The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Plein Air Festival tries new direction
Facing cancellation because of COVID-19, Parrsboro fest organizers take festival into virtual world
When you have something that’s growing and getting it’s legs under it and then have to pull the plug is heartwrenching. Michael Fuller Parrsboro Creative board chair
PARRSBORO — No one knows when restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak will be lifted, but that hasn’t stopped organizers with the Parrsboro International Plein Air Festival from thinking outside the box.
While the fourth edition of the festival was set to run from June 17 to 21, the health crisis has led organizers to move away from the five-day event that would have seen artists from across North America painting the world-renowned scenery of the Fundy shore. Instead, this year’s festival will be take to the online world with a virtual PIPAF In Isolation.
“When you have something that’s growing and getting it’s legs under it and then have to pull the plug is heart-wrenching,” Parrsboro Creative board chair Michael Fuller said. “We had some excellent artists lined up because this is becoming the place to be. Word has spread among these professional artists across the continent that this is a neat place to be, unlike anything else.”
Fuller said it was difficult to cancel the festival in its usual format, but it was all about protecting the community.
“We don’t want to subject the community to the possible spreading of the virus here,” Fuller said. “It was something we had to do, as disappointing as it was.”
PIPAF In Isolation on June 20 and 21, will feature 30 artists competing virtually from their homes in isolation, bringing an inspiring perspective in this historical time of adversity through the eyes of plein air artists throughout North America.
During the two days viewers all over the world can tune in to live and recorded broadcasts of artists painting plein air in isolation and competing for a number of awards with well-known Nova Scotia artist Tom Forrestall serving as judge.
There is more than $6,000 in awards.
“This is a breakaway event stimulated by the need to cancel this year’s event,” Fuller said. “It has all the chance of becoming more of an attraction, attracting more people to our corner of the world virtually than we did in reality over the last three years because if we can get our online marketing in place we can draw people here and express what this part of the world is all about.”
Fuller said each artist will compete from their home studio and they’re being asked to paint from their position of isolation what the world means to them in 2020.
“We’ll get a snapshot of North America in the view of these artists across the continent from coast to coast,” he said. “We’ll get their take on PIPAF in Isolation.”
He said a lot of work is being done to address technological needs and pull something like this off. Fuller said it will be only plein air festival of its kind.
“We’re taking something negative and disappointing and turning it into something festival,” Fuller said. “All the other festivals across the continent have been cancelled.”
Beginning June 25, people can visit the festival website to view more than 60 paintings produced. They will be available for purchase and viewers will have an opportunity to cast a ballot for their favourites for the People’s Choice Award.
The online awards ceremony will be June 27 and 28.
Since the inaugural festival in 2017, the event has become what supporters call the perfect combination of art and cultural tourism and it has helped Parrsboro Creative’s vision of developing a vibrant cultural economy in Cumberland County while putting the community on the international art map.