Artists ranging from amateurs to professionals will be lining the sidewalks throughout the Carmel Arts & Design District Sept. 15 through 17. Carmel on Canvas is a plein air painting exhibition and competition, returning for its fourth year, with more than $13,000 in total prize money.
Carmel on Canvas continues to grow in popularity creating excitement within the arts community. This event is an opportunity for artists in the region and nation to learn more about the Carmel Arts & Design District. It also allows us to see different viewpoints of our community and the beauty within the District arches. Regional and national artists take their work back to their home galleries and their patrons are exposed to our community. These artists then become advocates for our City.
Artists are able to preregister from now through Thursday, Sept. 14 via EventBrite (Click Here to Register). Day of registration is available with a fee increase beginning Friday, Sept. 15 at Hoosier Salon (22 Range Line Road) and Saturday morning at the Carmel Farmers Market (5 Center Green). Main and 2nd Avenue NW will transform into Artists’ Lane with the plein air main event judging taking place at 6 p.m. Saturday. Artists will be vying for many prize awards throughout the weekend including Saturday night’s top prize of $5,000, a $2,000 second place prize and $1,500 for third.
The plein air artworks created on Friday and Saturday, along with the quick paint event on Sunday, will be judged by Shaun Thomas Dingwerth, who serves as the Executive Director of the Richmond Art Museum in Richmond, Ind. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Indiana University, Bloomington. Before becoming the Executive Director, he served as the Director of Operations for five years and served on the Board of Trustees of the Richmond Art Museum for three years. He has also had articles published in national art magazines including Plein Air Magazine and Fine Art Connoisseur.
The public is invited to come to the district and watch the painters set up their easels and paint their chosen subjects. There will also be two quick paints, one on Saturday at the Carmel Farmers Market (5 Center Green) and one on Sunday on the southwest corner of Main Street and the Monon Trail. The plein air weekend concludes with many participating artists selling their works at the Carmel on Canvas Art Fair from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17 at Artists’ Lane and Sophia Square.
More information, including registration details, can be found at www.CarmelonCanvas.com.