Art Center's open paint out festivities continue
MENDOCINO, CA >> The Mendocino Art Center's (MAC) Mendocino Open Paint Out (MOPO), a plein air festival, which opened on Monday, continues through Sunday, September 25. The event includes daily wet paint gallery exhibitions, with new paintings hung each day, featured artist painting demonstrations, a Quick Draw Competition and Sale, an Awards Ceremony, and an After Party with live music by Mendocino's own Mama Grows Funk, as well as the opportunity to watch more than 60 artists paint outdoors. All events are free and open to the public.
Thursday at 7:00 p.m., featured artist and Mendocino Coast resident Maeve Croghan will give a demonstration on “Painting an Expressive and Character Filled Tree” (donations requested).
On Saturday, there will be a Quick Draw Competition, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with the location to be announced at 10:30 a.m. (at the Art Center, on the community announcement listserv, the MAC website, and on Facebook, facebook.com/mendocinoartcenter), to remain a surprise to the participants.
The public is invited to watch the competition and vote for their favorite Quick Draw piece at the Quick Draw Sale, held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the MAC.
Saturday's festivities will continue with a special MOPO Awards Ceremony, at 5:00 p.m., with 17 awards bestowed on the artists of the week's best paintings, as juried by featured artists Ryan Jensen, Carolyn Lord, and Maeve Croghan.
More than 400 works were painted during the last weeklong MOPO event in 2019.
The evening will culminate with an After Party, with Mama Grows Funk performing their potent mix of funk, soul, Latin, and R&B influences, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
The gallery will be open on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This will be the final opportunity to purchase paintings created during the 2022 Mendocino Open Paint Out.
The Mendocino Open Paint Out is sponsored by Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art magazine, KZYX & Z, Sea Pal, The Stanford Inn by the Sea, and Visit Mendocino / Mendocino County Tourism.
Support has also been provided by Frankie's Pizza and Ice Cream, Frey Vineyards, Gallery Bookshop, John Hewitt, Husch Vineyards, Rick Keller, Debra Lennox, Dale E. Moyer, North Coast Brewing Company, Noyo Harbor Inn, Trish, and Trevor Orchard, Janis Porter, Prentice Gallery, Rollin' Dough Baking Company, Thanksgiving Coffee and Village Veterinary.
Masking is highly recommended and greatly appreciated in the MAC buildings. For a full schedule of events and gallery hours, visit Mendocinoartcenter.org/mopo. The Mendocino Art Center is located at 45200 Little Lake Street (at Kasten Street) in Mendocino.