{"id":4710,"date":"2012-07-20T02:22:26","date_gmt":"2012-07-20T08:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yellowstonegate.com\/?p=4710"},"modified":"2012-07-27T14:19:40","modified_gmt":"2012-07-27T20:19:40","slug":"artists-create-original-works-grand-teton-benefit-art-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yellowstonegate.com\/?p=4710","title":{"rendered":"Artists create original works in Grand Teton to benefit art, education"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Artists<\/a>
Artists Don Dernovich participates in a "quick draw" art show and sale during the first Plein Air for the Park event in Grand Teton National Park. (NPS photo - click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From Staff Reports<\/h3>\n

The rugged and majestic beauty of Grand Teton National Park attracts thousands of professional and amateur photographers each year who work to capture that perfect image worthy of the park’s natural splendor. But a different kind of creative set has been working in the park over the first half of July to capture creative and visionary images of Grand Teton, and they did it one brushstroke at a time.<\/p>\n

A group of fine artists working in the open air around Grand Teton National Park helped raise thousands of dollars for art and education programs in the park, as the first Plein Air for the Park fine art exhibition and sale wrapped up last week.<\/p>\n

\"Artist<\/a>
Artist Wes Newton creates an original oil painting during the first Plein Air for the Park show and sale in Grand Teton National Park. (NPS photo - click to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Co-hosted by the Grand Teton Association<\/a> and Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters<\/a>, the event saw 44 fine artists from across the region take their palettes and easels into the open air \u2014 or plein air \u2014\u00a0to produce original works inspired by landscapes, wildlife, wildflowers and more.<\/p>\n

Plein air art shows and sales have been used as fundraisers for a wide range of charitable causes over the years, but this was the first such event benefiting Grand Teton.<\/p>\n

“The ‘Plein Air in the Park’ reminds us of the legacy of the Teton landscape as inspiration for artistic expression,” said Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott. “We hope this year’s event generates a new tradition.”<\/p>\n

The event culminated last week with a quick draw event where artists are asked to complete an original work, start-to-finish, on site. A special gala reception and award ceremony followed, where close to 140 pieces of artwork created during the two-week event were displayed for sale.<\/p>\n

The sold-out event generated a total of approximately $50,000 in sales, according to information provided by the Grand Teton public affairs office. Forty percent of total sales will be donated through the Grand Teton Association to support art and educational programs in the park.<\/p>\n

“It was an outstanding response for our inaugural event,” said Jan Lynch, GTA executive director. “Visitors and locals appreciated seeing so many artists scattered about the park, painting timeless scenes.”<\/p>\n

Lynch said some park visitors showed up at the sale to “purchase the very piece they watched an artist create” just days ago.<\/p>\n

The event highlighted GTA’s 75th anniversary as an educational, nonprofit partner for Grand Teton National Park. The group operates bookstores at visitor centers in support of the missions of Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway and other partners such as the National Elk Refuge and surrounding national forests.<\/p>\n

Painter Greg McHuron<\/a>, a former National Park Service employee who frequently paints in Grand Teton, was honored for his commitment to the arts and his passion for painting in the park in all weather and throughout all seasons. McHuron, a longtime member of Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters, was unable to attend due to a health issue. But his painting \u201cJackson Lake Mirror\u201d was the first sale of the show, and sold for $10,500.<\/p>\n

Several awards were given to participating painters, including:<\/p>\n