Monday Museum: Plein Air Art

Living in northeast Ohio, I am blessed to be not far from the Mill Creek Metropark System. This large park--composed of multiple units--is home to Fellows Riverside Garden. Here, in its main building the Davis Center, a gallery holds rotating art displays. The current display is called "As Did Monet, Artists Paint the Landscape!" A few dozen paintings all created in the outdoor fresh air show off the landscape of the park and other regional green spaces.

 

I love the connection to the older technique of creating art out in nature. I enjoyed looking at the pieces created by local artists. The paintings very much focus on the trees, bushes, and flowers of the landscapes. Animals and man-made structures make fewer appearances. Only one painting in the entire room focused solely on a building (a stairwell actually). While most of the art focuses on spring or summer, several include the colors of fall and even winter makes an appearance.

The works cover a variety of mediums: oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel. At least half of the pieces are also available for purchase with the prices ranging from $60-$400.

The Davis Center is free to enter. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM-5 PM. The gallery was uncrowded when I visited, but I was not the only guest. There are no docents specifically for the exhibit although there may be someone working at the front desk who knows additional information. Ten minutes will be enough time to view the paintings and then I advise to continue your trip to Mill Creek Park with a stroll through the outdoor gardens. The surrounding gardens are open from dawn to dusk.