Painters to take easels into the great outdoors

Local artists will be working "en plein air" (painting outdoors) throughout downtown Camas on Friday as part of the Downtown Camas Association's annual "Plein Air and Art" event. The artists will set up on the streets of downtown Camas throughout the day Friday and paint recognizable Camas locations. The finished pieces will be displayed from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 6, at the Camas Gallery, 408 N.E. Fourth Ave., as part of the First Friday festivities. Community members can stop by the gallery during that time and vote for their favorite plein air paintings. Those paintings will be auctioned off at the Dinner in White on the Columbia, a benefit for the Washougal Library Building Fund, slated for Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Port of Camas-Washougal's Marina Park in Washougal. This year's "Plein Air" art event features a few new additions, including live music venues throughout downtown Camas, "dual artist" live painting demonstrations at Camas Gallery and free dance lessons by local dance instructor Daniel Martinez. "This event truly celebrates the love of the arts and showcases the art focus our town is developing," Carrie Schulstad, director of the Downtown Camas Association (DCA), stated in a press release. "We have such talented local artists of all kinds in our community -- painters, potters, dancers, musicians, hair art stylists, tattoo artists, you name it. We are thrilled to be able to feature so much wonderful talent on this day and expose people of all ages to such diverse creativity." Visitors to downtown Camas on Friday will have quite a few entertainment choices. The September First Friday celebration includes local artist and art teacher Elida Field's "Art, Women & Wine" artists showcasing their work at local shops; Martinez' free dance lessons at 6 p.m., at Body Bliss Yoga, 417 N.E. Birch St.; live music with four different bands from 5 to 9 p.m., sponsored by Nuestra Mesa, 228 N.E. Fourth Ave.; and a "dual artist" live painting demonstration at Camas Gallery, starting at 4:30 p.m., with artists Anna Norris, Heidi Curley, Liz Pike and Sarah Bang taking turns on two separate paintings and working in 15-minute increments. The Attic Gallery will feature Emmy Award-winning artist David Allen Dunlop at an artist's reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, that also includes live classical music by the Lily Burton String Trio. Dunlop, who will be plein air painting the Camas paper mill on Friday, will be the gallery's featured artist through September. Journey Church will host an open mic night from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Visitors are invited to sing a song, play guitar or do a stand-up comedy routine. Each performer has 10 minutes to complete their act. This is a family friendly event and youth are welcome to participate. Sign-ups start at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6. Other First Friday events will include an art guessing game; a "hidden bronze bird tour," showcasing the 14 bronze bird sculptures in downtown Camas with chances to be entered in a raffle for a prize basket; and children's arts and crafts, including the Paint Roller Mobile Paint Party, where children can paint rocks, make chalk art and enter the sixth annual DCA First Friday coloring contest. For more information, visit downtowncamas.com/event/plein-air-art-event.

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