The week-long 2018 Plein Air Grand Marais painting festival kicks off Friday, Sept., 7. An annual mecca for painters across Minnesota, this year touts lectures, exhibits and additional workshops open to anyone, not only competing artists.
This year, over 70 painters are competing for honors in quick paint, best in show and other categories, submitting a number of works from their week spent painting on the North Shore. Duluth painter and founder of the Great Lakes Fine Art Academy, Jeffery T. Larson is the sole juror of the Plein Air Grand Marais exhibition that caps the festival.
Many of the festival events will take place at the Johnson Heritage Post including the final exhibition which opens in their gallery on Sept. 14 - Oct. 7. Events are scheduled every day of the festival from Sept. 7-14, 2018.
The festival was organized by Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and by the Jonson Heritage Post. The JHP is located at 115 Wisconsin St. in Grand Marais, MN. I spoke with Allison Eklund, events coordinator of Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and to Jeffery T. Larson. Both will be a part of the festival.
