The 14th Alla Prima Westcliffe Plein Air Paint-Out
June 3-10, 2023
Early registration deadline is midnight APRIL 15, 2023. Register early for a chance to win a FREE General Admission ticket to the 2023 Plein Air Conference & Expo (PACE) in Denver May 21-25, a $1,297 value!
Treat yourself to a week of spectacular spring days painting in the picturesque Wet Mountain Valley of Colorado. Bright spring greens, snow-covered mountains, fresh wildflowers. Sweeping scenic views of the magnificent Sangre de Cristo Mountains, intimate outdoor scenes, historic architecture, ranches and special events await your creativity.
This paint-from-life event includes alla prima painting created from life in the manner of plein air, but not necessarily done outdoors. Subject matter embraces landscapes, ranch life, figurative and still life. All paintings are created from life during the event.
An optional two-day workshop with artist Tim Deibler at the beginning of Alla Prima Westcliffe will help you tune up your plein air creativity. See below for more info.
Come see for yourself and be prepared to gaze on one of the darkest, starriest night skies on Earth! Westcliffe and Silver Cliff are Colorado’s first and one of the highest elevation International Dark Skies Communities in the world!
Registration
- Early registration fee $50 by April 15, 2023.
- Registration fee $60 starting April 16, 2023.
Optional Tim Deibler 2-Day Workshop Registration fee $200/two days, June 2-3. This is a special reduced rate for Alla Prima Westcliffe attendees.
Contact SangresArtGuild.org for Student attendee, must be age 16-24, and actively enrolled in school or college.
Online Registration: You can pay by credit card (MC, Visa, Discover, AMEX) or by Paypal for Paint-Out registration, along with optional Workshop.
If you experience any problems registering online, please email contact@sangresartguild.org.
Manual registration: please contact us.
Alla Prima Westcliffe Awards
All awards may not be fully advertised until the award presentation. We’ll continue to alter this distribution list as more sponsors are added, stay tuned!
- Ars Gratia Artis Award: $1,000 cash.
- First Place: $1,000 cash.
- Second Place: $500 cash.
- Third Place: $250 cash.
- Judge’s Choice Award: $200 Blick Art Materials gift certificate.
- Plein Air Award of Excellence: $1,200 Plein Air Magazine 1/4 page ad.
- Outstanding Body of Work: $897 One Online Live event registration from Streamline Publishing.
- Honorable Mention: $100 One year digital and print subscription to Plein Air and Fine Art Connoisseur Magazines.
- Honorable Mention: $150 Chartpak gift certificate.
- Honorable Mention: $100 Meininger Art Material gift certificate.
- “The Art of the Thing” award: $150 sponsored by Brookwood Gallery.
- Best Sunrise/Sunset Award: $100 sponsored by Greenstone Artworks.
- Best Nocturne: $100 cash sponsored by Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley.
- Best Miniature award: $175 Oil set Jack Richeson & Co.
- Pastel Award: $160 Terry Ludwig Pastels gift certificate.
- Best Impressionism Award: $150 Blick Art Materials gift certificate.
- Best Quick Draw People’s Choice Award: $100 Judsons Art Outfitters gift certificate.
- Novice* Award: $100 Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff products.
- *Novice: any artist new to plein air painting within the past 2 years.
PLUS… Artist Swag Bags and more give-aways!
This schedule may change as we continue to refine events. Please check back for updates!
Schedule
- Tim Deibler 2-Day Workshop June 2-3 meeting point is 8:45 at 3rd Street Gallery, 59000 N. Highway 69, Westcliffe, Colorado 81252.
- Alla Prima Westcliffe check-in and canvas stamping begins Saturday, June 3 – Monday, June 5 at 3rd Street Gallery, 59000 N. Highway 69, Westcliffe, Colorado 81252.
- Beginning Tuesday, June 6 – Thursday, June 8, Alla Prima Westcliffe check-in and stamping is at Lange Hall, 308 S. 3rd Street, Westcliffe, Colorado 81252.
Friday, June 2 WORKSHOP
- 8:45am – 5pm. Optional 2-Day Plein Air Workshop. Meet at 3rd Street Gallery. Please be prompt!
Saturday, June 3 WORKSHOP & PAINT-OUT
- 8:45am – 5pm. Optional 2-Day Plein Air Workshop. Meet at 3rd Street Gallery. Please be prompt!
- 9am – 4pm. Check-in and canvas-stamping at 3rd Street Gallery.
- Free day to paint anywhere in the valley.
Sunday, June 4 PAINT-OUT
- 9am – 4pm. Check-in and canvas stamping at 3rd Street Gallery.
- Free day to paint anywhere in the valley.
Monday, June 5 PAINT-OUT
- 9am – 4pm. Check-in and canvas stamping at 3rd Street Gallery.
- Free day to paint anywhere in the valley.
Tuesday, June 6 PAINT-OUT
- 9am – 4pm. Check-in and canvas stamping at Lange Hall, 308 S. 3rd Street.
- Free day to paint anywhere in the valley.
- 7pm-ish – whenever. Bohemian Night at Greenstone Artworks. Casual; BYOB & chair.
Wednesday, June 7 PAINT-OUT
- 10am-3pm. Check-in and canvas stamping at 3rd Street Gallery.
- Free day to paint anywhere in the valley.
- 5:30-7pm. APW Cocktail Party, Kirkpatrick Bank, 8 Bassick Place.
Thursday, June 8 PAINT-OUT & INTAKE DAY
- Until 2pm. Free morning to paint anywhere in the valley.
- 2 – 6pm. Intake of framed art at Lange Hall, 308 S. 3rd Street.
Friday, June 9 Judging, Awards & Alla Prima Westcliffe Gala Reception
- 10am – 11am. Judging – NO ARTISTS ALLOWED!
