Professional artists and volunteers are needed for a monthly series of summer paint-outs planned in Ligonier by River Art Works.

The first of the second-Saturday sessions will be held from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. June 12 at Ligonier Diamond Park. Other dates are July 10, Aug. 14 and Sept. 11.

Interested artists will be asked to submit samples of their work for approval, said Jane Altman, River Art Works founder and executive director. They will be able to bring up to six pieces to sell while working on-site during the paint-outs.

Volunteers would serve as event hosts, checking artists in and assisting with crowd control and sales of the artworks.

The plein air sessions are the first post-pandemic public events for the nonprofit organization whose mission is to create an artists’ retreat in Westmoreland County.

River Art Works currently is seeking a property on which to build the retreat, Altman said. The vision is for the retreat to include work spaces, sleeping quarters, dining facilities, an amphitheater and smaller performance spaces.

“We’re looking for about 35 acres that would feel like a retreat but also have the opportunity for tourist traffic,” she said.

Organizers also intend for River Art Works to foster the professional development of young area artists, Altman said.

“Our colleges do amazing jobs of educating students in the arts, but there’s no follow-up,” she said. “They graduate and then they keep on going.

“The Westmoreland County comprehensive plan puts an exclamation point on why we need an arts retreat here. The big concern is the loss of our youth population. We want to find better ways to keep them here,” she said.

To that end, River Art Works is working on developing follow-up educational opportunities, such as an ArtTECH pilot program that will introduce students from four area high schools to what Altman calls the future of art, including the basics of holograms and animatronics, along with the business side of art.

“What’s coming down the pike digitally is going to blow your mind,” Altman said, pointing to immersive sensory experiences like the traveling Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit that will come to Pittsburgh in September.

“There will be things going on in the art world that we can’t even imagine,” she said. “We want to work with people who can work with our fine artists and push them into another realm.”

For information on participating in the Ligonier paint-outs and other volunteer or financial support opportunities, call 724-547-4121, email jane@riverartworks.org or visit riverartworks.org.

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