Plein Air Writing Exhibition
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August 27 to 31, 2009
Columbia Center for the Arts (CCA), located in the heart of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, is hosting its fifth annual Plein Air Writing Exhibition from August 27 to 31, 2009.
Writers will spend five days visiting some of the most visually remarkable sites in the Columbia River Gorge and putting their impressions on paper to share with the public.
Public Reading and Anthology Launch Celebration
The 2009 Plein Air Writing Exhibition will present the work of its participating writers at a public reading—which also celebrates the launch of its online anthology—on Sunday, September 20 at 7pm in the Columbia Center for the Arts theater (Third & Cascade in Hood River). You're invited. Click to learn more about the Plein Air Public Reading and Anthology Launch Celebration.
About Writer Registration
The writing portion of the Plein Air show is an open-call event that culminates in publication on the CCA website and a public reading in the CCA theater.
Writing can be prose or poetry (or any combination thereof).
Registered participants receive a location map, invitation to the opening reception on August 27, an opportunity to read their works in a public forum, and an opportunity to have their works included in an online anthology.
Important Dates
Please keep in mind the following important dates:
- August 7: Registration deadline
- August 27-31: Write-out days, locations TBA
- September 1: Submission deadline
- September 20: Public reading at Columbia Center for the Arts, 7pm
Registration & Guidelines
The registration fee is $15; the deadline is August 7, 2009.
To learn more and to register, please download and print the"Guidelines and Registration" form by clicking here: Plein Air Writing Exhibition in Hood River. Alternatively, you can pick up a copy of the registration form at Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River.
The Plein Air Anthology
The works of writers participating in the 2008 Plein Air Writing Exhibition have been captured in an online anthology called Pears Like Copper Buddhas. Click to visit this 2008 plein air anthology.
The works of writers participating in the 2009 Plein Air Writing Exhibition will be displayed in a similar online anthology.
Plein Air Writing Blogspot
Additional information about the Plein Air Writing Exhibition is available by visiting the Plein Air Writing Blogspot.
What is "Plein Air" Writing?
En plein air is a French term for painting in the out-of-doors with the goal of capturing a moment—the lighting, the clouds, the mood—as quickly as possible. While plein air painting is popular across the country, Columbia Center for the Arts is (as far as we can tell) the only organization that includes writers.
The idea for writers is essentially the same as for painters: capture a moment before it disappears. Of course, writers are not bound to re-create visual portraits of the landscape—the “moment” might involve other people in the area, sounds or conversations overheard, smells and sensations, or even inner thoughts. The goal is to capture a snippet of time as deftly and quickly as possible and paint a picture for others to “see.”
Pacific Northwest Plein Air Painting Competition
The Pacific Northwest Plein Air Writing Exhibition is part of the Pacific Northwest Plein Air Painting Competition and Writing Exhibition.
Visual artists who are interested in participating should visit the Plein Air Blogspot for more information. The painting exhibit will open September 4 and run through the end of the month.
For more information about plein air painting, visit the Plein Air Painters Association website.