MORRISTOWN – The Morristown Public Library is hosting the 2023 Bell Gale Chevigny Plein Air Art Festival on Aug 3-6 with a gala silent auction on Sunday, Aug. 6 at Bella-Brooke Vineyard and Winery in Hammond.

This year’s Plein Air festival involves 25 talented artists from four states — New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey — as well as international artists from Ontario and Quebec. 

Over three days, the artists will paint multiple landscape pictures around Morristown, highlighting the natural beauty of the St. Lawrence River and Black Lake. 

On Sunday Aug. 6 from noon-3 p.m., the artists will show their best three paintings to the public and vie for prizes and customers in a silent auction hosted at the Bella-Brooke Vineyard and Winery. 

The auction is an opportunity to get fine art at reasonable prices and also support the Morristown Public Library in its biggest fundraiser of the year. 

The air-conditioned Bella-Brooke Winery will also have music to round out the festive event.

A 50-50 raffle to benefit the library will also be held for those who enjoy games of chance.

 “This is the highlight of our summer social calendar for sure!” said Morristown Library Director Bridget Whalen-Nevin. “The atmosphere is terrific. The paintings these artists produce are so beautiful that in the past, art dealers from Ottawa and elsewhere have come in to buy quite a few for their galleries. This is a great chance for local folks to own an original painting of a place they may have loved all their life.”

For the first time ever, the Morristown Public Library will host a separate Teen Plein Air event on Saturday, Aug. 5 for artists 14-17 years old. 

This special event, backed by funding from the St. Lawrence County Arts Council, aims to provide teens with a unique chance to flex their own artistic muscles. Teen Plein Air takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the library will supply all art materials needed for the teens to create their own landscape painting of Jacques Cartier State Park.  

Teens need to: sign up in advance with either former Morristown Central School art teacher Jim Murray Jim Murray or the Morristown Public Library; live in or have a close family member live in the Morristown township and show one piece of artwork they have already done to attend.

Murray will kick off the event with a short but useful art lesson, and lunch will be provided.

Applications for Teen Plein Air must be received by July 20.

Info: 315-375-8833.