View Kern through artists' eyes at Plein Air Gala
Apr. 20—It's not always easy to see the beauty that's right in front of you. Luckily for us, we have a batch of artists hard at work this week exploring what makes Kern County amazing.
The 15 local and regional artists will share their plein air works with the public on Saturday at the Plein Air Gala at Bird Dog Arts at the Outlets at Tejon.
This reception, which is free to attend, is the culmination of the Plein Air Festival, which challenged each artist to depict three scenes, one from Kern County, one from their current region and a third of their choosing.
David Gordon, managing partner at Bird Dog Arts, is painting as well as organizing the festival, which he founded in 2015 while he was with the Arts Council of Kern.
For this event, artists were only working over three days to complete works, making it easier for those traveling here as well as the local hosts who offered them a place to stay.
Along with painting himself, Gordon has been keeping up with the artists who have been posting on social media.
"They've been to Wind Wolves (Preserve), the Kern River, Caliente," he said. "I think one (Durre Waseem) even painted at the outlets. She liked people walking around, the color and group scenes. Nancy Takaichi painted all the yellow wildflowers and was blown away by it.
Other artists taking part are Michael Gamboa, Ben Young, Anette Power, Ellen Howard, Maura Carta, Paul Strahm, Daniel Sauerbrey, Kadin Goldberg, Eddie Barbini, Ariah Myles, Kristian Matthews and Marj Dow, a notable Bakersfield painter who is trying out plein air for the first time.
"The things that I get so excited about is how grateful the artists are and how happy they are to come here and paint," Gordon said. "All their hosts are always so wonderful."
"And I like to see how people from outside the area interpret Kern County and what they decide is something they want to highlight. Sometimes it's as simple as a snagged branch in the river."
"It's always interesting to see how respectful the artwork is when it comes back.
"There's a pride that attendees have when they see how people interpret our home."
Forty-five works will be part of the competition, juried by Michael Obermeyer, a Laguna Beach-based painter who serves as president of the prestigious California Art Club as well as a signature member of the California Art Club and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.
Another 15 works, one from each artist, will be part of a silent auction, with bids starting at $200.
Awards will be given out for first, second and third place with prizes of, respectively, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000.
The gala will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bird Dog Arts at the outlets, 5701 Outlets at Tejon Parkway, Suite 440 (near the Tesla chargers).
It is free to attend. Complimentary wine and snacks will be served.
Gordon said 170 people have already RSVP'd for the event, which should draw a good local crowd.
Whatever work does not sell on Saturday will remain on display through May 15.
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.
