Plein Air Art Festival New Bern
The 3rd Annual North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival in historic New Bern begins Sunday, May 14, and continues through May 21. The eight-day Festival showcases 35 nationally and globally acclaimed plein air artists, including 15 newly juried painters, joining 20 award winners and top performers from 2022’s Festival.“The term ‘plein air’ is French and means ‘open air’,” said Kippy Hammond, Festival organizer. “Plein air painting can be traced back to Impressionist artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Degas – painting outdoors and capturing fleeting moments of light, color, atmosphere, and the mood of a scene, rather than detailed representations.
Painting venues include historic New Bern, the first capital of North Carolina; Beaufort, the home of the North Carolina Maritime Museum; and Oriental, the sailing capital of North Carolina. In addition, artists will choose more sites and landscapes in Craven, Carteret, and Pamlico Counties.
According to Hammond, artists will create approximately 400 paintings featuring local scenes, subjects, and vistas, in a friendly competition to win the Best of Show Koffenberger Award, plus other prominent awards and recognition.
Festival attendees will have numerous opportunities to meet and talk with the artists, including using a real-time cell phone app showing the locations of featured painters each day. In addition, youth and adult amateur artists can meet with the pros and compete for ribbons and cash awards in the annual Quick Paint competition.
Festival headquarters, including demonstrations, workshops, art displays, and sales, will be based in historic New Bern’s Farmers Market, less than two blocks from Tryon Palace. In addition, pop-up exhibits and art sales will happen in Beaufort and Oriental, with location details, dates, and times on the NC Plein Air website. All activities are free except the workshops, Saturday’s awards celebration, and a modest fee for artists to enter the Quick Paint competition (no charge for spectators).
Workshops include award-winning plein air artists Suzie Baker of Texas, past president of the Oil Painters of America, and James Richards of Georgia, regarded as one of the top oil painters in the nation. Both are renowned American Impressionist painters and in-demand instructors conducting workshops across the United States and Europe.
“Plein air is a popular form of art and recreational activity influenced by the rise in global tourism,” said Hammond. “Artists are interested in capturing the essence of a particular place and time and celebrating the world’s beauty. Plein air painters typically work in oils, watercolors, or pastels.”
Plein Air New Bern is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization expanding opportunities for individuals to Be a Part of Art in their communities. Artists commit a portion of all Festival art sales to support the mission of Plein Air New Bern.
-New Bern Now-
ROY G BIV 2023 at the Bank of The Arts
ROY G BIV (click to link to exhibition website)
CAC&G is excited to once again host ROY G BIV in the Main Gallery! Each artist will receive a 12”x12” cradled board and select a color randomly. Artists will then utilize hues, shades, tints and tones of that color as the primary palette for the work. Each panel in the Main Gallery at Bank of the Arts will be filled with works featuring that color, creating a rainbow that moves across the gallery. Colors selected for the exhibition will be red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet (purple), white, and black. All works will be judged for a chance to win one of seven cash prizes, and artist may sell their work on a 60/40 split in the artist’s favor.
Important Dates
Sign up: April 7
Drop Off: April 28, 29
Exhibition: May 1-26, 2022
ArtWalk Reception: May 12, 2023
Awards Announced at 6pm
Pick Up: May 26 & 27, 2023
Awards:
1st Place $250
2nd Place $100
3rd Place $50
Honorable Mentions (4) $25
TRAA Annual Members' Show
TRAA welcomes entries for the Annual Juried Art Exhibit in the Bank of the Arts Gallery.
The Exhibition Theme this year is “SPRING”, Have fun with it!!
*This exhibition is for TRAA Members only. Please complete member registration HERE before submitting your application if you are not already a member. You may also pay and become a member when dropping off your piece(s) at the exhibition on April 1st.
The show will be hung on April 5th and be on exhibition until May 2nd. Please join us for the TRAA Reception during the Art Walk on April 14th at 5:30pm.
Deadline for applications is no later than Friday, March 31st, 2023. Applicants may submit up to 2 pieces of artwork for the show. The cost to submit artwork is $20.
Drop off at BOA is Saturday April 1st, from 10:00am to 3:00.
Pick up is Friday May 5th, from 10:00am-1:00pm.
Our 2023 Juror is Lewis Braswell.
Lewis Braswell is a Goldsboro native and began volunteering with the Arts Council of Wayne County in 2006 and has remained involved throughout the years. Lewis’s calling to the ACWC stemmed from the position it held in our community. The ACWC has provided education and resource opportunities to artists in Wayne County for almost 60 years! One of his goals for the remainder of the year is spending more time in the presence of great art around the world. In doing so, he has launched two exhibitions since May of 2022 which are “43rd Annual National Juried Art Show” and “Art Around the World”. Lewis is very eager to utilize his knowledge and talent to help The Arts Council of Wayne County exceed its goal in supporting the arts in Wayne County.
