Solomons Plein Air Street Faire
Schedule of Activities
Thursday, May 12 - Sunday, May 15, 2011
Solomons, Maryland
From Thursday, May 12 – Saturday, May 14, 2011, visitors will find more than 30 professional plein air artists painting scenes in and around the Solomons-Dowell community. From beautiful scenes of the harbor to the flora and fauna of the island, the Faire will highlight the extraordinary talent and beauty of this engaging outdoor art form. On Sunday, May 15, all the plein air works created by this talented group of artists will go on sale at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center - with proceeds to benefit the Solomons July 4th Fireworks Fund. The Exhibition & Sale will remain up May 15-29.
On Saturday, May 14 from 11 am to 4 pm, visitors to the Solomons Plein Air Street Faire will also enjoy a fun and colorful street faire, as well as the Taste of Solomons, a one-day food festival showcasing the many wonderful places to eat in this lovely waterfront community. Enjoy the variety of special food and drink offerings from Solomons area restaurants while you also enjoy the sights and activities of the Plein Air Street Faire. Walk, drive or use the Island’s electric car shuttles to visit our beautiful restaurants. Food and drink tickets are $4 each, and are available for purchase at each participating restaurant and at the Solomons Island ticket booth. An area map showing restaurant locations will be provided. Stroll the Solomons boardwalk to take in the sights and sounds of the street faire, then purchase your tickets to enjoy a smorgasbord of extraordinary food and drink. All activities at the Faire are appropriate for all ages. Don’t miss this extraordinary weekend of fine art, food, and fun!
The annual Solomons Paint the Town art festival draws artist from not only the East coast but as far as Chicago to paint the beautiful sites of our community. Artists will paint Thursday through Saturday at a variety of locations throughout Solomons. Their artwork will then be submitted to be hung and judged in an art show and reception at Annmarie Garden beginning Sunday, May 15. The artwork will hang and be on sale at the gallery for a period of one week.
Artists and budding artists are also invited to participate in a Quick Draw on Saturday, May 14. Over a period of 2 hours, artists will create scenes of Solomons. After being judged, the artwork will be on display and available to purchase.
Everyone is invited to the evening reception at Carmen’s Gallery. This annual gathering is held in honor of the festival judge. For 2011, the festival judge will be Steven Cushner, an adjunct faculty member of the Corcoran School of Art.
The community is invited to interact with the artists while at work around Solomons, to participate in the Quick Draw at Calvert Marine Museum, to view the exhibit at Annmarie Garden beginning May 16 through May 24 and to attend the gallery show at Carmen’s Gallery on May 14.
April 1, 2011 Artist Application Deadline
(artists are emailed event information after application has been accepted.)
CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE SCHEDULE | 2011 Event Flyer
| 2011 Event Map
Wednesday, May 11
1:00-4:00pmArtist Check-in at Annmarie Garden
Thursday, May 12
All Day!
More than 30 Plein Air Artists painting scenes of Solomons-Dowell.
6:00-9:30pm
DiGiovanni's Dock of the Bay Restaurant (http://www.digiovannisrestaurant.com) will feature singer/guitarist Larry Tierney.
Friday, May 13
All Day!
More than 30 Plein Air Artists painting scenes of Solomons-Dowell
Saturday, May 14
All Day!
More than 30 Plein Air Artists Painting scenes of Solomons-Dowell
10:00-2:00pm
The Back Creek Inn will be serving the
Inn 's specialty Iced Tea in their garden. FREE
11:00am-4:00pm
Enjoy the excitement and fun of the Street Fair along the Solomons boardwalk and surrounding area in Solomons-Dowell. Activities include street performers, vendors, music, face painting, strolling artists, moonbounce, snow cones.
Lots of activitiy for pet lovers: Visit P.A.W.S. pet adoptions in Solomons. Clipper's Canine Cafe is hosting the Calvert Animal Welfare League and Golden Retriever Rescue of SoMD. Pet Photographer Valerie McKrell will be at Clipper's with photos; make an appointment for your pet! Island Pet Salon is offering free toenail trims, with donations accepted for the Fireworks Fund! All ages welcome to the Street Fair!
11:00am-4:00pm
Enjoy the Taste of Solomons in the Solomons-Dowell community. Enjoy the variety of special food and drink offerings from Solomons area restaurants while you also enjoy the sights and activities of the Plein Air Street Faire. Walk, drive or use the Island’s electric car shuttles to visit our beautiful restaurants. Food and drink tickets are $4 each, and are available for purchase at each participating restaurant and at the Solomons Island ticket booth. An area map showing restaurant locations will be provided. The Taste of Solomons is open to all ages.
