Paint the Point

This weekend, Arts Mineral Point, a non-profit org in my southwest Wisconsin hometown that supports local visual arts, artist relocation, and tourism for the arts, is hosting the first annual Paint the Point, a plein air painting competition that has drawn 40 regional artists to town.

Throughout the weekend the town has been abuzz, as artists have set up throughout, painting the local vistas and buildings. This afternoon, the resulting paintings are being exhibited at three local galleries in a silent auction, with a portion of the proceeds going back to the non-profit. In addition there are cash prizes and sales income for the competitors.

We wandered through the galleries today and I was very touched to see all of the portrayals of historic buildings, streets and farms that I grew up with. Mineral Point has always been a haven for artists, and there are more galleries and working artists here than even in some large cities. But there was something legitimizing about artists from afar capturing the beauty of my home.

It's my dream to open up a gallery of my own here someday. But in the meantime Paint the Point 2015 might be a good goal. Hehe!