Paint, Write & Create during June, July & August; Exhibit, Reception in October
Paint the Town is a popular summertime event. Artists of all skill levels working in any medium meet to create art “en plein air” that is interpretive of one or more of the scheduled locations in historic, scenic and downtown locations. Sometimes, poets of the Mid-Valley Poetry Society join in to write prose inspired by the site. On the first Wednesday in October, a juried exhibit with cash awards opens at Salem’s Elsinore Gallery.
Gary Meacham en Plein Air 
Baskett Butte by Jens Lerback
Paint the Town / Write the Town in 2020
The AiA tradition continued in 2020 with a few tweaks for social distancing. This year, because of the pandemic, artists and writers had the option to paint, write or create at home or at another site where they felt safe. As always, everyone was welcome to participate in this event, both members and non-members.
And the Paint the Town Winners Are…
Thank you to all participating artists and writers for keeping this AiA summertime tradition alive. It was our 22nd annual event, and we hope to see you again next year! Here are the works of art that received awards. Tap any image to enjoy a larger, slideshow view.
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Art Department Award
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Meet the PTT Judge
Salem artist Dayna Collins got up close and personal with the works of art and decided which received the first, second and third place awards as well as honorable mentions.
October Exhibit & People’s Choice
Elsinore Framing and Fine Art Gallery at 444 Ferry St SE in downtown Salem will again host the exhibition of the plein-air paintings and written works beginning Wednesday, October 7 thru October 30th. Stop by to see the beautiful art and thoughtful prose inspired by local Salem sites. While you’re at the gallery, please be sure to cast your vote for People’s Choice. We’ll post the PC results here in November. We thank Brent and associates for their continued support of AiA and local artists.
Paint/Write the Town Virtual Exhibit at Elsinore Gallery
Elsinore Gallery & Framing’s Website
Art Department Award
Art Department, Inc. is a downtown Salem art-supply haven. They bestowed their favorite art with their namesake award (see above gallery) and its artist with a gift certificate. The shop is located at 254 Commercial Street NE and they offer curbside service.
Art Entry & Exhibit Timeline
| Day | Date | Time | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 11:00 PM | DEADLINE to submit artwork & writing entries for the juried exhibit | |
| Thursday | September 17 | Artwork review by AiA Panel to jury in/out | |
| Friday | September 18 | E-mail notifications of acceptance or non-acceptance into the exhibit | |
| Sept 23–30 | Biz Hours | Drop off accepted artwork & writings at Elsinore Framing & Fine Art Gallery, 444 Ferry St SE in Salem | |
| Thurs–Sat | October 1–3 | On-site judging for awards | |
| Wednesday | October 7 | Exhibit opens | |
| Wednesday | October 7 | No Artist Reception in 2020 | |
| Friday | October 30 | Exhibit ends | |
| Sat–Mon | Biz Hours | Artists retrieve unsold artwork |
Where We Painted in 2020
| Meetup Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 6 | 10-4:00 | Salem’s Riverfront Park |
| June 13 | 10-4:00 | Laura Kruss’ Garden in West Salem (private garden) |
| June 20 | 10-4:00 | Misner Family Farm in Crabtree, Oregon |
| June 27 | 10-4:00 | Union Bridge from Wallace Marine Park |
| July 8 | 1:00–Sunset | Deepwood Estate/Gardens |
| July 12 | 1:00-5:00 | Capitol Grounds – UPDATED Day & Time |
| July 19 | 10-4:00 | Bush Park |
| July 26 | 10-4:00 | Eola Hills Winery |
| August 1 | 10-4:00 | Dewey Whitton in Ankeny Hills (private garden) |
| August 9 | 11-5:00 | Cubanismo Vineyards |
| August 15 | 10-4:00 | Minto Island Growers |
| August 22 | 10-4:00 | Willamette Heritage Center (the Mill) |
About ArtCall
The Paint the Town / Write the Town Call to Artists is managed thru ArtCall. ArtCall.org is a distinctly separate site from the AiA website and requires registering for an ArtCall account to participate. You only need to register once; then simply log in for all future AiA calls. ArtCall provides you with an easy way submit your art and entry fee and provides us with an effective way to manage all aspects of the call. So, if you participated in last year’s Something Red or Spring Reign 2020, you will simply need to log in to the ArtCall.org site. If you forgot your password you can reset it. First-timers need to register.