Southport Plein Air 2021

Please note that this event is past, and the following content is for informational purposes only.

PleinAir 2021 Montage

2021 Southport Plein Air Festival

Special Acknowledgement To Our Grant Partners 

Plein Air 2021 in Pictures!

After 15 months sheltering in place from a global pandemic, coming out into the sun for the 2021 Southport Plein Air Festival was quite literally a breath of fresh air! And boy, did this festival deliver! With nearly 50 artists and hundreds of friends, family and spectators descending on Southport, the 2021 Plein Air Festival was an event to remember!

But don't take our word for it. Here is a retrospective in pictures!

Opening Reception

The opening ceremony was filled with live music, great food, and a good time for all!

Back Porch Rockers, Free Concert at the Gazebo

The Back Porch Rockers really rocked out in this picturesque outdoor concert that was open to all comers. Thanks to UYA friend Peter A Riekstins for sharing your amazing photos of this event with us!

Artists en Plein Air

Both amateur and professional painters alike came out to paint the glorious vistas of coastal North Carolina for the festival's true purpose, painting in the clean, fresh air. Thanks to UYA friends Keith Green Sr and Ricardo Perez for sharing your photos of the Plein Air painters!

Kids Plein Air

Plein Air is a festival for all ages, and the kids came out to celebrate. We provided all the materials for the kids to paint their own masterpieces, and they delivered, with smiles and giggles. (The live music that kept the parents entertained added smiles to adult faces too!)

Gullah Geechee Storyteller

"The First Lady of Gullah", Anita Singleton-Prather gave a stellar performance as Aunt Pearlie Sue, sharing with the audience the stories and history of the Gullah Geechee people, a culture birthed from the trans-Atlantic slave trade that is unique to the Carolina coast.

Wet Paint Sale

A favorite event of the Plein Air Festival, the wet paint sale gives the artist an opportunity to share their art with eager patrons, and gives attendees a chance to own a masterpiece that was created in front of their very eyes throughout the festival! Thanks to UYA friend Keith Green Sr for sharing your photos of the event!

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony recognizes the hard work and dedication of the Plein Air painters. Local artist judges hand-selected the award winners, while attendees voted on their favorite for the People's Choice award. The People's Choice winner will have their art featured in promotions and t-shirts at the next Southport Plein Air Festival!

The 2021 Southport Plein Air Festival Committee was proud to welcome -- and celebrate! -- the artists who came to our beautiful city last weekend and painted us up proper! The award winners and our citizen judges are pictured here, for those who missed the ceremony at the end of Festival Day 2.
 

Thanks to All Who Made it Happen

We would like to thank the following members of the community, who went above and beyond to make this festival a success:
 
Jeremy Truett, Joseph Bardani Gargagliano, Ginger Hedblom, Randy Lewis and the Back Porch Rockers, Richard D'Anjolell and Shelia Bell of Nowcat, Ray Richardson and Denis Lesloge and Jim Ilardi of Lockwood Lite, Peggy Douglas Waterman, Andrew Laing of Moore Street Market, Lori Sanderlin of NC Maritime Museum at Southport, Barbara McFall and Janice Shivetts of Brunswick Community Center Southport Center, Randy Jones and City of Southport staff, and volunteers Beth Baldiga, Cindy Black, Vicky Crane, Kelly Evans, and Josh Youse.
 
Special thanks to the patron saints of our festival, Jim McIntosh and Rena Powell, whose incredible art we were allowed to showcase for our 2019 and 2021 festival graphics. We were so happy they were able to join us painting again.
 
What a village we live in!
 

Much love and thanks from the 2021 Southport Plein Air Festival Committee,

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