Cumberland Will Come Alive During Plein Air Weekend
Cumberland Maryland, nestled in the hills of Western Maryland, comes alive June 5-7, 2015. There will be something for everyone during the three days of coordinated weekend events.
On Friday, there will be a display of Plein Air (painting in the open air) paintings by artists who have been selected for this year’s Plein Air Event on display at the Saville Gallery. From 2pm-5pm there will be a paint-out of Plein Air painters in Frostburg, Maryland, only ten miles away, with a reception to follow. Back in Cumberland there will be music by Hayden Ort-Ulm, followed by Gina Powell & Her Electric Band from 6-9 on the stage in Historic Town Center.
On Saturday, the City’s Economic Development Office and the Downtown Development Commission are holding a Commercial Property Open House from 10am-3pm of nearly 30 downtown properties available for lease or sale. There will be a reception area in the historic Lila Building at 81 Baltimore Street in Historic Town Center with packets of information. Available buildings will be open for tours with realtors or owners on site. Many of the buildings are beautiful historic buildings typically ranging from $8-12 a square foot with historic tax credits and other incentives available.
From 10 am-noon, the Plein Air Quick Draw will take place in Historic Town Center. Both the Plein Air painters accepted to the event as well as children and amateurs will be invited to paint for two hours. Paintings will then be framed and judged. They will also be available for sale to the public on the spot. Afterward they will be displayed in a pop-up Gallery in the Lila Building where the Open House will be staged.
CASA Uncorked, a wine tasting with over eight Maryland wineries represented, returns to Downtown Cumberland this weekend as well. There will also be food vendors, music, and crafts at the CASA event, which takes place at the close-by Canal Place Festival Grounds. Tickets are $25 at the gate or $20 in advance.
Then there will be music again on the stage at Historic Town Center with cellist and composer, Ben Sollee at 7 pm.
At 5 pm, the Allegany Arts Council at 9 N. Centre Street will open the Plein Air exhibit with a Collector’s Reception featuring gourmet food and drinks. People attending will be the first to see the paintings by the Plein Air artists done throughout the preceding week. The cost for this event is $30. After the Collector’s Reception the exhibit will be open to the public free of charge from 7-9.
On Sunday, Stewart White, the juror for the Plein Air Exhibit and a widely acclaimed Plein Air painter, will give a painting demonstration at the Gilchrist Gallery, just up Washington Street from Historic Town Center. He will be selling the painting he completes during his demonstration as well as some of his other of his paintings at that time.
For tickets or more information contact the Allegany Arts Council at 301.777.ARTS (2787), go to www.mmpleinair.org, or the Cumberland Comes Alive! Weekend Facebook event page.