Yellow Barn Embraces Environmental Stewardship

The Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery will host a two-day plein air painting competition open to all artists interested in becoming more environmentally aware with their art.

"Paint the Park Green" will take place all day Oct. 22-23 on the grounds of Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, Md.

According to , instructor and gallery manager at the Yellow Barn, the event was born from a desire to combine a plein air event with educational opportunities for artists and the general public.

Bruns integrates best practices in his own work process and introduces environmentally safe measures to the students in his classes at the Yellow Barn.

"Habits are not that hard to change," Bruns said. "It's simply knowing what to change."

In addition to a best-in-show, first, second and third prize award, the competition will recognize a green prize, given to the single best painting completed using a “green checklist.”

"There is a list of ten things that the artist must implement to be eligible for the green award,” Bruns said. “We will put a special dot or sticker on all the paintings that are eligible for the prize, and the judge will choose the best.”

The green checklist can be applied to both plein air and studio painting and will be available on the Yellow Barn Blog. Some of the measures on the checklist include using an old canvas, substituting old rags for paper towels, substituting mineral spirits with walnut oil and straining dirty water through a coffee filter, rather than dumping it down the drain.

Barbara Gruber, who teaches at Stevenson University and Johns Hopkins University, will be judging the competition.

Glenn Kessler, a painting instructor at Yellow Barn, remembers studying with Gruber in the mid-90s and believes she is an ideal judge for the Yellow Barn’s green event.

“She was a year ahead of me and was a star student of Professor Mark Karnes, guru to many representational painters like myself," Kessler said. "Her work speaks for itself. As a speaker she is energetic, inspirational, and informative."

Registration is limited to the first 75 applicants, though half of the spots have already filled. Online registration is open through Oct. 1, and the event will proceed as planned, rain or shine.

The Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery will host a reception and awards ceremony for participants and the public at 3 p.m. Oct. 23. The reception will follow a 1.5-hour jurying event also open to the public.

Beginning Oct. 1, the Yellow Barn blog will stream educational videos produced to educate participating artists on best practices for reusing materials and disposing of them safely.

Chautuaqua Stone Tower at Glen Echo Park will host an exhibit by Yellow Barn instructors with experience in plein air painting, beginning Oct. 1 and continuing through Oct. 30. Among the featured artists are Yellow Barn Director Walt Bartman, Walt Bartman III, Glen Kessler, J. Jordan Bruns, Lida Stifel, Gavin Glakas and Christine Lashley.

The plein air competion received a National Parks grant by Unilever, which will help pay for the first prize award and the judge's fees. Additional sponsors include M. Graham & Co. Fine Artist Materials, Golden Acrylics, Chroma Atelier Acrylics, Winsor & Newton, Bethesda-based Honest Tea, Bethesda- and Rockville-based Plaza Artist Materials and Chevy Chase-based Normans Farm Market. Sponsors are providing water-based oil paints, walnut oil painting medium, acrylic paints, gift cards and refreshments for participating artists.