An interesting fact about Lewis is that his ancestors migrated from London to the American Colonies in 1650 and have been living in the south east ever since.
TO REGISTER CLICK HERE
Artwalk
Join The Bank of the Arts for ArtWalk on January 13th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm!
What's happening during ArtWalk?
The final reception of our "30 Years Later" and the opening reception for "The Valentine Card's" Exhibition in the Director's Gallery.
Monthly meeting + Holiday Party Potluck
Monthly members meeting + Holiday party potluck!
New Bern Artists Studio Tour
On November 5, artists all over New Bern will open the doors to their studios and give the public a glimpse of how they make their magic happen.
Phone: (912) 596-2116
E-Mail: newbernartists@gmail.com
Little Talks
Craven Arts Council & Gallery is proud to present Little Talks in the Main Gallery at the Bank of the Arts. Little Talks is a casual lecture series that invites attendees to listen to an expert on a given subject and then participate in an open dialogue with the lecturer and other attendees. The upcoming Little Talks lecture will be given by Karen Schaaf, a local artist who specializes in watercolors. The lecture will be on Thursday, October 20 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for CAC&G members, $15 for nonmembers, and free to children under the age of 18.
Join Karen Schaaf as she leads you through a discussion on the WSNC 2022 National Exhibition currently on display in the Main Gallery. Learn more about the medium of watercolor and what goes into creating a competitive work from both an artist’s and juror’s perspective. An internationally award-winning artist and instructor, Karen has been awarded signature status in the National Watercolor Society, the Southern Watercolor Society, the Georgia Watercolor Society, and the Watercolor Society of North Carolina. She is currently featured in Splash 23: The Best of Watercolor magazine, and her painting Joculare is one of the works accepted into the current exhibition.
The Little Talks Lecture will be Thursday, October 20 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the Main Gallery at the Bank of the Arts. Tickets are $10 for CAC&G members, $15 for nonmembers, and free to children under the age of 18. Wine and other light refreshments will be provided.
For more information, please contact Mairin Gwyn Narron, Development Director.
By Mairin Gwyn
Craven Arts Council and Gallery hosting Exhibition of the NC Watercolor Society
Craven Arts Council and Gallery is proud to host an exhibition of the North Carolina Watercolor Society in the Main Gallery at Bank of the Arts during the month of October. This exhibition will feature works by local watercolor artists on wide array of subjects in a variety of styles. Craven Arts Council will host a reception during the downtown New Bern ArtWalk, October 21 and November 11, from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
As a part of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina’s Annual Conference, CAC&G will host the Annual Juried Exhibition in the Main Gallery at the Bank of the Arts. This exhibition will feature 80 paintings from members of the WSNC from across the state chosen by juror Don Andrews. Andrews is a nationally known watercolor artist and workshop instructor. He is an active member and past board president of the American Watercolor Society. For more information on the exhibition and conference, please visit NC Watercolor.
Admission to all galleries at Bank of the Arts is free and open to the public, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact Mairin Gwyn Narron, Development Director.
By Mairin Gwyn
Lawn Party at the Palace
You are invited to the Palace for a Lawn Party! On Saturday, September 10, Tryon Palace is hosting a fabulous party on its historic site grounds, and there will be food, live music to enjoy and dance to, entertainment, and fun for all ages. The Tryon Palace Lawn Party event is a new fundraiser in support of the Tryon Palace Foundation.
There will be engaging historic activities and crafts on the North Lawn to see and do. The 1st NC Regiment of the Continental Army and the 35th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops will be there. Expect an appearance of Tryon Palace’s Fife and Drum Corps. On the great South Lawn, there will be all the fixings of an evening of fun for everyone! Your choice of lawn games – cornhole, giant Jenga, ladder ball and Connect 4 – and other activities to enjoy while listening to live music and dancing with hula hoops. You can visit with birds and snakes from the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter or indulge in a tale with StoryWalk.
It’s not a party without food! Dinner includes savory barbeque, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and ice cream! For all those young at heart there will be a s’mores station to indulge in. For adults who want to chill on the South Lawn with breathtaking views of the river, wine and beer is available for purchase. The grand finale to the evening – just as the sun sets, a performance of fire dancers! Do not miss this amazing event!
Tickets are $25.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth ages 6 to 14 years, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Tickets include everything but the wine and beer. There will be tables for dining but bring your lawn chair and blanket for a fun and friendly picnic on the Palace grounds under the evening sky.
