It was another perfect day in Grand Marais. Artists have practically taken over the town, and it's a thrill to see a painter in every direction!

Today was a close call. Lisa Stauffer was our daily Finalist for Artists' Choice award by one vote. We expect the competition to get stiffer as more painters arrive and finish more paintings to submit. Bring in your painting between 11am and 12pm; voting is between 12-1pm from Saturday to Wednesday of Competition week.

Lisa Stauffer's winning pastel painting of the lighthouse and harbor in Grand Marais.

It's a fine week of weather forecast in Grand Marais for OPM's first year as organizing sponsor of Plein Air Grand Marais. We had our first day of voting on a finalist for the Birnie Quick Artists' Choice award: Congratulations to Matt Kania for his winning painting, "Artist's Point." Stay tuned for photos and updates this week from the North Shore of Lake Superior.

It's hard for some people to understand why a bunch of painters would go once let alone every year for almost a decade to haul our gear a half mile across a frozen lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to paint outdoors for a week in sometimes sub-zero temperatures.  This fine article in OutdoorPainter.com does a great job of explaining the attraction.  

www.outdoorpainter.com/why-30-degrees-below-zero-doesnt-stop-these-outdoor-painters/

We've scheduled next year's 10 year anniversary retreat at YMCA Camp Menogyn and reception & exhibit at Johnson Heritage Post, 115 Wisconsin St. in Grand Marais, MN.  Save the dates and don't miss Winter Plein Air at Menoyn 2019! Cost is $225 per person, including 5 nights' lodging and all meals. Open to all hardy outdoor painters, subject to lodging capacity and winter-travel related potential limitations.  Contact Allison Eklund for details (info @outdoorpaintersofminnesota.org).

Retreat:  Sunday, January 27 to Friday, February 1, 2019
Reception:  5-8pm Friday, February 1, 2019
Exhibit:  February 1–24, 2019*

*Our 2019 extended exhibit includes a 10 year retrospective of past participants' paintings of Menogyn and BWCAW. 

OPM member Deb Zeller is hosting a Spring Salon exhibit of members' plein air paintings, which will hang through May 31, 2017.  We had a wonderful opening reception the evening of April 6.  Be sure to stop by and see the show.  This could be the start of an annual tradition!

We had a fantastic first workshop of the year today at the Bloomington visitor center of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.  Richard Abraham gave a presentation about his background in classical painting and drawing techniques and an early professional career in graphic design and digital media arts.   He then gave a painting demonstration.  After lunch he offered critiques of paintings exhibited or brought for advice by participants.

The Wildlife Refuge is an ideal partner and a perfect venue.  We'll be back again for a similar event on April 1, 2017. 

OPM was invited to fill a last-minute gallery vacancy at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.  In just two weeks from invitation to reception, our intrepid painters hung a world-class show (and in some cases, even finished plein air paintings at Como!).  Be sure to stop by and see this show, which runs from October 17 through December 11, 2016.  Here are a few photos from the show:

Five new paintings have been installed in OPM's airport display in Terminal 1 of MSP Airport.  Congratulations and thanks to Sue Wipf, Marla Mulaney, Susan McLean-Keeney, and Joshua Cunningham for their beautiful paintings and for serving as "ambassadors" of plein air painting in Minnesota!

OPM has a one-year contract with MSP Airport Foundation to display four quarterly, seasonal exhibits of paintings by OPM members who are pursing a career of plein air painting.  Look for the display case just inside security in the main shopping area of Terminal 1, near the G concourse.  Private tours are also available by apointment.

OPM's first year-long partnership with a city convention and visitor bureau culminated in a reception and exhibit of paintings depicting favorite parks, businesses, and vistas in the City of Burnsville.

Juror Mary Pettis awarded prizes for first, second, and third place, plus two honorable mentions.  An additional Best in Show award was added thanks to a $300 award donation from the family of Sandy Koeger, who passed away in July.

The show in the main gallery at Ames Center will be on display through October 22.

OPM member Chris Copeland won the award for Best Sense of Place sponsored by OPM at Plein Air Grand Marais on September 16.  Congratulations, Chris!  The show at Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais runs through November 13.  Be sure to stop by if you're up north for fall colors.  The representation of top painters and fine paintings is world class and worth a special trip.

At our September 18 meeting, OPM voted to create a people's choice award in memory of OPM member and arts supporter Sandy Koeger to be given at our annual Frameworks Salon show on December 10, 2016.  First place of $200 and second place of $100 will be awarded after tallying the popular vote of all those in attendance at the opening reception.  Stay tuned for details, and watch for a Sign Up invitation to participate in the show.

OPM's annual award for Best Landscape Painting at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts exhibit goes to Minneapolis painter Carl Bretzke for his oil painting titled "Behind the Massage Parlor."  Congratulations!