Nineteen talented artists converge to celebrate the artistry of nature August 27 - 31

https://ycvisualarts.com/artinthepines2023-1

Yavapai College’s Prescott Art Gallery invites one and all  to its annual celebration of our surrounding natural beauty, and the craft of those who capture it on canvas. YC Prescott Art Gallery presents Art in the Pines: The 6^th Annual Prescott Plein Air Festival, August 27 to 31, at the Prescott Campus Gallery and selected scenic locations around Prescott.

Art in the Pines will feature 19 artists – 17 from Arizona and two from California – painting Prescott’s beautiful pine forests, highland lakes, and charming, historic downtown architecture. The public will be able to observe and engage with the artists, as they paint at specific accessible demonstration sites, at no cost.  

Featured artists will include the Plein Air Festival’s 2024 Best in Show winner Cindy Carrillo, as well as Dana Cohn, Tom Conner, Alison Crary, Robin Deshayes, Priya Drews, Kristine Dutton, Liam Dye, Lydia Gatzow, Lindsay Green, Lance Gulseth, Julia Jaakola, Igor Kogan, Cathy Kreiger, Deborah McAllister, Barbara Mulleneaux, Ben Norton, Anton Nowels and Jose Nunez.

“Plein air painting is very much a spectator sport, so to speak,” said Yavapai College Art Galleries Manager Tim Hull. “It’s really fun and interesting to watch the landscape in front of you take shape on a talented artist’s canvas.”

On Friday, August 29, the public is invited to join all 18 Plein Air artists on the grounds of Sharlot Hall Museum (415 W. Gurley Street, in Prescott) from 8 a.m. to Noon. On Saturday, August 30, spectators can watch the artists paint at Watson Lake from 6 a.m. to Noon.

The festival will conclude with a ticketed public gala reception, art sale and presentation of artist awards on Sunday, August 31 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery and the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center. Attendees can visit with the artists and purchase their paintings directly. The reception will feature complimentary catering from Prescott’s famous El Gato Azul restaurant.

The gala will also include a memorial wall of paintings by the late Arizona plein air artist Gretchen Lopez, who passed away this year. Unsold artwork will remain on display in the YC Prescott Art Gallery until Sept. 26.

“One of the best things about the plein air festival is the opportunity to interact with people and to watch their reactions when they see my work,” said Ben Norton, Yavapai College Associate Professor of Art and 2025 Prescott Plein Air Festival artist. “Some scenes may be familiar, places they’ve seen all their lives, but every artist will interpret them differently and that can really surprise people.”

The 2025 judges are Flagstaff artist Dawn Sutherland and Sedona artist Shirley Eichten Albrecht. The Best of Show winner will receive $1,000 and a solo exhibition at YC’s Patty McMullen-Mikles Gallery in Clarkdale, Arizona.

2024 Best of Show winner Cindy Carrillo’s solo exhibition runs from August 21 – September 18, 2025, with an opening reception on Thursday, August 21, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Patty McMullen-Mikles Art Gallery on YC’s Verde Valley campus.

In weeks leading up to this year’s Prescott Plein Air Festival, the YC Prescott Art Gallery will hold an online charity auction (July 18 – August 26, 2025, https://event.gives/pleinair) of signature paintings donated by each festival artist. Auction proceeds will support scholarships, student art prizes at Yavapai College, and festival awards. 

See the full 2025 Prescott Plein Air Festival schedule:

Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.