Last year, the weeklong Winter Park Paint Out added a new wrinkle: a one-night-only Park Avenue sip ’n stroll that brought participating plein air painters to the city’s central business district, where they set up easels to paint in person and to discuss their works in progress with passersby.
“Paint-In on Park Avenue” will again be part of the schedule when Paint Out, a program of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, returns from April 19 to 25 for its 18th annual edition. So mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 22 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., when watercolorists will once more wield their brushes along the city’s signature boulevard.
Meanwhile, participating merchants will sweeten the deal by offering refreshments to ticket holders. ($25 buys you a special glass to refill again and again, or you can get two glasses for $40.) Paint-In on Park Avenue is a collaboration between the museum and the Park Avenue District.
By now, you know the idea behind Paint Out. Every spring, artists both local and visiting engage in a six-day marathon of painting, positioning themselves all around town to spontaneously capture picturesque vistas on canvas (or paper) and offering their works for sale.
Out goes the rigidity of the traditional studio and in comes the free-flowing inspiration of creating in the open air. This year, the Polasek—which is celebrating its 65th birthday—will host 23 artists from Florida and others from as far away as Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana and Maryland (home of painter Abby Ober, who contributed this year’s event poster).
The museum’s grounds function as home base, with some artists working on campus while others fan out. The Mediterranean-style home—where Czech-born sculptor Albin Polasek once lived and worked—maintains a “wet room” where completed paintings are displayed. You can visit in person or check out the event’s website, winterparkpaintout.org, to see the inventory.
Proceeds from the sale of paintings are split evenly, with the museum getting half and the rest going to the artist. Prices for individual works can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The event has generated more than $1 million in total revenue since its inception.
All week long, admission to the Polasek’s gallery and gardens is free of charge. So are the eight painting demonstrations that will be held on the grounds on various days.
The week will wrap up with the second of two ticketed events: an old-fashioned Garden Party that will allow revelers to rub elbows with the artists while enjoying food, drinks and live music. This year’s soiree will be Saturday, April 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $150 and usually go fast.
Jennifer Deery, who last year was promoted to full-time executive director from her previous interim position, is proud of the museum’s outreach programs, noting that 30 selected art students from Orange County will be welcomed for a day-long field trip during Paint Out.
“We’ve put a lot of emphasis on community programming,” says Deery. “I want it to be a living, breathing museum, and I think we’re such a great combination of history, art and nature. I don’t want people to say, ‘Oh, the Polasek? I went there once.’ I want them to say, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve been there! And there are so many great reasons to keep coming back.’”
The Polasek is located at 633 Osceola Avenue, Winter Park. For more information, call or visit the website.