The Tryon Palace Lawn Party is sponsored by Optimum and by Bob and Carol Mattocks. All proceeds raised from sponsorships and ticket sales benefit the Tryon Palace Foundation, which supports Tryon Palace’s educational and cultural programming such as Palace Scholars, Garden Sprouts, lecture series, reenactment groups, and more.
Tickets can be purchased online at Tryon Palace Lawn Party, or by calling 252-639-3500. They can also be purchased on site at the North Carolina History Center, located at 529 S. Front Street, New Bern.
By Nancy Figiel, Tryon Palace Public Affairs Director
UpCycle Show at Carolina Artist Gallery
UpCycle Show
Join us for the first show reception at the new gallery. See show entries and gallery artists. Show runs from Sept 10 - Oct, 29th , 2022.
Entry deadline, Sept 3rd.
Work of Bernice Abraham on Display at the Bank of the Arts
Craven Arts Council & Gallery is proud to present the work of Bernice Abraham in the Director’s Gallery for the month of September. Craven Arts Council will host a reception during the September ArtWalk from 5 – 8 pm on Friday, September 9th.
Abraham is a local mixed-media artist who paints many different subject matters including landscapes of various parts of New Bern. She studied at the Parson’s School of Design in New York City, as well as at East Carolina University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree. Later she received her Masters in Education from the University of Hawaii. In Hawaii Abraham also worked at the Honolulu Museum of Art. She uses many different mediums such as oil, watercolor, ink and mixed-media and believes that restricting her medium to one negatively affects her artistic process. Bernice Abraham’s exhibition will be up for the entire month of September with a reception during the September ArtWalk on September 9th between 5 and 8 pm.
The Craven Arts Council & Gallery is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.
By Mairin Gwyn Narron
Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition
Craven Arts Council is proud to present their biennial exhibition, The Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition in the Main Gallery this July and August. This exhibit is Craven Arts Council’s signature exhibition featuring over 100 artworks out of 440 entries. The exhibition will feature work by artists across the country as far as California and as close as right here in New Bern. Craven Arts Council will host a reception during the August ArtWalk from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 12.
During the August ArtWalk, the Craven Arts Council & Gallery will host a reception from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. for the 2022 Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition. During this reception, poets from the Ekphrastic Poetry Competition will be able to read their poem(s) surrounded by the work that inspired their poem(s). The Ekphrastic Poetry Competition showcases the link between different forms of art, namely the visual and the literary. Awards given by our Judge will be announced at 6:00 p.m. during the reception. To learn more about the Ekphrastic poetry competition and The Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition, please visit cravenarts.org.
For more information, please contact Mairin Gwyn, Craven Arts Council & Gallery at the Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle Street, 252-638-2577.
Colorfest Community Event — Be A Part of History by Helping Paint Final Mural
Colorfest Incorporated will hold its annual Colorfest event with the kids on July 23, 2022 at the corner of 928 Queen Street and Roundtree Street. Kids will have a full day of mural painting, chalk art, games, activities, food, music, and supplies for the kids! There will be demonstrations from our New Bern Police Department’s K9 unit, and a special visit from our New Bern Fire Department as well!
All proceeds raised go towards paints, supplies, art scholarships and to the community Colorfest Inc. serve. If you would like to volunteer, please email us. Those who wish to become a sponsor should call 404-725-3053 or send an email by July 20th.
Since 2011 founder, Derrick Bryant has come back to his hometown and helped beautify the area by painting murals downtown on Queen Street from 2011 to present day. He’s developed an event/program for our youth to tackle this problem and have fun at the same time. Colorfest is an event for youth of all ages to come out and take part in helping to beautify the city of New Bern, North Carolina. Colorfest projects are in future planning to reach the communities in Eastern North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia, areas.
EVENT INFORMATION:
Colorfest in New Bern
July 23, 2022
Time: 12:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
928 Queen Street
New Bern, NC 28560
COST:
Free for the first 50 kids. $5 per kid after July 21st*
By Derrick Bryant, President/CEO
Exhibit by Artist Lee Tripi at the Bank of the Arts
Craven Arts Council is proud to present the work of Lee Tripi in the Director’s Gallery for the month of July. Lee Tripi is a local painter known for his large textured paintings.
Opening reception will be held during the July ArtWalk on Friday, July 8th from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Lee Tripi is a self-taught painter and designer originally from Akron, Ohio. He started painting when he was about 8 or 9 years old with a beginner watercolor kit. Much of his aesthetic is Asian inspired, so simplicity and texture play a large role is his works. As a result, contemporary abstracts and conceptual portraits are the themes that interest him the most. He often uses a combination of water mixable oils and acrylic for the under-painting relying on the thick oil paints to help build up texture.
The Craven Arts Council & Gallery is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact Mairin Gwyn, Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Inc., at the Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle St., New Bern, 252-638-2577.
By Mairin Gwyn, Development Director
