Winners from Plein Air in the Mountains

Monday, October 16th, 2023

Winners from Plein Air in the Mountains

Left to right: Cristy Dunn, Executive Director; Temple Reece, Assistant Director and Plein Air Show Curator; Daniel Wornicov Kramarov, Best in Show Winner

Johnson County Center for the Arts in Mountain City, TN held a Cultural Heritage Plein Air Event last month with a Plein Air in the Mountains show and wet paint sale on October 6th. The artists painted at the cultural heritage sites within the county during the month and entered some amazing paintings.

Artists and patrons enjoying the show

Daniel Wornicov Kramarov, Best in Show

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Winners and sites painted were:

Best in Show: Daniel Wornicov Kramarov (Shady Valley)
First Place: Lewis Chapman (Gentry Creek)
Second Place: Terri Lynn Copley (Fred Price Homeplace)
Third Place: Susan Dunn (Watauga Lake)
Honorable Mention: Terri Lynn Copley (Laurel Trail)

Fields Andrews and his sister Lillian painting on-site at Laurel Creek Trailhead. Fields won 1st place for youth at age 9.

New this year was a Youth Division: "Encouraging children to develop their talents and express themselves through art has been a mission of the Johnson County Center for the Arts since we opened our doors in 2017," said Temple Reece. "We have a program called 'Sunshine and Smiles' that provides art supplies, instruction, and encouragement to around 12 children each year, a Maker's Space where youth may use free materials and create art, and we have other youth-related programs and classes. It was only natural to include youth in the Plein Air Event this year. They were presented with ribbons and prize money, were very excited, and did some amazing work."

Youth under 16:

First Place: Fields Andrews (Laurel Creek)
Second Place: Logan Gladden (Villa Nova)
Third Place: Macie Farrow (Art Center butterfly flowers)

Temple Reece painting on site at the Clint Howard Homeplace, which is the Cultural Heritage site used for this year's mural, which honored a local but famous musician, Clint Howard.

Artwork by Kim Abernethy, Tara Carlson Belk, and Temple Reece is also featured in the show; North Carolina Artist Chris Bell was the guest Judge.

"We have a yearly event called Long Journey Home that includes a new mural or public work of art and a tour of musical heritage sites," Temple said. "A Cultural Heritage Map was designed by our Executive Director, Cristy Dunn as a result of that, to be used as a tour guide and to promote those special places. The Cultural Heritage Plein Air event encouraged artists to paint at any of those 31 sites and enter work for the 'Plein Air in the Mountains' show. Plein air is kind of new for our community and we were very excited about the entries and interest. I think it will continue to grow."

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