For several days, artists traded studios for the streets of Spring City and painted the town's historical buildings and pastures for the annual Plein Air Art Festival.

          “[The artists] just love the pastoral landscape,” Plein Air competition head Chris Anderson said. “We have artists that come in and say, gosh, I can go out on any corner in town and look every direction and see four different great paintings I could paint.” 

Every year for the past twenty years different kinds of artists have gathered in Spring City for this festival. It helps bring connection and support to the local artists. 

“We started 20 years ago and the idea was, since we have a number of artists in Spring City already, and it's become known as kind of an art location, it was a way to support our local artists and bring more people who are interested in the arts to come see Spring City,” Anderson said.

Spring City is considered by many to be an art center, a place where artists can go and gain inspiration, and it is admired by many artists. 

“[I liked] just the historic nature of the town. There was a really unique aspect of it,” Plein Air participant Daniel Sommers said. “The really nice lady that I was staying with, she calls it kind of like living in a Hallmark movie.”

Unlike working in a studio, plein air artists have to work with whatever nature gives them. Changing light, weather, and scenery can all affect the way a painting develops.

“Weather was a challenge, something that you don't have to worry about when you're in studio so much,” Sommers said.  ”It was a unique hurdle to overcome that, it kind of almost  turned painting into a sport.” 

Although weather was a big challenge artists also had to face the other challenges of light and time. Due to the artists painting in real time, they had to paint in a time crunch or things like the light could change and affect the painting as a whole.

“The continuously changing light is something that you're chasing. I tend to take my time with my paintings… when I got into plein air you have to paint quick,” Sommers said. “Otherwise, your reference is not going to be the same at the beginning of your painting as it will be at the end.”

While the plein air artists were painting, people were working hard behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly.

“The biggest challenge for us is just how to make sure that the artists enjoy their stay,” Anderson said.

Behind the scenes the competition heads arrange to have people committed to buy paintings so that artists feel like it is worth it to come back again.

“We try to arrange for some donors who will be committed to buy paintings so we can give ribbons to people who have purchased awards and just so the artists feel like there's really there's really something to come for,” Anderson said.

` The support from donors gives artists another reason to participate while also helping connect their work with people in the community. After 20 years, the festival has become more than a gathering of artists. Through the support of local artists, visiting painters, and the community, it has helped establish spring city as a place where art can thrive. 

“I think [the festival] contributes positively because it gives Spring City a reputation for being an art center. And so when people think of where to go for art, they think of Spring City,” Anderson said.