Artists return to Valdese for 2025 Plein Air Fest

The bucolic scenery of Valdese and the challenge of capturing the Burke County town on canvas are once again drawing artists back to the Old Rock School for the 2025 Plein Air competition.

Sponsored by the Town of Valdese, Friends of Valdese Rec, and the Rock School Arts Foundation (RSAF), the fourth annual event will conclude with an art show and sale in September, but the application window for artists is open now.

Plein air is a French term that translates to “open air.” In the case of Valdese’s Plein Air Fest, it refers to the act of creating art — particularly painting — outdoors in Valdese, rather than in a studio.

According to Sharon Bowman, RSAF’s executive director, the event is a perfect fit for the artsy town.

“The first year it was called ‘Paint the Park,’ because we just concentrated on the parks here in Valdese,” Bowman explained. “Then we decided that it was best to open up the entire town since we have such beautiful architecture and gardens here and we wanted as much of Valdese used as possible.”

Now, Bowman said, the Plein Air Fest has transitioned into an event to promote Valdese. “It’s an event to get people into Valdese to see this beautiful little town and all of its amenities,” she stated.

The competition requires the subject of each painting be an outdoor scene found in Valdese, whether that be a park, a garden, a building, or any sort of structure.

The $35 registration fee entitles artists to submit two paintings, one for judging and one just for the sale. “They’ll both be for sale,” Bowman explained, “but artists have to submit one just for judging.”

Bowman said there is no size requirement for artwork, but “plein air lends itself to smaller sizes, just because the artists carry them outside to work, so we don’t normally have anything over a 16 x 20 (inches).”

Plein air artists are allowed to capture a scene in a photo, but the object of the competition is to complete much of the work outdoors.

“There are a lot of artists that are extremely well-versed, and they’re very quick at putting down their visual information,” Bowman explained. “Then there are others that may get so much information down and then take a photograph and go back and work in a studio.”

Artists interested in participating in the 2025 festival should be aware of several important upcoming dates. Applications for the contest, along with details for participants, are available on the RSAF’s webpage (rockschoolartgalleries.com). The application window closes on Monday, Sept. 1.

Artists who want to “brush up” on their painting skills are invited to join an outdoor/indoor painting basics workshop, featuring award-winning artist Manny Maldonado, on Saturday, Aug. 23. All materials are provided, and the cost is $45 per participant. Those interested can send an email to rsaf1893@gmail.com.

September is the month for action, when the Plein Air Fest begins in earnest. Registered artists should check-in at the Old Rock School on Friday, Sept. 19, or Saturday, Sept. 20, and bring the surfaces on which they will paint during the event. A check-in packet will include information about the Town of Valdese, and the beauty and vitality of the town.

Check-in and stamping will be available on Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Officials will mark the blank canvases and those will be the only surfaces admitted for judging and sale.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, artists bring their final works, some still with wet paint, to the Rock School, where they will be checked in, labeled, hung, and prepared for the exhibition, reception, and awards ceremony on Sunday.

Then on Sunday, Sept. 21, the public is invited to the Old Rock School to view and purchase the submitted works. Officials will announce the winners of the contest and host a gala reception. The event is free.

The Old Rock School is at 400 Main St. W., in Valdese. For more information about the Plein Air Fest, visit the Rock School Arts Foundation’s website or call 828-838-9806.