Don’t be surprised on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11 and 12, if you see many artists painting, sketching, and drawing downtown, along the docks, and at Nantucket beaches. It’s the start of the 13th annual Plein Air Nantucket.
Artists on Nantucket look forward to participating in this popular festival organized and sponsored by the Artists Association of Nantucket from Tuesday, June 11 through Sunday, June 16, with gatherings and an awards ceremony. Plein Air Nantucket offers many opportunities for the public to see art in process and to enjoy several beautiful areas of Nantucket. There is no fee to attend or to participate, and artists of all levels—professional and those who are just learning— are welcome.
Plein Air Nantucket is a special opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of painting with peers. Sign up begins on June 11 at 10 am in Big Gallery, upstairs at 12 Straight Wharf, and artists can sign up any day during the festival.
This year’s Annual Paint Out Day will be held on Wednesday, June 12 in two picturesque locations: the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum at 158 Polpis Road and the UMass Field Station at 180 Polpis Road. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is very limited. The Shipwreck Shuttle departs hourly Monday through Saturday from Visitor Services, 25 Federal Street, starting at 10:30 am to transport the public to the Shipwreck Museum, with returns until 2:30 pm.
Quick Paint Day, with timed painting sessions will be held from 10 am to 12:30 pm on Thursday, June 13. Check nantucketarts.org for locations.
Throughout the week-long Plein Air, AAN’s Big Gallery at 12 Straight Wharf is festival HQ. Here freshly created artwork will be displayed daily on the “Wet Walls’ for public viewing and purchase.
A huge proponent of en plein air painting, Frank Swift Chase taught outdoor classes starting in 1920 through the early 1950s, and the core of his regular students became the founders of AAN. In this spirit, AAN hosts Plein Air Nantucket annually and presents the Frank Swift Chase awards: juried prizes presented to artists who participate in the festival. The last evening of the festival, Sunday, June 16, the awards ceremony will be held in the Big Gallery from 5 pm.
