Art, family festival draw crowd

Thursday, June 16, 2022

DAR/Samantha Tucker

The Plein Air Festival ran concurrently with a Family Fun Festival on Saturday, June 11. Competing artists painted outdoors at the event, and visitors got to join in by contributing to community art projects. Booths, activities and crafts were also available. Plein Air Festival works are on display at MHAM until June 26 The Plein Air Festival winners are: Best in Show, Ellen Hahs Flentge of Cape Girardeau; first place, Rose Anne Stanard of Poplar Bluff; second place, Sonja Halstead of Portageville; third place, Caleb Knodell of Bloomington, Indian; and honorable mention, Scott Kelley of Cape Girardeau, Mattylin Stacy of Poplar Bluff and Marty Harlan of Poplar Bluff.

Kids got to work at the Family Fun Festival's mural painting station. Gamblin Lumber assembled the three panels, which will likely be mounted in a new green space later.
The children's mural panel was rapidly filled by young artists, according to MHAM Director Steve Whitworth, so organizers set them loose on the adult panels as well.
A local artist shows her paintings for sale during the Family Fun Festival.
Plein Air Festival painter Marty Harlan set up behind the Margaret Harwell Art Museum to paint.

Artist Caleb Knodell steps back to plan his next brushstroke. Knodell recently held an exhibit at MHAM and placed 3rd in the Plein Air Festival competition. He is originally from Poplar Bluff.
Best in Show: Ellen Hahs Flentge of Cape Girardeau (Photo provided)
1st place: Rose Anne Stanard of Poplar Bluff (Photo provided)
2nd place: Sonja Halstead of Portageville (Photo provided)
3rd place: Caleb Knodell of Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo provided)