Paint The Town: Alpharetta Plein Air is a multi-day plein air event happening in Alpharetta May 9 – 13. The 5-day Plein Air Artist Invitational kicks off the festivities with artists painting in outdoor locations throughout the city for the public to watch and enjoy. Activities surrounding the Invitational include a wet paint tent sale, quick draw competition, awards presentations, and an art exhibition to be viewed at the Alpharetta Arts Center from May 13 – June 10.
“Plein air” comes from the French “en plein air”, referencing a method of painting outdoors directly from life. This style of landscape painting was made popular by French impressionists in the 19th century. It has become a wildly popular practice with artists around the world.
Nancy Murphy, the President of Arts Alpharetta says, “Once again, Arts Alpharetta is delighted to host Paint the Town 2023. Artists are already signing up to come to paint “en plein air”, where they paint live scenes outdoors all around town. New this year will be 3 categories of artists: Professional, Intermediate, and True Novice. Awards will be issued across all three categories. Also new this year, our Wet Paint Tent Sale will be taking place during Taste of Alpharetta on Thursday, May 11! Our Quick Draw Competition will take place on Friday evening, May 12, capturing the dramatic lighting as the sun sets and creates long shadows. The awards ceremony for the Quick Draw will be on the City Center Green. We hope the public will enjoy watching artists in action as well as seeing and purchasing the finished paintings of Alpharetta. If any Alpharetta property owners would like to invite artists to paint at their locations, please contact us at
ArtsAlpharetta1@gmail.com. We are still collecting new sponsors as well. More information about the event and sponsorship can be found at
https://www.artsalpharetta.org/paint-the-town-2023.html.”
During the 5-day Plein Air Invitational, art lovers will have the chance to watch artists of all media in action at well-known locations throughout Alpharetta. The plein air locations will include Downtown Alpharetta as well as the city’s parks, gardens and more.
"Paint the Town is more than just an art event, it's a celebration of community and creativity,” said Morgan Rodgers, Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Services Director. “We are excited to bring together local artists, residents, and visitors for a colorful and inspiring experience that showcases the talent and culture of our city.
Paint the Town: Alpharetta Plein Air is a fun outdoor event for artists and free for spectators. It is also an opportunity for art enthusiasts to support the local arts. Proceeds from the event will fund two initiatives: Take Out Art: which supplies free art kits for children in our community and the Public Art Fund: supporting the lease of public art in partnership with the City of Alpharetta.
“Paint the Town: Alpharetta Plein Air is a perfect artisan event that visitors will travel to Alpharetta to experience, and residents will love having in their backyards,” said Janet Rodgers, President and CEO of the Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau. “You will create inspirational moments in time by having the opportunity to watch brilliant artists showcase their talents by recreating scenes of the vibrant city of Alpharetta. A big plus for this unique type of event is that you can also purchase the artist’s drawings depicting the beauty of Awesome Alpharetta.”
Out-of-town visitors can start planning their Paint the Town: Alpharetta Plein Air weekend packed with art-filled events and activities. Travelers looking for accommodations can book their stay at one of Alpharetta’s 30 modern and upscale hotels directly at
https://www.awesomealpharetta.com/stay/.