This year our theme is water. Water is the most intimate of all natural resources. We depend on and share our lives with water in its many forms-the soothing trickle of freshwater springs, meandering rivers, the rhythmic waves of the great lakes, the thunderous roar of the ocean, and even debilitating droughts. Water reflects our emotions, awakens the senses, and excites our imagination.

Schedule:

September 26, 2023

Tuesday - Artists paint Bath County

Venue:  Chimney Run Farm, Jackson River, Dice Farm

The WET WALL!:

Starting on Tuesday, artists will hang newly completed pieces for viewing and sale in the gallery leading up to the main sale. The public will be able to preview and purchase paintings before the weekend.

Tuesday - Exhibit of Water Paintings

Venue: Old Dairy, Holstein Barn, 46 Old Dairy Road, Warm Springs, VA 24484

Each artist will have two water paintings on display throughout the week.

September 27, 2023

Artists Paint Bath County

Locations:  Warm Springs Pools, Lake Moomaw

10-12 pm - Artist Demonstration:  Michelle Held

Locations: Warm Springs Pools, 11 Bath St, Warm Springs, VA 2448

12-4 pm - Exploring Bath County Waterways: Warm Springs Pools + Lake Moomaw + Cascades Gorge + Jackson River.

Cascades Gorge 9 am - 12 pm - Hike followed by a picnic lunch at the Gallery $65/person

Jackson River 9 am - 1 pm - Yoga, Kayak and Meditation, followed by picnic lunch riverside  $90/person

Jackson River 10 am - 12 pm - Paddle Trip—Petticoat Junction to Intervale, followed by a picnic lunch riverside $70/person

Warm Springs Pools 11 am - 12 pm - Soak followed by a picnic lunch at the Gallery $50/person

Lake Moomaw: 11 am - 2 pm -Tour of Lake Moomaw, followed by a picnic on an island  $65/person

7-10 - Sip and Stroll at Sunset

Venue: Omni Homestead Resort. Reception at The Pillars, 1525 Shady Lane, Hot Springs, VA  24445

Grab a drink and stroll throughout the grounds of the Omni Homestead to see all 2023 invited artists paint on location. Free and open to the public.

September 28, 2023

Artists Paint Bath County

Locations: Warm Springs and Hot Springs, Jackson River at Hidden Valley, Garth Newel Music Center

10 - 12 pm - Artist Demonstration:  Greg Barnes

Locations:Jackson River at Hidden Valley, 2241 Hidden Valley Road, Warm Springs, VA 24484

11 - 1 pm - Exploring Bath County Waterways: Warm Springs Pools + Cascades Gorge + Lake Moomaw

Cascades Gorge 9 am 12 pm - Hike followed by a picnic lunch at the Garden Cafe $65/person

Warm Springs Pools 11 am 12 pm - Soak followed by a picnic lunch at the Dairy $50/person

Lake Moomaw 11 am 2 pm - Tour of Lake Moomaw, followed by a picnic on an island  $65/person

1:30 - 3:30 pm - Panel Discussion with Artists

Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Ln, Hot Springs, VA 24445

"How to Read a Painting." What’s involved in understanding a painting? How do we see a painting for what it is? Artists make choices about subject matter, palette, composition, and mark - making. How do they weave these elements together to create an impact? What makes a successful painting and how do we gain confidence with our purchasing choices. Beth Bathe, Lon Brauer, Neal Hughes, Russell Jewell, DK Palecek, George Van Hook, and Steven Walker. Free and open to the public.

4 - 6 pm - Ragged Branch Bourbon Tasting
Locations: Old Dairy, Trimble Hall, 46 Old Dairy Road, Warm Springs, VA 24484

Join us for a bourbon tasting! We've partnered with Ragged Branch of Charlottesville to bring you a welcome cocktail and three tastings. Price includes your tasting, light refreshments, and a gift. $25/person

7 pm - Painting Impressions:  Angelo Râpan and Festival Artists, Improvisational Music and Painting Performance
Locations:Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Ln, Hot Springs, VA 24445

