Opening October 26, Catalina Island Conservancy presents its annual Wild Side Art Show & Sale, championing the protection of Catalina Island’s wildlands. Through plein air painting, artists capture the area’s beauty, and inspire restoration and long-term conservation.
“Attendees will have the opportunity to view and purchase nearly 100 original works of art depicting Catalina’s ‘wild side,’” says a conservancy representative. “Mingle with featured artists and like-minded supporters while helping to protect one of California’s most unique natural treasures.”
Lori Putnam, Patterns of Pink and Green, oil on linen panel, 9 x 12 in.
Featured artists for the 2025 event includes Brienne M. Brown, Don Demers, Mike Hernandez, Kathleen Hudson, Paul Kratter, Kim Lordier, Dan Marshall, Lori Putnam, Jason Situ and Michele Usibelli.
Highlights inclued Brown’s watercolor Preserving Our Memories, inspired by a study the artist made of a Catalina Island landmark. “The Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens are a beautiful and inspirational area,” Brown shares. “I love how it’s situated nicely in the natural landscape…” The painting shows the building’s lush surroundings, peppered with a stunning display of light and shadow.
Artist Kathleen Hudson speaks at the 2024 Wild Side Art Show and Sale.
Lori Putnam showcases a coastal scene in her oil piece, Patterns of Pink and Green—one of 10 pieces the artist will have in the show. “This scene is familiar to most painters who have had the pleasure of painting in the conservancy,” says Putnam. “In fact, it is so familiar that it has been unofficially named ‘artists alley.’ The views are spectacular from there. I cannot resist stopping along this road above Shark Harbor. On the day I painted this plein air piece, it was overcast with a pink sky that echoed on the tops of the waves. The trees and grasses blew in the wind, continually shifting patterns against the background.”
Kim Lordier, All Aglow, Little Harbor, pastel, 6 x 12 in.
Putnam’s work has quite unintentionally become recognized for being ‘high key.’ This is true both in terms of value and color. “It is actually how I see the world,” she adds. “My values are more compressed, no matter the mood or time of day I paint. I also aim to capture a scene’s raw energy through bold brushwork and a variety of thick and thin paint. This allows viewers to experience movement and the emotion of the moment.”
Registered guests will receive early access to a digital catalog one week before the show. Sponsorship and priority ticket options are available and offer early purchase opportunities. The Conservancy’s new exclusive Curator Sponsor Level includes a private dinner with artists the night before the show, and the rare opportunity to pre-select one painting before the sale.
Brienne M. Brown, Preserving Our Memories, watercolor, 14 x 14 in.
The show is held at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach, California, on October 26. General admission is free. —
The Wild Side Art Show and Sale
October 26, 2025
Newport Harbor Yacht Club
720 W. Bay Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92661
(562) 437-8555, www.catalinaconservancy.org
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