Paint Bath & More

Saturday, August 2, 2008

8am to 3pm
Watch the artists paint all around the area

4pm to 7pm
Meet the artists! Silent & Live Auctions the Winter Street Center

(Rain or Shine)

Reception, Silent & Live Auction
Winter Street Center
800 Washington Street, Bath
4pm to 7pm
Tickets: $15 for wine & cheese auction & reception

Sponsored by: Just Framing · Bath, Maine

Bath will be host to a unique fund-raiser for the arts on Saturday, August 2nd.

The second annual Paint Bath & More event will place more than two dozen of the area's most accomplished artists throughout the city for the day, during which each will complete a painting of one of Bath's beauty spots or landmarks.

The completed paintings will be auctioned off that very evening at live and silent auctions to be held at the Winter Street Center at 880 Washington Street in Bath. The auctions will benefit The Chocolate Church Arts Center.

Participating artists have been recruited from the area's extensive fine arts community by a committee headed by the distinguished Bath-based artist, Claudette Gamache, president of the Pastel Painters of Maine and a juried member of the Pastel Society of America.

Past participant Steve Perkins said, "It's a fun event for all the artists, and it's a pleasure to help out the Chocolate Church, which is such a big asset for the community. It's a mutually beneficial event and a fun challenge. I tend to paint in the studio so for me it's a stretch to get out there and knock out a painting in a day. What I have to do is think very carefully about what site I'm going to paint and do a lot of preliminary looking so when I'm there at my easel I know what to expect. Last summer when I did it I was planning to paint a very old apple tree at Edgewater farm and there was a clothesline between my vantage point and the tree. When I previewed the site were no clothes on the line, but when I got there to paint, the line was full of clothes partially blocking the view. It actually resulted in a more interesting painting, but I'm kind of hoping for no surprises this year. "

Artists are encouraged to photograph the site they will be painting on August 2 in case of rainy weather. According to the rules of engagement, all painting must be done that day.

The artists with their easels will be painting at locations throughout the city. The public is encouraged to visit the CCAC gallery at the corner of Washington and Centre Streets for a map of the artists' planned locations, and to visit them to see the works in progress and watch over their shoulders as the paintings develop. The artists will be at work on location from 8am – 3pm, when paintings must be submitted for display at the silent auction, which begins at 4pm, followed by a live auction at 6pm.

A wine and hors d' oeuvres reception will be held during the auction preview, where attendees can meet the artists while viewing the completed paintings that they may have seen in progress only hours earlier.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit The Chocolate Church Arts Center, and support it's mission to bring high-quality, contemporary performing and visual arts to the region at an affordable cost, to provide a venue for area artists, and to maintain one of Bath's landmark historic buildings.

For tickets and information about this and all Chocolate Church events, please call the Box Office at (207) 442-8455.