Plein Air Painting Invitational Wrap-Up: the List of Winners

Story submitted by the Laguna Art Museum:

Laguna Art Museum and the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) presented the 14th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational October 14-21, a week-long landscape painting festival focused on the community, the environment, and art education.

Each year Laguna Beach turns into an outdoor studio with the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational. The event showcased 40 of the nation’s top plein air landscape painters, who competed for prestigious prizes and participated in the week-long festivities—including public paint outs, environmental awareness activities, and educational events for kids, art students, and adults. Culminating with the Collectors’ Soirée on October 20 and the Public Sale on October 21—both at Laguna Art Museum—this event celebrated a tradition of landscape painting in Laguna going back to the formation of the local artists colony in the early twentieth century.

In addition to being a community festival, the event is also a fundraiser for the non-profit organizations Laguna Art Museum and LPAPA. This year the event grossed $198,000 (net to be determined) from ticket and artwork sales. The amount is in line with past years. Proceeds will benefit the two non-profits as well as the participating artists.

Attendance at the October 14 Quick Draw Silent Auction and October 21 Public Sale was higher than in previous years (both events offered free admission). The museum was expecting 300 to 400 attendees on October 14, and there were 602. Every Quick Draw painting sold, which has not happened in recent memory. The October 21 Public Sale was expected to bring in 600 guests and 738 attended. Attendance for the October 20 Collectors’ Soirée (which is a ticketed event) was roughly 300, the same as in years past.

Artist Rick Delanty from San Clemente sold the most in terms of dollars, and Hiu Lai Chong from Rockville, MD sold the most paintings with seven. Five of the Kids’ Paint Out paintings sold, with proceeds benefiting the school of the participating student.

The following awards were presented to the participating artists at the October 20 Collectors’ Soirée. John Burton from Carmel received the most awards with three, and Billyo O’Donnell of Eureka, MO won the $5,000 LPAPA Best in Show, which is the top prize.

Billyo O’Donnell

$5,000 LPAPA BEST IN SHOW

Sponsored by the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association

Judged by Jean Stern, Executive Director of The Irvine Museum

Debra Huse

$2,500 LAGUNA ART MUSEUM AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Sponsored by Laguna Art Museum

Judged by Dr. Malcolm Warner, Executive Director of Laguna Art Museum

Jim Wodark

$1,000 DR. EDWARD H. BOSEKER AWARD

Sponsored and judged by Yvonne Boseker and her daughters in honor of the late Dr. Edward H. Boseker

Hiu Lai Chong

$500 COLLECTORS’ CHOICE

Sponsored by the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association

Judged by guests attending the October 20 Collectors’ Soirée

Frank Serrano

$500 SOUTHWESTART QUICK DRAW AWARD

Winner received $500 and will be featured in SouthwestArt magazine

Judged by Malcolm Warner

Michael Obermeyer

$500 CRYSTAL COVE FOUNDER'S PRIZE

Sponsored and judged by Laura Davick, Founder and President Emeritus of the Crystal Cove Alliance

John Burton, Hiu Lai Chong, Randall Sexton, Peggi Kroll-Roberts

RANDY HIGBEE GALLERY AWARDS

The winners each received a $250 cash prize and $250 framing credit with Randy Higbee Gallery, judged by Randy Higbee

LCAD NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Sponsored by the Laguna College of Art + Design, judged by Jean Stern First Place, $300: Steven Morrison. Second Place, $200: Lan Duong. Third Place, $100: Zoey Frank.

Josh Clare

ARTISTS’ CHOICE

Judged by the participating artists

Gavin Brooks

FINE ART CONNOISSEUR AWARD

Winner receives a full-page ad in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine ($3,500 value) Judged by Vanessa Rothe, California Editor for Fine Art Connoisseur magazine

John Burton

PLEINAIR MAGAZINE AWARD

Winner receives a half-page ad in PleinAir magazine ($2,000 value) Judged by Vanessa Rothe

Scott Prior

OUTDOORPAINTER.COM  AWARD

Winner receives a one-month web ad on OutdoorPainter.com ($495 value) Judged by Vanessa Rothe

John Burton

LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION AWARD

Presented by Laguna Canyon Foundation

Rick Delanty

SURFRIDER FOUNDATION AWARD

Presented by the Surfrider Foundation South Orange County

Judged by Rick Erkeneff, Chairman, Surfrider Foundation, South Orange County Chapter

Laguna Art Museum and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association would like to thank the participating artists, volunteers (over 100 volunteers helped out throughout the week), and event sponsors for making the 14th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational a success.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Ebrahim Amin (Laguna Beach, CA) Jacobus Baas (Laguna Beach, CA) Gavin Brooks (Owings Mills, MD) John Burton (Carmel, CA) Larry Cannon (Sonoma, CA) Hiu Lai Chong (Rockville, MD) Josh Clare (Queen Creek, AZ) Rick Delanty (San Clemente, CA) Ken DeWaard (Viroqua,WI) Robin Hall (Capistrano Beach, CA) Carolyn Hesse-Low (La Jolla, CA) Darrell Hill (Kameula, HI) Jeff Horn (Costa Mesa, CA) Debra Huse (Newport Beach, CA) Mark Kerckhoff (San Juan Capistrano, CA) Thomas Jefferson Kitts (Portland, OR) Paul Kratter (Moraga, CA) Peggi Kroll-Roberts (Angels Camp, CA) Greg LaRock (Newport Beach, CA) Joan M. LaRue (Tucson, AZ) Calvin Liang (Corona, CA) Kirk McBride (Berlin, MD) Clark G. Mitchell (Cotati, CA) Larry Moore (Winter Park, FL) Billyo O'Donnell (Eureka, MO)