This weekend, the Margaret Harwell Art Museum is excited to hold the first ever Plein Air Festival, an outdoor painting competition, and welcomes all to attend the Family Fun Festival.
The Plein Air Festival runs Thursday through Sunday. Since it is new to the area, MHAM wanted to ensure artists of all skill levels could compete. All mediums are accepted, and artists can enter as many panels as they complete.
“You can paint, you can draw, charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, any two-dimensional media that you want,” said MHAM Director Steve Whitworth. “Some mediums might be more competitive than others but whatever medium you choose, it’s about quality.”
The only rule is all canvases must be stamped before the competition. Registration is open at MHAM or Whitworth’s Gift Chest Jewelers until Saturday morning. The entry fee is $35.
A reception and artist check-in is 4-6 p.m. Thursday, June 9. Artists and community members are invited to meet, mingle and enjoy some light snacks.
Painting begins on Friday. Whitworth listed several scenic sites across the Poplar Bluff area, including the two train stations, the Rodgers Theatre and Ferguson Park. Lake Wappapello is also fair game. Artists can capture anything, even a single flower, and Whitworth believes inspiration will be plentiful.
“We’re a train town, a river town, a lake town, a county seat. We’ve got a lot going for us.”
The competition’s deadline is 1 p.m. Sunday at MHAM, the day after the Family Fun Festival. Judging begins right away, followed by the presentation of awards at 2:30 p.m. There are five cash prizes ranging from $500-$100 for categories from Best of Show to People’s Choice. The Plein Air Festival wraps up at 4 p.m.
Judged artwork will displayed at the museum, and the museum will take a 20% commission on any of those works sold.
The Plein Air Festival runs alongside the Family Fun Festival, at MHAM and along Main Street from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. Attractions include artist booths, music, a bounce house and artistic opportunities for the entire family.
One of the biggest attractions will be the chance to participate in painting a mural.
Gamblin Lumber Company is providing a 4-by-16 foot panel for visitors to paint, and plans are in the works between MHAM and Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc. to mount the finished product downtown, possibly in the new green space slated to fill areas of the parking garage demolition on South Main Street.
“(That will) be maybe a permanent mural somewhere in Poplar Bluff downtown,” said Whitworth.
There will also be a 4-by-8 foot panel for kids to paint.
Visitors can also watch a pottery demonstration, play in a bounce house, catch a performance by a DJ, and buy original goods from artists.
Artists with items to sell must pay a $35 fee for a regular booth or $50 for an electrified booth, which are limited in number. Not-for-profit organizations can set up booths for free. Food trucks have a $50 flat fee. Space is first come, first serve Saturday morning.
For more information on either festival or to register as a vendor, contact Whitworth at swhitworth@pbcity.org or 573-714-4411, or the museum at 573-686-8002.
The Family Fun Festival is sponsored by Poplar Bluff Realty Inc. and Bootheel Equipment.
Whitworth looks forward to turning the festivals into an annual event, and hopefully a growing one.
“We want everybody to spread the word, and then we’ll be sure and have a big event next year,” he said.