Professional artists from California to Illinois will travel to Mineral Point and set up their easels and canvases this month for the seventh annual plein air competition, Paint the Point.
Historic Mineral Point and the surrounding countryside present myriad scenic vistas for artists to capture. This year, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 40 artists will be participating in the event.
The artists will vie for over $5,000 in cash prizes in three separate competitions during the four-day event. Paintings will be displayed and sold 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 8, 2020, at the Masonic Lodge, 304 High St., Mineral Point.
In the Main Event category, artists paint from Aug. 5 to the afternoon of Aug. 7 throughout Mineral Point. For the first time, artists will now be able to paint in the neighboring town of Dodgeville, capturing the landscapes and cityscapes of both towns. On Friday afternoon, a jury of art professionals will judge two paintings submitted by each artist. On Friday evening, a virtual gallery of the paintings will be presented on facebook.com/artsmineralpoint.
The Nocturne Event begins the evening of Aug. 5. Participating artists start painting at dusk, work into the night, and then submit their completed paintings the next morning. Visitors are encouraged to visit Mineral Point, enjoy dinner and at a 6-foot distance watch artists paint by moonlight.
The Quick Paint Event begins at 8 a.m. Aug. 8. Artists have only two hours from start to finish to create a painting of downtown Mineral Point. Visitors wearing masks are encouraged to watch artists work, at a safe distance. Completed paintings will be judged and available for sale at 1 p.m. in a tent adjacent to the Masonic Lodge.