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Paint Snow Hill to kick off today

(April 13, 2017) Today, Thursday, more than 70 artists from across the mid-Atlantic will descend on the Eastern Shore for the 14th annual Paint Snow Hill, creating fresh art that will available for purchase this weekend.
Ann Coates, owner of Bishop’s Stock Fine Art, Craft & Wine, said the event’s genesis traces to a conversation she had with local artist Ron Lambert shortly after opening her business in November 2003. Lambert, who died a decade ago, had just participated in the inaugural Paint Annapolis event that September.
The centuries-old tradition of plein air painting was advanced by the French Impressionists and allows artists to shed the four walls of a studio space to capture the subtleties of light in a natural setting. The French expression “en plein air” translates to “in the open air.”
The conversation with Lambert connected Coates with the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, a regional group of artists who paint in open-air settings.
“It was my good fortune to connect with them and kind of get our name out there,” Coates said. “The third weekend in April became our weekend and it has been for 14 years.”
Although the tradition has subsequently been adopted elsewhere on the Lower Shore, the Snow Hill event predates others in the area.
“We started in April of 2004,” she said. “We were actual the first on the shore to do it.”
Unlike many plein air events, the Snow Hill gathering is noncompetitive, Coates said.
“It sort of gives artists a chance to come and start their season,” she said. “We call it spring training.”
Instead of having a jury select winners, Coates said the intent is providing an experience for artists of varying abilities.
“Some are extremely talented and experienced and some are novices,” she said. “In the 13 years that we’ve done this, people who were novices have now become extremely talented.”
Since staring more than a decade ago, Coates said participation has steadily increased.
“When we first started we would have 40 or so artists,” she said. “We actually have 73 right now.”
While Bishop’s Stock displayed the plein air art works those first few years, about a decade ago Coates said the show was relocated to the Old Firehouse on West Green Street.
“It’s a much bigger space and we have panels that … they can have four-to-six paintings on the panel,” she said. “We end up having 200 to 250 paintings in the show.”
Over the years, Coates said the event has lured creative types from a number of neighboring states, and a few from even greater distances.
“The artists come from throughout the mid-Atlantic,” she said. “We actually have a gal who comes from Oregon.”
Snow Hill welcomes the visitors from any distance with open arms, Coates said.
“We have hosts, people in the community, that will give a guest room for the artist to stay in,” she said. “This year we have about 35 artists that are staying in town with local folks.”
Unlike other comparable events, Coates said the artists are allowed to choose a locale to portray on canvas anywhere in Snow Hill, or in neighboring communities like Newark, Girdletree or Stockton.
“Since this is an informal paint out we don’t have places where they have to paint,” she said. “I try to keep an idea of where people are painting if somebody comes and wants to watch them. This is not billed as a real spectator event because of that very reason.”
After the creative juices flow for a couple days, the public gets its first chance to peruse the selections during a “wet paint” show and sale on Saturday from 6-8 p.m. at the Old Firehouse. The ticketed event costs $30, with the admission price being applied to purchases.
“On Saturday we have the preview show and most everybody goes to [local] places just to get a bite to eat,” she said. “They give a lot of business to businesses in town.”
The art show and sale at the Old Firehouse continues on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. without an admission charge.
“The only issue is you don’t get to see all the paintings because if someone comes in on Saturday and wants to get a first look at the paintings, and first choice, they can buy a painting and it goes home with them,” she said.
Regardless of which day art connoisseurs opt to peruse the show, Coates said there would be a wealth of choices.
“It’s all different and all different styles,” she said. “Watercolor, oil, we have a couple that do acrylic and then pastels.”
With prices starting at less than $100 dollars, Coates said there are options for any sized budget.
“We’ll have somebody that does a little painting and they might charge $75 or $50,” she said. “Then you get to some of the more established artists who are really known throughout these types of events, who are extremely talented, and they can go up to $750 or $1,000. Most of the paintings stay within $350.”
Although not a juried show, Coates said there is an artist’s choice award for the paintings that vary in size from 8 by 10 inches, to 11 by 14 inches.
“We do offer one award and that is awarded by the artists who are participating,” she said. “We do it for the artists to decide on who they think has the best body of work and they get $1,000.”
Coates said each year 25 percent of revenues raised support events and grants sponsored by the Snow Hill Arts on the River, Arts & Entertainment District.
“Last year I think we sold like 56 paintings, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it really is pretty good,” she said.
For Coates, the Paint Snow Hill event will always be associated with her departed friend Lambert.
 “This is a bit of a good memory of him,” she said. “It’s a nice legacy for him.”