To mark the 20th anniversary of Plein Air Easton, the Academy Art Museum will feature a special exhibition of the work of Nancy Tankersley, highlighting paintings from throughout her career. On June 28, Tankersley will give an artist talk about the
works she has chosen for the exhibition, discussing how they document her own journey as a painter and also demonstrate the influence Plein Air Easton has had on plein air artists throughout the United States.
Plein air competitions started on the West Coast in the 1990s but had yet to take root in the East when Plein Air Easton launched two decades ago. Tankersley had visited the Carmel Art Festival in 2004, around the same time she and husband Carl bought an art gallery in Easton. Meanwhile, Al Bond, then the town’s economic development director, was looking for an event to liven up the summer months. A successful partnership was born. The Avalon Foundation, the Academy Art Museum, local businesses, other arts organizations, and many dedicated volunteers joined together, and Plein Air Easton quickly outpaced the West Coast events that had inspired it.
Since 2004, events modeled on Plein Air Easton have been established up and down the East Coast and beyond, ranging from the tropical island of Curaçao to Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. The proliferation of events encouraged participation by both established artists and up-and-coming ones.
Tankersley served on the Plein Air Easton Steering Committee for several years as the festival was established. Once its future was secure, she returned to her career as an artist. She has received many awards at plein air competitions nationwide, including First Place at Lighthouse Plein Air and Parrsboro Plein Air, and Second Place at Plein Air Easton and En Plein Air Texas. She has also served as a juror and judge at numerous events. In honor of her extraordinary contribution to Plein Air Easton and the larger movement, she will be the Awards Judge for this year’s landmark twentieth anniversary festival.
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