The American Impressionist Society’s 25th Annual National Juried Exhibition opens this September at the Rockport Art Association and Museum. Featuring 155 juried paintings in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor and gouache from some of the most esteemed American impressionists working today, the AIS exhibition is one of the most anticipated art fairs of the year. The organization received 1,580 entries for consideration, with a seven-member jury panel scoring the work in a blind process. All jurors are AIS Signature or Master members.
An additional 25 paintings by AIS Masters, officers and founders will also be included in the show.
Katherine Irish, Flying Through, pastel on archival pastel paper, 15 x 30"Plein air painter Karen Lee Crenshaw’s showpiece In the Pink features a bright array of florals billowing in the wind. “A sense of place—that is the goal of my landscape paintings, for the viewer to ‘see’ what I am seeing and to feel that is a place they have been or would like to visit,” says Crenshaw. “Plein air painting inspires me to capture the quality of light that sets off that connection. Many of my paintings depict the pinkish-blue tones of early morning or the amber tones of late afternoon. I advise collectors to purchase art that makes that connection with their hearts, whether they have actually seen that particular place or not. If you are drawn into a landscape even once, you will always enjoy having it on your walls.”
A historic model painting session at the 2023 AIS National Juried Exhibition.
Flying Through, by Katherine Irish, is a moody and expansive skyscape capturing dark billowing clouds. “I have made a conscious decision to contribute beauty through my art,” says Irish. “Throughout my life, skies have held me without complication or complaint. They have offered respite when I needed to find a quiet place in my being. Skies have become a spiritual home. The sky feels closer to Earth in New Mexico. Big skies filled with clouds that float over the land…Clouds whirl with power, beautifully choreographed by the growing pressure between hot and cold air. Skies touch the edges of water, trees, desert, mountains and islands. Looking across the great vistas of New Mexico feels healing and feeds my soul. Not even cloudless skies remain the same.”
Karen Lee Crenshaw, In the Pink, oil on linen, 10 x 20"
Artists painted in plein air at last year’s event.
AIS Master Carolyn Anderson will serve as Judge of Awards for the 2024 exhibition. The exhibition will also be marked with a special week of events for both the public and AIS members. The awards presentation will be held on stage at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on Thursday, September 26. The exhibition will then open for viewing from September 27 through October 26. —
American Impressionist Society’s 25th Annual National Juried Exhibition
When: September 27-October 26, 2024
Where: Rockport Art Association and Museum, 12 Main Street, Rockport, MA 01966
Information: (231) 881-7685, www.americanimpressionistsociety.org
Powered by Froala Editor
