The first annual Belleville and Bay of Quinte En Plein Air Festival wrapped up today (Sunday) with an awards and social event in the John M. Parrott Gallery in the Belleville Public Library.
Forty artists, both local and from outside the area competed for cash prizes, creating artwork outdoors at various locations in both urban and rural Belleville since last Thursday.
The festival’s big day was yesterday (Saturday) with arts and crafts on display and for sale in the downtown, and three stages featuring live musical and other entertainment.
Executive Director of the Quinte Arts Council, Carol Feeney, said the artists and the general public really enjoyed the festival and with continued support from the city, the BDIA, and the library, among other organizations, they are set to run a bigger festival next year.
The chair of the Festival Committee, Bob Blanchard, said the arts community in the region is very vibrant, and said the En Plein Air Festival could soon become a “signature event” for Belleville as it grows from year to year.
He said the region had the potential to become an “arts destination” in the years to come, attracting people from all over the world.
All of the artwork created at the festival was hung for viewing in the Parrott Gallery and was judged by two well known professional artists, Stephen Snider and Paul Garbett.
Below are the winning paintings. All photos from Quinte News.
Young students were also invited to paint in the outdoors, an event that was met with a lot of enthusiasm by everyone involved in the festival.
All of the art created during the Belleville and Bay of Quinte En Plein Air Festival
will be on display in the John M. Parrott Gallery for the next 2 weeks.