‘En plein air’ returns to Sacramento region as nonprofit opens new exhibition and program
From the late Gregory Kondos to centenarian Wayne Thiebaud, the Sacramento area represents a historical and cultural nexus of what’s called en plein air.
The French phrase, which means in open air, describes the act of painting urban, rural and natural landscapes while outdoors; the Sacramento River and the Delta area are among the region’s most prolific and internationally-celebrated views.
“It’s the natural beauty of the region,” Youth Connections Unlimited CEO Jason Richardson said, “It offers anything to anyone — whether you’re a photographer, a painter or just looking for some source of inspiration.”
Richardson hopes to both honor and revitalize the region’s en plein air history with his nonprofit’s latest initiative, the Plein Air Sac Community Arts Festival.
Last month, YCU successfully launched the community arts program. Participants joined program staff on July 14 with a Bastille Day celebration at Brasserie du Monde in downtown Sacramento. Plein Air Sac hosted its first painting event at Nitty’s Cider in Clarksburg 10 days later. Three more painting days will be held throughout August at the following venues:
▪ State Capitol Complex (Aug. 14).
▪ Colin Family Farms (Aug. 21).
A Youth Art Education Day at William Land Park (Sept. 4) will follow.
All funds support youth arts education in underserved communities per YCU’s mission statement.
“I really wanted to create a program that could honor those artists who came before me, while also creating opportunities for those who haven’t enjoyed the benefits of artistic learning,” Richardson said.
Plein Air Sac promises to bring plein air painting’s natural warmth to a general audience. It’s a loose and collaborative art; there’s a passion in the spontaneity of bringing out oil, brush and canvas on a changing afternoon.
So, rather than a static gallery, Plein Air Sac offers Sacramentans a chance to engage with artists in a dynamic way, as they paint. Program events are free-flowing and fluid. Artists gain a space to create in a calm, productive environment, while participants can pose questions on anything from technique to form.
“It’s interactive, ” Richardson said. “As part of the public, you can walk in and interact with the artists. You can go, ‘Hey, that’s cool!’ You get the chance to be exposed to and watch somebody paint — you can learn how it’s done. It’s a very warm atmosphere, and that’s the sense of community we’re trying to create.”
The plein air technique’s muse is the natural world. In a meta sense, artist and participant form the strongest connection possible; they become part of the artistic process and artwork themselves. From an impulsive need to create comes creation.
Such strong connections are vital as society faces the parallel pandemics of COVID-19 and isolation-induced mental illness, Richardson said. This year, a Kaiser Family Foundation study found that more than 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. report symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, an increase from the CDC’s findings of 1 in 10 adults from January to June 2019. As social animals, we depend on one another for emotional stability.
Plein Air Sac features more than 60 artists. Event-goers can support them by purchasing their wares and sharing artists’ physical and online platforms.
Like many institutions, the arts have faced acute financial instability during the pandemic. The arts form over 4.5% of U.S. gross domestic product, larger than the construction, agriculture and transportation industries. In just under a year, the arts suffered an estimated $15.2 billion net loss from March 2020 to February 2021.
Additionally, Plein Air Sac hopes to raise and donate $50,000 this year to specifically support arts education for Sacramento’s underserved communities and high-risk youth. Participants can donate funds at any time or become consistent sponsors.
“Actively, money raised right now is going to provide school supplies to schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District,” Richardson said.
“For example, we are sponsoring a student from Ethel I. Baker Elementary School to attend a week-long art camp next week called ‘Planes, Trains, and Art Mobiles’ offered through Crocker Art Museum,” he continued. “He has a spot thanks to the generosity of our supporters that made it possible— he’s an aspiring painter himself. At any donation level, we’re so grateful.”
On Oct. 2 and 3, Plein Air will host the Inaugural Plein Air Sac Juried Exhibition at Antiquité Maison Privée. Artists are encouraged to submit their work for the exhibition. Moni Kondos, widow of Sacramento’s renowned plein air painter Gregory Kondos, will sit on the jury for the event.
In the future, Plein Air Sac hopes to expand its presence to brick-and-mortar venues. Richardson hopes to implement plein air classes and a physical gallery to showcase young artists, he said.
“You can’t do it without the artists. I’m really proud of them stepping up and volunteering to participate in the program,” Richardson said. “I’m also very proud of our partners— from businesses small and large. I’m thankful for those people who have really been inspirational and encouraging voices.”
You can find more information about venues, events, dates and donations on Plein Air Sac’s website, www.pleinairsac.org.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 8:04 AM.