If there were any questions as to whether Ogunquit remains one of the most lively, enduring, and relevant Art Colonies in America, they have now been answered — thanks to the Inaugural Perkins Cove Plein Air Painting Event which occurred on 9/11/21.
Ever since I arrived in Ogunquit and started this website, back in 2013, I’ve been a big champion of promoting the enduring artistic legacy of this “beautiful place by the sea”.
That is why — when (over a year ago) a VERY small group of local residents and shopkeepers (including Amy Fitzgerald Forbes, Jen Lewer, Jason Corbin, Ric Della Bernarda, Todd Bonita, David + Pam Lussier, and others) started discussing ways to honor the artistic legacy of Ogunquit with a painting event in Perkins Cove — I knew I definitely wanted to be involved!
Planned quickly (in just over 7 weeks) by a small and scrappy group of doers, this event garnered a notable amount of buzz online from participating artists AND eager spectators in the weeks and days beforehand.
Once the big day arrived, with well over 60 artists registered and painting on almost every corner of the shoreline between Perkins Cove and down the Marginal Way cliff-walk towards Ogunquit’s Main Beach, the atmosphere looked gloriously reminiscent of the vintage Ogunquit Art Colony photographs we’ve all seen of Charles H. Woodbury surrounded by his friend and student painters back in the early 1900s. Easels and palettes everywhere covered with rainbow gobs of paint!
Judging of the paintings (in two categories, Amateur and Professional) took place at 3:30PM. The three judges were Chris Caraviello (owner/operator at Ogunquit’s Van Ward Gallery), David Lussier (award-winning contemporary impressionist and nationally-recognized plein air painter and workshop instructor), and myself, Eric J. Taubert (contemporary fine-art photographer, juried artist-member at Ogunquit Art Association, and arts writer).
Read the entire story + see VIDEO and PHOTOS on Medium: https://bigblankwall.com/wow-the-ogunquit-art-colony-is-thriving-in-2021-perkins-cove-plein-air-painting-event-35c0de0c5223