- 11am – 5pm. Alla Prima Westcliffe Show & Sale at Lange Hall, 308 S. 3rd Street. REMEMBER TO INVITE YOUR CLIENTS!
- 3pm – 6pm. Alla Prima Westcliffe Gala Reception & Sale at Lange Hall.
- 3:30 pm. Alla Prima Westcliffe Awards Ceremony at Lange Hall.
- 4:30-5pm. Out of town APW artists pick up unsold art at Kirkpatrick Bank, 8 Bassick Place.
Saturday, June 10 Quick Draw & Alla Prima Westcliffe Show
- 9am – noon. Quick Draw on Main Street (max artwork size 11 x 14 unframed).
- 11am – 5pm. Alla Prima Westcliffe Show open to the public at Lange Hall, 308 S. 3rd Street. REMEMBER TO INVITE YOUR CLIENTS!
- 12 – 12:30pm. Turn in framed Quick Draw art, secured on your easel at Lange Hall.
- 12:30 – 3:30pm. People’s Choice voting for Quick Draw artwork.
- 3:30pm. Quick Draw Award.
Sunday, June 11 Pick-Up Art and 3rd Street Gallery Show Intake
- 10am – noon. Sign out APW art from Lange Hall as you leave our beautiful valley.
OR
- 11am – 4pm. Intake at 3rd Street Gallery for ‘The Alla Prima Westcliffe Gallery Show’ which is free for APW registrants.
Monday, June 12
11am-4pm. Continued intake for APW Gallery Show at 3rd Street Gallery.
Sunday, June 25 & Monday, June 26
- 11am – 4pm. Pick-up Alla Prima Westcliffe Gallery Show art
- 11am – 4pm. Intake for new show at 3rd Street Gallery.
Rules For The Alla Prima Westcliffe Competition
- Alla Prima, for this event, is defined as a painting of an outdoor or indoor scene done entirely on location from life. Use of photographic references is not allowed.
- All paintings entered must be 2 dimensional and completed during the event dates; all mediums are accepted.
- Blank painting surfaces must be stamped prior to painting during the event. Unstamped surfaces will be rejected.
- Entrants must sign waivers of liability for the show. SAG assumes no liability for the paintings nor venues. However, we will make our best effort to assure the security of the venues and artwork.
- Entrants and their guests assume all liability for their presence and conduct on private property during the event. Please respect property owner’s rights. Do not trespass.
- Competing Artists must be 18 years of age or older to be eligible for Cash Awards
- Artists may, at their own discretion and liability, paint anywhere in Custer County and the Wet Mountain Valley during the event and/or their own indoor or outdoor setting.
- Artwork for the competition and show MUST BE FRAMED per Gallery Criteria; no gallery-wrapped or un-framed canvases – wet paint smudges the walls.
- Competition artwork must be ready to hang NO EXCEPTIONS! Late deliveries will not be hung and will result in artist forfeiting registration fee.
- The back of the painting must be visibly stamped by SAG and the stamp clearly shown at intake and marked with the artist’s name, title, medium and price.
- SAG reserves the right to jury out artwork for any reason.
- Artwork must be for sale.
- Limit 3 entries per artist + 1 miniature if desired (4 total).
- Maximum artwork size 16″ x 20″ per painting. Outer frame size limit 24” x 28”.
- Miniature painting size limit is 6″ x 8″ (outer frame size limit 10” x 12,” to include mat and frame).
- Quick Draw painting size limit is 11” x 14” and must be framed (no outer frame size limit) & displayed on your easel.
- Commission for all Sales is 30% for SAG members, 40% for non-SAG members. You will have the option to join the Sangres Art Guild during the event for lower commission.
- Artists agree to the use of their images and images of their artwork for the promotional activities of the Sangres Art Guild.
- Artwork may not be removed by the Artist or his/her agent until the completion of the two-day Show and Sale.
- Buyers may remove their purchased artwork upon payment.
- Unsold artwork must be removed by the artist or his/her representative on Sunday, June 11 from Lange Hall. Artwork can optionally be taken by the artist or his/her representative to 3rd Street Gallery to be in the “Alla Prima Westcliffe Gallery Show” running through pick-up Sunday, June 25 or Monday, June 26, from 11am – 4pm. There is no additional entry fee for APW registrants.
- Sangres Art Guild reserves the right to change the criteria of this competition, show and sale at any time without notice to the participants
We try our best, but these criteria are subject to changes at any time, especially as we are still working to improve this event.
Tim Deibler Workshop
June 2 & 3. An opportunity to tune up your plein air skills with this 2-day workshop with nationally known artist Tim Deibler. Artists of all ability levels are welcome. See Registration above.
Tim Deibler has had a life-long passion for art. He has won five Awards of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America’s National Juried Show. Best known for his stunning portrayal of nature in oil, he loves painting rugged mountain peaks, desert canyons and the pounding surf.
With the success of his book Capturing the Seasons in Oils published by North Light Books he has become a popular teacher and workshop instructor. His work has appeared in many books and publications including: Art From the Parks, North Light Books Painter’s Quick Reference Landscapes, North Light Books Landscapes of Colorado, Fresco Fine Art Publications.
Deibler lives in southern Colorado where the mountains became his constant inspiration. “Every time I look out the window or walk outside I’m in the mountains. My goal is to portray what I’m experiencing in nature, I want the viewer of my work to say “I’d like to be there.”
Further Info
If more info is needed, please email sangresartguild.org or call Terri at 719-331-2164.
Accommodations and Info About The Area
Suggestions For Artists
- See Cliff Austin’s Checklist for a Wet Painting Session.
- See Kathleen Dunphy’s Update: Recommended Plein Air Equipment and Carry on! What to Pack for Plein Air Painting.
