MAD RIVER VALLEY: Artists on Display During Country Christmas Weekend

What could be better than artists painting “plein air” during the summer? How about fifteen artists painting indoors during Country Christmas Weekend! The Valley Arts Foundation is hosting the first Holiday Paint-In on Saturday, December 1st and 2nd. Artists are returning from this past summer’s wonderfully successful Plein Air Paint-Out to paint in one of over a dozen stores and merchants participating in Country Christmas Weekend in the Mad River Valley. The Paint-In is a fundraiser for the Valley Arts Foundation and hopefully will become an anticipated annual event.

Conceived as a holiday version of the Great Vermont Plein Air Paint-Out held during the Vermont Festival of the Arts, the Paint-In will include fourteen Vermont artists painting in a variety of stores and galleries along Route 100. The Valley Arts Foundation has been given the use of the old gallery space on Bridge Street to support the event. The gallery will serve as the Paint-In headquarters and will be open from 10 – 8 pm on Saturday and 10-5 pm on Sunday to exhibit works created by the participating artists.


An Artist Reception and Show will begin at 3:30 pm on Saturday. Refreshments will be available and the public is invited to attend. The artists will be painting from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday at their designated location, helping to create a festive atmosphere throughout town.Look for the red and green balloons marking the artist locations!

Participating merchants are: Bridge Street Emporium, Artisans’ Gallery, Madsonian Museum, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Waitsfield Wineshop, Mad River Glass, Quench Artspace, Waitsfield Pottery, Mad River Quilt Shop, 4orty Bridge Boutique, Big Picture Theater, Valley Rent-All, The Store, The Warren Store and Three Mountain Café.

Participating artists are: Kathy Bergeron, Robert Chapla, Sarah Rosedahl, Jani Ghirenghelli, Stellan Wollmar, Barbara Greene, Ellen Crafton, Lisa Beach, Joyce Kahn, Gary Eckhart, Dotty Kyle, Megan Reinhold, Judy Greenwald, Lisa Italiano and Gaelic McTigue.

“We are incredibly excited about the response for this fun fundraiser for the Valley Arts Foundation,” said Karen Nevin, Executive Director. “This will be a great opportunity to purchase a unique one-of-a-kind gift for a friend or family member.” Artists are encouraged to paint pieces that can be sold in the gallery over the weekend.A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork will support the Foundation’s year-round operations.

Part of the fun for visitors will be to follow the map and visit the artists as they work.The Paint-In Map of artist locations will be available at the gallery on Bridge Street and at participating stores.“This is a great chance, after doing your holiday shopping, to stop at the gallery on Saturday afternoon or Sunday to see the finished artwork,” said Gary Eckhart, participating artist and Board Director. “Anyone who remembers the Plein Air Paint-Out this summer knows what fun it was to watch the artists at work.Personally, I’m looking forward to painting at Bridge Street Emporium.”

For more information go to:
www.vermontartfest.com 

or call: 496-6682.

Photo:  Artist Stellan Wollmar painting at Plein Air Paint-Out on Bridge Street this summer.  

credit:  Rebecca Silbernagel