14th Annual Plein Air Invitational
Art still available for purchase at Boprrego Art Institute through the month of April.
March 2-29, 2020
In Borrego Springs, March means art – and lots of it. The 14th Annual Plein Air Invitational will bring another outstanding exhibition of Plein Air paintings focusing on the unique beauty and environmental significance of the Anza-Borrego Desert and the Borrego Valley. These paintings will eloquently testify to the ageless beauty that has been preserved in this special corner of California. The exhibition is a rich diversity of Plein Air paintings by a select group of 15 artists working in oils, watercolor or pastels, all producing work for the show during the week of March 2-7. The artists bring their own unique interpretation of the landscape and express it in the medium of their choice, communicating their intense feelings about the scenes they view. The reception and awards gala will be held March 7, 2020, 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
Returning Curator for the 2020 Invitational, Shannon O'Dunn of O'Dunn Fine Arts, is no stranger to the Borrego Art Institute. As an artist and a gallery owner in La Mesa, California for seven years, Shannon attended many of BAI's Plein AIr openings. In 2016 she accepted the honor of judging that year's Invitational. In March of 2017, Shannon assisted BAI's longtime Plein Air curator Barbara Nickerson and then stepped into the curator position for the 2018 Plein Air Invitational. Shannon, now a resident of Boulder, Colorado, continues to be involved with BAI and is working on creating another outstanding Invitational.
Juror for the 2020 Invitational is Scott W. Prior, an Oceanside, CA Plein Air artist with numerous awards for his work. Scott will be putting on a Plein Air workshop on March 9 & 10, "Back to Basics". To get more information and to register for this workshop, email gallery@borregoartinstitute.org.
Artists for the 2020 Invitational include returning artists Bill Cramer (Prescott, AZ), Cynthia Rosen ( Dorset, VT), Margaret Larlham (San Diego, CA), Patty McGeeney (Del Mar, CA), Kadin Goldberg (Red Lodge, MT), Kathleen Lanzoni (Boulder, CO), Anita Winter (Centennial, CO). New invitees to the 2020 Invitational are Richard Prather (Placitas, NM), Clare Scott (Lafayette, CO), Catherine Hillis (St. Simons Isl, GA), Kathleen Weil (Los Angeles, CA), Jim Wodark (Orange, CA), Stephen Stauffer (Midvale, UT), Ryan Jensen (Blue Lake, CA). Simon Winegar (Farmington, UT).
A Special Thank You to our 2020 Awards Sponsors:
Dennis and Sharon Nourse: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and People's Choice
Borrego Outfitters: Artists' Choice
O'Dunn Fine Art: Curator's Choice
King of Frames: Honorable Mentions
Pictures:
Curator's Choic - Cynthia Rosen Across Flowered Fields Oil
1st Place 2019 - Danny Griego El Rancho #8 Oil