–by Mark Andrew Harris, Founder & Director
What a wonderful weekend—it isn't easy to know where to begin in summarizing our weekend on Alabama's Gulf Coast. So I will start by thanking Barbara Teare with the Dauphin Island Gallery, LLC, and Kathryn Carver with the Dauphin Island Heritage & Arts Council for organizing an outstanding, multifaceted, three-day event.
Activities began on Friday, April 22, with a three-day Plein Air Paint-Out hosted by the Dauphin Island Gallery, LLC. Scattered across the island and the mainland bayou, 40 artists, with their easels and supplies in hand, went to work to compete for nine awards, including the Dixie Art Colony Foundation Award sponsored by the DAC Foundation. I was assigned the arduous task of selecting the winners, a job that was much more difficult than I could have ever imagined. Once I began my review, I found the quality of the work submitted to be outstanding. Shown in this post are the winning selections.
The paint-out continued on Saturday, April 23, along with a wet-paint sale at the Dauphin Island Gallery, LLC. of the artwork produced at the event. Saturday afternoon, the DAC Foundation held an exhibition and slide presentation about the DAC Bayou Painters at the Dauphin Island Heritage & Arts Council Studio.
A "Quick Paint" session was held from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm on Sunday, along with the continuation of the "Wet-Paint Sale" and the DAC Foundation exhibition. During a 2:00 pm reception, awards were presented.
JEANETTE HERRON, Niceville, Florida, Colors of the Bayou, oil on canvas | DAC FOUNDATION AWARD, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
For the DAC Foundation Award, artists were asked to produce a painting representing a scene from the Bayou mainland communities of Coden and Bayou La Batre. Both were communities where the DAC Bayou Painters gathered from 1946 through 1953.
JEANETTE HERRON, Niceville, Florida, The Sweet Life, oil on canvas | BEST OF SHOW FIRST PLACE, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
For the Best in Show Award, artists were asked to produce a painting representing a scene from Dauphin Island or the Bayou mainland communities of Coden and Bayou La Batre. First Place is a beautiful rendition of Dauphin Island's Lighthouse Bakery.
JOHNNA BUSH, Grove Hill, Alabama, St. John Joseph, oil on canvas | BEST IN SHOW SECOND PLACE, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
For the Best in Show Award, artists were asked to produce a painting representing a scene from Dauphin Island or the Bayou mainland communities of Coden and Bayou La Batre. Second Place is an alluring scene from the mainland bayou.
MARK MILLET, Jackson, Mississippi, I Like the Light, oil on canvas | BEST IN SHOW THIRD PLACE, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
For the Best in Show Award, artists were asked to produce a painting representing a scene from Dauphin Island or the Bayou mainland communities of Coden and Bayou La Batre. Third Place is an interesting view of the rear of the Dauphin Island Gallery.
JOHN HALLIDAY, Mobile, Alabama, Waiting for a Snack, watercolor on paper, | WATERCOLOR AWARD, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
For the Watercolor Award, artists were asked to produce a watercolor painting representing a scene from Dauphin Island or the Bayou mainland communities of Coden and Bayou La Batre. This wonderful, loosely executed scene represents a series of boats docked in Mobile Bay.
MELISSA ROOT, Mobile, Alabama, The Green Door, oil on canvas, | ASHLAND GALLERY AWARD, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
The Ashland Gallery Award was limited to artists residing near Alabama's Gulf Coast. This vibrant composition represents a scene from Dauphin Island.
BECKY HOLLAND, Pensacola, Florida, St. Francis Arts & Crafts Festival, oil on canvas, | ROXANNE DYESS AWARD, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
The Roxanne Dyess Award was limited to miniature paintings 8 x 10 inches or smaller. This colorful, loosely executed painting depicts the St. Francis Episcopal Church Arts Festival.
JEANETTE HERRON, Niceville, Florida, Homemade Biscuits, oil on canvas, | QUICK PAINT AWARD, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
Entries for the Quick Paint Award were limited to paintings produced on Sunday, April 24, from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon. This light-filled painting is a morning view of the Lighthouse Bakery.
JILL HOLT, Auburn, Alabama, On the Bayou, oil on canvas, | CREATIVITY AWARD, 2022 Dauphin Island Plein Air Paint-out
The Creativity Award was open to all participants with no restrictions. This vivid painting depicting a bayou scene was executed using a pallet knife and brush.
In PART II, I will share photographs from the weekend and images of some of the DAC Bayou Painter's artwork included in the DAC Foundation program and exhibition.
Dixie Art Colony Foundation, Wetumpka, Alabama