Angelo Râpan inhabits the smallest ecosystem known to musicians: The place where heart and mind are perfectly in balance.  Angelo comes to us from years of training and discipline to a place where his skills are immediately and dramatically apparent. What makes him stand apart, however, is the passion of his composition and performance which force us to encounter him on an emotional level far beyond what mere skill can provide.
$30/person

September 29, 2023

Artists paint Bath County

Windy Cove Farm, Camp Mount Shenandoah, Lynchbrug Camp, Fort Lewis Lodge

10 am - 12 pm - 12:30 am - 2:30 pm - Stream Ecology Guided Hike
Locations: Cowpasture River at Fort Lewis Lodge, 811 Millstone Ln, Millboro, VA 24460

Join Dr. Charles Gowan, biology professor at Randolph - Macon College, on a guided hike along the Cowpasture River.  This experience is all wet!  Dr. Gowan will get you into the river to see fish and aquatic invertebrates and to learn their names, their fascinating adaptations to flowing water, and the cool ways they interact. If you prefer to stay onshore, we’ll bring critters to you. The more adventurous can wade into the water to do some collecting themselves (wear shorts and shoes suitable for the water; we’ll bring the nets). Want more adventure?  Don some of the hip boots provided and catch fish with electricity, just like the pros!  Really a thrill seeker?  Slip on the masks and snorkels provided and swim with the fishes (literally, not figuratively).  At the end of the experience, you’ll come away amazed at what lurks right below the water’s surface.

1 pm - 3 pm - Artist Demonstration:  Debra Howard
Locations: Fort Lewis Lodge, 811 Millstone Ln, Millboro, VA 24460

5:30 - 8:30 pm - Farm to Table Dinner. Exhibition & Sale of Paintings
Locations: Crit and Liza Richardson/Dice Farm, 25126 Sam Snead Hwy, Warm Springs, VA  2448

Enjoy a scrumptious dinner featuring chefs and storytellers Mike Costello and Amy Dawson of Lost Creek Farm. Via their travelling kitchen, Mike and Amy share story - rich Appalachian foods at culinary events across the eastern United States. Mike and Amy use food as a way to tell stories about the way people of all backgrounds have connected to the Appalachian landscape. $175/person

September 30, 2023

10 - 12 am - Talk by Festival Judge Randall Sexton
Locations: Garth Newel Music Center, 403 Garth Newel Ln, Hot Springs, VA 2444

Award - winning artist and instructor, Randall Sexton is nationally known for his use of color and expressive brushwork in his oil paintings of “everyday” scenes. He has received accolades from curators, jurors, fellow artists, students and collectors. His talk is entitled, Inspiration, Influences, and String Theory: A personal reflection on those who have influenced, inspired, and affected the arc of my development as an artist, and a few related "threads" of connections or influence in the "broader" painting world.  Free and open to the public.  

1 - 3 pm - Artist Demonstration:  Hector Acuna
Locations: Inn at Gristmill Square, ?118 Old Germantown Rd, Warm Springs, VA 24484

5 - 6 pm - Collector’s Preview & Champagne Kick - Off
Locations: Warm Springs Gallery, 12 Katydid Trail, Warm Springs, VA  24484

Be among the first to see and purchase the newly completed paintings!  Enjoy a glass of champagne, passed hors d'oeuvres, and the opportunity to talk with festival artists. $50/person. 

6:30 - 8:30 pm - Gala Celebration.  Exhibition, Awards, and Sale of Wet Paintings
Locations: Warm Springs Gallery, 12 Katydid Trail, Warm Springs, VA  24484

Hors d'oeuvres, wine, and fresh paintings by festival artists! Cast your vote for the best painting in the show. Festival Judge Randall Sexton will select the three top paintings in the show.  The winning paintings will be for sale immediately after judging. $25/person.

October 1, 2023

9am - 12pm - Small Painting Sunday

Warm Springs Gallery, 12 Katydid Trail, Warm Springs, VA  24484

The Bath County Plein Air Festival will conclude with an exhibition and sale of small paintings, (6 inches x 8 inches) produced during the week.  These small paintings, which will not be shown until Sunday, represent a chance for all patrons to add to their collections and will offer a unique perspective on the landscape of Bath County. Free and open to the public.

Date: September 25 - 1 October , 2023

Location: Various Venues in Warm Springs, VA 24484

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