STE. GENEVIEVE – The GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve is joining the Sainte Genevieve Art Guild as sponsors of the Youth Plein Air Event in 2023 by assisting with the event and funding all four categories of the first place awards.
The Woman’s Club has been sponsoring community projects since their inception in 1949, and their involvement in this event carries a big impact; it will allow this annual event to expand by including a new age category – young artists ages three through five – greatly increasing the number of participants.
All youth who are interested in the arts will have the opportunity to showcase their skill in a youth plein air event.
Young artists in Ste. Genevieve County and beyond ages three through high school will be painting or drawing from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 19th, or 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 22nd, at the Moses Austin Site, the white house on Jour de Fete Grounds, located at the corner of South Gabouri and Main Streets, across from the railroad trestle.
Rain date will be Wednesday, April 26th, 3-5 p.m.
Participants will choose from various scenes in the area to render their art, using their choice of watercolor, colored pencils, ink, pencil or oil pastels.
All materials will be provided.
Plein Air Painting is done on location, outdoors, with the artists capturing their favorite scene in a two -hour period. Young artists work quickly and their work has been amazing through the years.
The location provides a 360-degree choice of scenery, including houses, the creek and a variety of landscape subjects.
Judging will be across four divisions: ages through five, six through eight, nine through 13, and 14 through high school. This year, Woman’s Club members have volunteered to help judge the entries.
Best of Show will receive $50 and a medal, first place recipients in each category will receive $25 and a medal, second place will receive $20 and a medal and third place in each age group will receive $10 and a medal. These prizes will provide the youth with money to purchase art supplies or pursue other interests.
The Youth Plein Air Awards will be presented on April 28th at 6:30 p.m. at the Sainte Genevieve Art Center and Art Museum at 310 Merchant Street, where the artwork will be on display.
To enter the Youth Plein Air, students may register at the event. Applications may also be mailed to: Sainte Genevieve Art Guild, 310 Merchant Street, Ste Genevieve, MO 63670. Last minute entries are very welcome – just show up at the event. All youth age three through high school are encouraged to participate.
Everyone is welcome to attend the Award Presentation at 6:30 p.m. and view the art. The Youth Plein Air awards presentation will be the same evening as this month’s 4th Friday Art Walk, which is sponsored by the galleries in downtown Ste. Genevieve.
Many art spaces will be open, providing a great variety of art on display.
The Youth Plein Air Event was started in fall of 2007 with local business Odile’s Linen and Lace and CIDD Company sponsoring the event. It expanded in 2009 with a grant at Valle Schools. Sponsorship by the Sainte Genevieve Art Guild began in 2018, and included a grant for supplies. The addition of the 2023 sponsorship by the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve has allowed the event to expand once again.