Montana Painters Alliance members to work outdoors in Lincoln area

It's one thing to view art in a gallery, after it's completed.

It's a different thing to watch art being created-and that's what people can do Oct. 3-5 in Lincoln.

Members of the Montana Painters Alliance-many of them nationally and internationally recognized painters-will be painting the local scenery, during the group's semi-annual "paint out."

The artists will be out and about in public, and Lincoln residents and visitors are encouraged to watch and interact with them.

"This is an opportunity to see well-known Montana artists like Todd Connor, Steve Oiestad and Deb Schmit at work," explains event organizer and MPA member, Chuck Fulcher. "The artists are on location from morning till late in the day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so come watch them in action.

"Artists set up anywhere they see something worth recreating on canvas. You'll see us in town and outside of town. And we welcome onlookers and art enthusiasts. There are a lot of opportunities to engage"

Saturday evening, works created by the MPA artists will be informally exhibited, and for sale, in a "Tailgate Salon" at the Sculpture in the Wild, 1970 Sculpture Way. The Salon event begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public, free of charge.

The Montana Painters Alliance is a fellowship of professional artists living throughout Montana who take their easels outdoors and work from direct, on-location observation of their subjects.

The group was formed in 2003, and the mission is to create an atmosphere among members that fosters camaraderie, friendship, and artistic excellence, and offers opportunities for members to share their skills and their passion for plein air painting with each other and with the public through the organization of paint-outs and exhibitions.