The 2024 Sonoma Plein Air Festival drew 31 nationally-acclaimed artists from around California and across the nation for a week of public creativity, art education and celebration.
Founded in 2002 by Sonoma artist Keith Wicks and philanthropist Judy Vadasz, the annual festival features a plethora of painting all over Sonoma and around the county, including a quick-draw event on the Sonoma Plaza, during which artists have 90 minutes to complete their paintings that are then sold on the spot.
During the Festival week, artists capture images on their easels from the coast to the inland valleys, and endless oil, acrylic and water color perspectives on familiar scenes around Sonoma Valley.
When all the painting is done, images are presented for sale at a Gala dinner and auction, and then are presented to the public all the next day on the Sonoma Plaza.
Proceeds from sales go to support arts education in Sonoma Valley schools, and through Art Escape, the Sonoma Arts Guild, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, La Luz Center, the Sonoma Community Center and the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. In 2023 Plein Air raised more than $175,000 for local arts education.
This year the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation announced the first recipient of the Judy Vadasz Scholarship for Art Education Certification, which was awarded to El Verano School teacher Morgan Momsen.
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