Now celebrating 19 years, the Art League of Ocean City’s annual outdoor painting festival, “Artists Paint OC,” is happening Aug. 14-18 in the resort, giving you the opportunity to select from hundreds
of just-created original landscape paintings of iconic coastal scenes
For five days, 50 artists compete for the top prizes of cash and prestige as they spread out across the area to paint famous vistas. These “plein air” artists are professionals; many are award winners in multiple competitions.
There are two opportunities to buy the original art. You are invited to the free “Wet Paint Sales” on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 5-7 p.m. and on Sunday, Aug. 18, from 1-3 p.m. Both sales are held at the waterfront Ocean City Center for the Arts, 502 94th St. bayside, and both are free to attend. Every painting is one-of-a-kind and ready to hang.
“If you’re looking for a permanent and unique memory of your time in Ocean City, this is an opportunity to find a treasure no one else but you will have,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League, said. “This event only happens once a year, and our Arts Center is the only place you’ll find literally hundreds of original paintings to choose from.”
The “Wet Paint Sales” at the Arts Center are a chance to mix and mingle with the artists, and enjoy light refreshments, live music, and a cash bar. The juror for this year’s event is Dutch artist Carole Boggemann Peirson who has been a professional oil painter since 2005 and is mostly known for her East Coast landscapes. Peirson moved to the United States from her native Netherlands in 2000 when she and her husband tied the knot and now lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
The easiest time and place to watch the artists paint is on the Boardwalk on Sunday morning, when they’re concentrated in the immediate area near South Division St. In two hours, from 9-11 a.m., the artists race to complete a painting of an iconic Boardwalk scene, frame it, and run it to the Arts Center on 94th St. Peirson will judge the paintings, with cash prizes awarded by the Ocean City Development Corp. The art goes up for sale to the public at 1 p.m., while the paint is still wet on the canvasses.
The following article was provided by the Art League of Ocean City. For more information, please visit their website by clicking here.
