Annual “Scenes in the City” Plein Air Festival Brings Art to Falls Church from

Artists from across the region will gather in historic Falls Church when the 2023 “Scenes in the City” Plein Air Festival begins on September 15. This unique event celebrates the art of plein air painting where artists work quickly outdoors to capture the ever-changing light and atmosphere.

Popular painting locations from past years have included the W&OD trail, local parks, Victorian buildings, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church Farmers Market, Cherry Hill Farmhouse and Barn, and Clare and Don’s Beach Shack.

Artists can register at https://fallschurcharts.org. To enter the competition, participants must have their canvas or papers stamped. Stamps may be obtained during business hours from September 15-29 at Falls Church Arts gallery at 700-B West Broad Street or Art and Frame of Falls Church at 307 East Annandale Road.

The event concludes on Saturday, September 30 when art entered in the competition is judged beginning at 8 a.m. From 8-11 a.m., a Quick Draw competition, open to all levels and all ages, will take place. Awards for the festival and the Quick Draw competition will be announced at noon at Falls Church City Hall Grounds, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA.

The Plein Air Festival also includes a People’s Choice Award which is determined by the highest number of votes cast for a painting by the public on the closing day of the festival. Members of the public can attend the festival, vote for the People’s Choice Award, and browse the art on display. Paintings will be available for purchase and may be taken home at the conclusion of the event.

Juror Alexia Scott, a Washington, DC-based impressionist landscape painter, will be judging the works. In 2022, awards totaled $5,000 and were made possible thanks to a number of generous sponsors.

This community-building and family-friendly event is free to the public. To learn more, go to https://fallschurcharts.org.