to locations around Clifton Springs.
Nicole Burke, an art club adviser, and members of the school's Secondary Art Club will participate in the sixth annual “en plein air” event centered on the 14432 ZIP code. The students attend the Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District.
Artists are expected to set up around 9 a.m. after a walk-and-drive tour of the area. They will paint at outdoor locations until about 1 p.m., then return to Main Street Arts Gallery in Clifton Springs.
The day's subjects are expected to include homes, wildlife, domestic animals and landscapes. The format gives participants a limited window to observe a setting and complete work outside as light, weather and other conditions change.
Main Street Arts Gallery will open at 3 p.m. for an exhibit and reception featuring work made during the event. Gallery staff will announce the Plein Air Artist Awards at 3:30 p.m.
“En plein air” is a French term associated with the practice of painting outdoors, which became prominent in the 19th century. The district's release said artists often use loose, quick brushwork in oil paint on canvas to capture light, weather and place.
Saturday's event continues recent outdoor painting work by Midlakes students. A group took part in an en plein air painting activity at the Seneca Park Zoo last spring.
The release did not list admission details for the afternoon exhibit and reception. Main Street Arts is hosting the culminating gallery program in Clifton Springs.
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