Fine artists of all ages will be colorizing Old Town Temecula during the Street Painting and Arts Festival, June 20-22. Artists will start their works of art on Monday June 16 and continue throughout the week, while street painters and muralists will begin Friday even, June 20th.
Plein air is a French expression, meaning “in the open air” or painting outdoors. Plein air artists begin painting Old Town Temecula scenes on canvas and paper on Monday, June 16, while string artists decorate benches, trees, the gazebo, and other objects at Sam Hicks Memorial Park. Titled Yarn Splash, the string projects will be completed Saturday, June 21. The yarn art remains in place through August 24. This is a first-time event within the Temecula Arts Festival and is hosted by the Temecula Valley Museum. For information call (951) 694-6450.
Plein air artists paint with oils, water color, pastels and acrylics through Sunday, June 22. French Impressionists Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Pierre-Auguste Renoir advocated en plein air painting and much of their work was created en plein air. Temecula’s plein air festival is inspired by Ralph Love, a popular California plein air artist who lived and taught in Temecula. His Art Shack was located where Baily’s Old Town Dining is now located. The courtyard at Baily’s is named in Love’s honor as is the Plein Air Festival.
Artwork completed during the Ralph Love Plein Air Festival will be on display in the Temecula Civic Center, 41000 Main Street, Saturday and Sunday.
Muralists, pastel artists, and painters cover the black top of Main and Mercedes Streets at Town Square Park, with vibrant pastel paintings. With asphalt as their canvas, street painters have been painting Old Town Temecula’s streets for 14 years. Artists come from as far away as Arizona and Washington to participate in Old Town’s Street Painting Festival. Over 140 artists painted 92 murals in 2013. Each year the event grows larger.
All three artistic endeavors are part of the Temecula Art Festival, a fine art show and youth art exhibit produced by the City of Temecula. The Art Festival component began three years ago. Artists will be displaying and selling fine art paintings, ceramics and jewelry during the Art Festival June 20-22 at the Temecula Civic Center. For more information call (951) 694-6480.