Individual Artist Project

During COVID, most artists were forced to isolate and work independently. As we move away from the outbreak, artists are interested in community activities and opportunities to work together at low or no cost. These meetups provide opportunities for artists to work in a safe outdoor venue. Because there is no formal instruction, artists are free to experiment. They may choose to sketch, draw, work on specific skills, try a new medium, and socialize. By coming together, unexpected benefits arise through organic connections and conversation. Having a semi-formal group often opens doors that would otherwise be closed, we have already received invitations to paint on private land. While OPM coordinates activities throughout the year, those events are located in the Twin Cities or the North Shore, a minimum of 1.5 hours (to Duluth/Bemidji/Brainerd) to more than 3 hours away (Twin Cities/Grand Marais). Many of the OPM events are formal and can be intimidating for a novice. Local meetups are casual, free, and perfect for introducing friends and colleagues to outdoor art. Additionally, we will have increased artistic contribution to our community and surrounding area. Artists will have new work to show. As we grow, we can invite artists to teach workshops, create a culture of patronage and collectors, and see the next generation of artists continue this tradition. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "When we all do better, we all do better." ; My primary goal is creating a community of artistic practice that is open to all, at no cost. I would like to increase our participation to 50 unique attendees with a minimum of 6 participants at each meetup and 12 artists experiencing plein air for the first time. Second, I expect to see an impact on participant's skills and increased arts participation. I anticipated artists will create more new work than they would without the group, and that they will developed relationships with one another, and engage in more arts activities. Finally, and perhaps more importantly this project will create space for the unexpected. Just as I found myself on this journey, who knows what may transpire for others' It is exciting to see how a consistent outdoor practice can pave the way for others to discover new paths in their artistic journey, and how we are invited to engage in the arts community. After years of participating in the Fort Collins group of plein air painters and now being active with OPM, I am excited to bring my knowledge and experience to the Grand Rapids area with the support of OPM and MacRostie Art Center. Last year, I conducted a test run of paint-outs and was quite pleased with the response. Our first meetup had three attendees (on a brisk May day) and June had eight attendees. We had 25 unique attendees throughout the summer and many repeat attendees (several driving from 40-60+ minutes away). Last fall and throughout the winter, I have been asked repeatedly, "Are you the one doing the plein air events' I really want to do that. Are you planning to do it again this year?" There has been good interest in continuing the program, and I feel confident knowing what it takes to be successful. ; To measure our success, I will track registrations and attendance, including where attendees are from. We will keep an email and phone registration list and track the number of unique attendees we have and how many are repeat attendees. I will check in with the attendees on a regular basis, recording comments and suggestions. At the end of the program, I will send out a survey to participants for feedback (what worked, what didn't work, what they would like to see in the future, would they be willing to host a future meetup, how the program has impacted their practice, what personal gains they received from participation, satisfaction with the group, etc.). I will also track media, comments, shares, and feedback from social and traditional media and check-in with MacRostie Art Center and OPM for feedback. If people are attending, and excited and engaged for 2025, we will know we have succeeded!