Steelville Arts Council (STARCO)’s annual Plein Air event is returning this year, with outdoor artists set to descend upon the community. The event will kick off this weekend with High School Plein Air and will move into next week, with artists from near and far coming to create paintings of the area.

In the plein air painting method, artists leave behind the four walls of their studios and take their easels outside to capture the beauty and light of the natural world as it lies before them. The term is a French expression for “in the open air.”

The fifth annual high school retreat is set for May 29-31 at Cobblestone Lodge, before the weeklong event. Students will learn the fundamentals of plein air painting, working with mentors and guest artists each day. They will work with acrylic, watercolor, pen and ink.

At the end of the retreat, a reception will be held at Gallery Zeke for friends and family to view and purchase artwork created by students throughout the program. The pieces will also be on display during the weeklong event.

STARCO’s 14th annual Plein Air will kick off on Monday, June 1 and run throughout the week. A group of 50 artists will paint outdoors, rain or shine, armed with only their paint and easels. Locations of the daily painting sites are kept secret until the day before, but often include state parks and family farms. There are no shortage of picturesque Ozark scenes surrounding the area to choose from. 

Artists travel from around the Midwest to attend the event and often say STARCO’s Plein Air is their favorite one to participate in throughout the year. This year’s oldest artist is a 92-year-old from Arkansas who has painted all 13 years the event has been going on.

Work will be submitted for judging by 4 p.m. each day, challenging the artists to capture the scene before them in only a short time. Judges are experienced plein air artists who award first, second and third place prizes, as well as honorable mentions.

The public is invited to stop by Gallery Zeke Tuesday through Friday between 1 and 4 p.m. to view the day’s paintings.

Sale day will conclude the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6 with art on display at Gallery Zeke, in outdoor tents and at The Main Deck. The sale will be accompanied by a street festival with live music and food trucks. Everyone is invited to attend, meet the artists and purchase unique paintings of Crawford County.

Paintings made during Plein Air will be displayed at Gallery Zeke through the rest of June for the public to enjoy.

STARCO’s Plein Air provides free housing through host families and free lunches each day, making it unique to the area. 

For more information, visit steelvillearts.org.