21st Annual Carmel Art Festival in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

21st Annual Carmel Art Festival in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

May 15 to 18, 2014 in Devendorf Park and on Mission Street

A Plain Air event FREE to the public, held every year the weekend after Mother's Day.

The event features 60 artists who have been juried into the event. They will each paint all around the Monterey County area for two days, Thursday and Friday, and submit 2 paintings each into the competition.

Area residents and visitors love to come upon an artist at historic places such as the Mission, or beautiful vistas afforded from Pt. Lobos and watch artists recreate the scenes onto their canvases.

Saturday and Sunday are the days most festival attendees will be in and around Carmel-by-the-Sea. This is when all 120 paintings are presented in a tented area down Mission Street in downtown. Silent auction bidding is fierce to own one of these newly painted works of art.

Meanwhile, in adacent Devendorf Park, sculptures are being displayed by art galleries. Steven Whyte will once again create a life-sized figure of a well known personality, while Bennett Sculpture studio will create some smaller pieces.

Live music attracts crowds to Devendorf Park to picnic and, often, dance to the spirited bands. 

Kids-Make-Art fun will be held once again on Saturday afternoon for kids who want to try out their creativity under the tutillage of members of YAC, the Monterey Youth Collective.

Collectors come from all over to attend the Carmel Art Festival to bid on Saturday's competition paintings and meet the artists. Sunday morning is the Quick Draw where artists get 2 hours to paint one entry for immediate auction around 12 Noon. 

The Carmel Art Festival attracts a very high caliber of plein air artists from all around the country, Canada and Europe. Many new emerging artists have received a boost in the art world by entering this event including being asked to sell their work at a Carmel-by-the-Sea art gallery. Gallery owners come to the event to find artists that would be a good fit for them.

For more information on the Carmel Art Festival, please click on:

www.CarmelArtFestivalCalifornia.com 

I am proud to say that I have been involved with the Carmel Art Festival since 2001, and have been a Board Member for the last several years. This is gratifying because I Interact with artists, art galleries, and art collectors to organize the event. More reports later as we get closer to the event.