Warm Springs Gallery is delighted to announce the Ninth Annual Bath County Plein Air Festival September 26 - October 2, 2022, celebrating the tradition of outdoor painting with some of the finest painters from Virginia and across the country. Thirty nationally acclaimed artists will set up their easels, pull out their paintbrushes and document the landscape and culture of Bath County, Virginia.
For seven days artists will paint picturesque scenes throughout Bath County. Visitors and locals will have the unique opportunity to observe artists as they paint on location. Listen and learn from daily artist demonstrations. Discover the talent and techniques behind this painting tradition and become a part of our flourishing arts scene. At the end of the week, join us for a Gala Celebration and cast your vote for the best painting at the Reception and Awards Ceremony. Explore one of the most beautiful small towns in Virginia while interacting with some of the nation’s top plein air painters.
This year our theme is the forest interior, or sous-bois, loosely translated as "under the trees" or "undergrowth." This genre of painting was popular with artists from the Barbizon School and the Impressionists—think van Gogh’s trees and Cezanne’s forest paintings.
Artists will walk into forested areas for a close view of wooded scenes and our special events will take place in the woods. On the schedule are a "forest bathing hike" and a guided foraging hike, and an eco-printing workshop. The Farm to Table will be along the Jackson River in a wooded area. One evening we will turn our gaze upward and take in the stars and constellations.