2:00-4:00pm
Quick Draw: a mini plein air event open to the general public! The public is invited to enter this "iron artist" competition where each participant is given two hours to create a work of art. All participants must bring their own painting supplies and all painting must take place on either side of Solomons Island Road (from the beginning to the end of the Riverwalk boardwalk. Anyone painting outside the boundaries will not be considered for an award for the Quick Draw. There will be a starting and ending horn. At the end of the two hour period, Quick Draw participants must deliver their works to Carmen's Gallery between 4:00 and 4:30pm for judging. Participants in thisevent must register at Carmen’s Gallery before the event. There is a registration fee of $15 for those who are not paid participants in the plein air painting competition.
4:00-5:00pm
The Plein Air Artists must deliver all the works they have created during the three days of the Faire to Annmarie Sculpture Garden (http://www.annmariegarden.org/) for hanging. The Exhibition and Sale of these works will begin Sunday, May 15 at 1:00pm and continue through May 29.The award winners will also be announced on May 15 at 1:00pm; a list of the artist cash awards to be presented is below. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will benefit the Solomons July 4th Fireworks Fund.
7:30-9:30pm
An Affaire of the Arts @ Carmen’s Gallery (http://www.carmensgallery.com/. Winners of the Quick Draw will be announced and the Quick Draw paintings will be displayed for sale. The guest of honor will be the Faire judge Steven Cushner, of the Corcoran School of Art. There will be a cash bar, food, and entertainment. This year’s limited edition event poster by artist Brenda Belfield will be unveiled and for sale. Winners of the student art contest at CSM will be on display. All profits from the evening go to fund the Solomons July 4th Fireworks Fund and a student scholarship fund at CSM.
Sunday, May 15
1:00-3:00pm
Awards Reception and Exhibition & Sale @ Annmarie. The culmination of this multi-day event featuring the works of more than 30 professional plein air artists. This is your opportunity to purchase a view of your favorite scene of Solomons or Dowell! Faire Judge Steven Cushner and the Faire sponsors presenting the artist awards. Refreshments will be served along with a cash bar. All works will be for sale with proceeds to benefit the Solomons July 4th Fireworks Fund. FREE
3:00-4:00pm
Judge's Talk at Annmarie with Faire Judge Steven Cushner, from the Corcoran School of Art. Artists & Public Welcome. FREE
May 15-29
10am-5pm daily
Exhibition & Sale @ Annmarie - the works of more than 30 professional plein air artists will be exhibited and offered for sale. This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase your favorite scene of Solomons or Dowell! Proceeds benefit the Solomons July 4th Fireworks Fund.
Plein Air Painting
Simply put, plein air painting is painting that takes place outdoors. The words "plein air" comes from the French term "en plein air" which translates as "n the open air." Well known artists, including Claude Monet and Pierre-August Renoir, created some of their best and most famous works in this style.  Once a plein air artist has chosen a desirable outdoor location, they set up their easel and paints, and perhaps an umbrella, and then set to work. They may choose a view of trees, boats, water, animals, people, insects, rural or urban scenes - whatever captures their interest at that moment. Plein Air artists are appreciated for their exceptional use of light and in the stirring manner they are able to capture the essence of a moment in time.
Artsy Activities at Annmarie Garden - Sat. & Sun., May 14-15, Noon - 4 p.m. each day
 Known for a fun and inviting approach to the arts, Annmarie Garden will offer hands-on activities May 15 & 16. With a colorful backdrop of hundreds of blooming azaleas, visitors of all ages can enjoy a walk in the woods, an artsy scavenger hunt, and other engaging activities and exhibits in the Arts Building and around the park. All activities are on-going and drop-in, so registration is not required.
Awards Reception at Annmarie Garden - Sunday, May 15, 1:00am-1:30pm.
Solomons-Paint the Town will culminate on Sunday, May 17 with an Exhibition & Sale in the Arts Building at Annmarie Garden. All the plein air works will be for sale.
Exhibition & Sale at Annmarie Garden - Sunday, May 15-Sunday, May 29
The Exhibition & Sale will continue through May 23. Works will be removed from the Exhibition as they are sold and artists are welcome to replace the works sold with new works.
Solomons, Maryland
 Solomons is a lovely waterfront town situated where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay.
Just over an hour drive from Washington-Baltimore metro area, Solomons is a popular destination for tourists, boaters, and regional residents.
With spectacular views, a boardwalk, interesting shops and galleries, restaurants, and an art museum and a marine museum, Solomons is a delightful place to spend the day or the weekend. To learn more visit Calvert County Visitors Guide, or Solomons Island Websites.
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