Paint It! Ellicott City Exhibit Held July 8-10

During the weekend of July 8-10, artists will take to the streets of Historic Ellicott City to participate in the plein air event, Paint It! Ellicott City. En plein air, meaning "in the open air," is the technique of painting outdoors, directly from life, without the aid of photography. Often groups of plein air artists will gather within stated boundaries of a scenic area for what is called a "paint-out." The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC), Howard County Tourism, and Howard County Public Schools are presenting a paint-out weekend culminating in an exhibit of 27 juried artists at the Howard County Center for the Arts.

The weekend begins with an artist & VIP welcome reception at The Wine Bin on Thursday, July 7 from 7:30-9:30PM. At 8:30PM, Paint It Juror Terry Shovlin, an artist and painting teacher at Carver Center for Arts & Technology, will give a presentation on plein air painting. Then, all day on July 8-10, artists will set up their easels around the historic district and paint beautiful Ellicott City. Members of the public are encouraged to come view the local artists in action while strolling the sidewalks of Main Street. On Sunday, outside Mat About You Gallery on Old Columbia Pike, there will be a Painting Preview from 10am-2pm where visitors can see what the artists have been working on. Registered artists and art students from the community can also join in the fun painting alongside the juried artists by participating as open paint-out artists.

The weekend's artwork will be exhibited at the Howard County Center for the Arts beginning July 11. The juried artists will be featured in HCAC's Gallery I through August 26, and the open paint-out artists will be displayed in the Center's lobby and halls for a one-day exhibit. Artists and visitors are welcome to view and purchase the finished pieces during a free opening reception on July 11 from 6-8PM, when the juror will hand out awards to the artists.

Registration will be required to be a part of the one-day exhibit at the Howard County Arts Council. Registration forms are available at the Arts Council, the Howard County Tourism Welcome Center, and online on the "Exhibits" page at www.hocoarts.org.

Paint It! Ellicott City will be on display with No Boundaries July 11 through August 26, 2011. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 am - 8 pm, Saturday 10 am - 4 pm, and Sunday 12 - 4 pm. To learn more about these and other HCAC programs call 410-313-ARTS (2787).

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