Renowned artists capture beauty of the Smokies during unique art event

With the burgeoning colors of fall foliage and wildlife afoot, the Great Smoky Mountains provide a wondrous landscape for artists.

And this week, the Smokies are the inspiration for 20 nationally acclaimed plein air painters in a competition and fundraising event presented by Friends of the Smokies.

Artists will be in Elkmont, Cades Cove, and other iconic locations throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park capturing the beauty around them on canvas. The artwork completed will be available for purchase Thursday and Friday at the Clayton Center for Arts on the Maryville College campus.

“It's your opportunity to have a little piece of the Smokies from some very talented artists,” Lauren Gass, Friends of the Smokies senior special projects director, told Knox News.

What is 'plein air' painting?

Developed in the 1800s during the impressionistic movement, plein air art is the practice of painting landscapes and scenery while in outdoors. Great Smoky Mountains National Park joins Grand Canyon National Park as the second to host this type of event.

“Most of these (artists) have never been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So, they're very excited to come in and paint the structures and the beauty that we have here,” Gass said.

The 20 plein air artists are from 13 states and have varying art styles and diverse backgrounds. One was a doctor and one a lawyer before becoming a professional artist. One was an illustrator for Disney.

Visitors are encouraged to watch the artists at work and ask questions about their process.

Local artists have the chance to show off their skills and win cash prizes during the Quick Draw Art Festival from 9-11 a.m. Saturday. Participating artists will paint a blank canvas on the streets of downtown Maryville during the two-hour period.

The fresh art will be judged at Greenbelt Pavilion in Jack Greene Park. The winner will receive an automatic invitation to be one of the 20 artists in next year’s competition, and all paintings will be available for purchase.

Quick Draw registration is $30, and the form is available at friendsofthesmokies.org. Same-day registration is available, and participants must be at least 14 years old.

All proceeds will go toward preserving historic structures and natural resources in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Bringing back a tradition of art to the Smokies

Artists have a storied connection to the Smokies. Painters, photographers, and writers in the early 1900s helped inspire tourism and activism, including Knoxvillian Charles Krutch, whose grand landscape paintings captured the iconic mist of the Smokies.

And photographs by George Masa and brothers Jim and Robin Thompson aided in efforts to establish the Smokies as a national park to preserve its national beauty.

“We feel like what we're bringing back is a tradition of artists interpreting these sacred places,” Gass said.

Artists will be in Elkmont from 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, at Cades Cove from sunrise-3 p.m. Thursday, and again throughout the park from sunrise-3 p.m. Friday.

A ticketed gala and reception will be 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Clayton Center for the Arts. Tickets are $250 and can be applied toward a painting purchase. Tickets are available at PleinAirintheSmokies.org.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Plein Air artists capture beauty of Great Smoky Mountains