08 May 2010

Swaths of wildflowers, nearly a hundred artists, more than a thousand visitors ... the 2010 Art in the Pines Festival and Sale truly exceeded our expectations!

Proceeds help fund Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve's education in nature programs for school children. What a success story for our first annual art festival!

Thanks to dedicated docent volunteers and underwriting by TPA, the event featured high quality, diverse works by talented artists, photographers, sculptors, and weavers. Visitors also enjoyed nature walks, children's art activities, art and photography demonstrations, and live music by the Minerva Quartet and Meow Now Band. Special thanks go to Scott Prior for his oil painting workshop, Joan Grine who show-cased pastels, and Judy Schulman for her pine needle basket-weaving demonstration. Anthony Mann's panoramic photography workshop was SRO!

Fifty artists entered the Plein Air Competition. Our judges, Richard Keely, Scott Prior and Anna O'Cain, announced the winners: Ying hui Feng (photo below, left), first place for her watercolor painting,"Morning"; Stanislav Prokopenko, second place for his  untitled oil, Marjorie Taylor, third place for her oil, "Pines on a Cloudy Day." Jeffrey Field and Margot Wallace both received honorable mentions.

 

Proceeds from Art in the Pines  go directly to help the Children’s Program at the Reserve.  That model program serves 4,000 children in the San Diego area every year with an exemplary outdoor experience tied to the school curriculum.  Where else can you go to have a great hike, see dolphins, trap-door spiders and learn about geology, all in a half-day visit to the Reserve?

Torrey Pines Docent Society made the event happen! All the capable, competent, and enthusiastic volunteers working that day deserve our thanks. In particular, the Organizing Committee worked many long hours to develop and implement Art in the Pines. Kudos go to Connie Beardsley and Cindy Wollaeger (Committee Chairs), Suzan Potuznik (Artists' Relations), Steve Rose (Logistics), Sharon Thompson (Graphic Design), Nancy Woodworth and Nan Danninger (Museum Shop), Joan Adamo (Docent Booth), and Irene Larrimore (Nature Walks). Laura Lowenstein coordinated all volunteers, and Diane Greening designed the Children's Activities. Barbara McCabe did a superb job of publicizing the event.

We also thank Coldwell Banker, EDCO, and particularly the hard-working California State Parks staff for their support of this successful event.

We're looking forward to even bigger and better in 2011 ... and a new, improved shuttle service to smooth the traffic flow. Watch for our announcements starting in Janaury and pass the word to your artist friends!