Last summer saw a mix of art lovers from across the Hudson Valley gather at Harmony Hall in Sloatsburg to spend a relaxing day on the Great Lawn for the Plein Air art show. Hosted and curated by Jessie Taylor and Peter Bush, the Plein Air Painting & Art Show was another in a series of events that has helped solidify Harmony Hall as an excellent place to host arts and culture events.

Both Bush and Jessie Taylor used their deep network to connect with people interested in arts, and both put in a lot of volunteer time to prepare the historic Jacob Sloat House for the occasion. This year’s will again allow Harmony Hall’s Great Lawn to come alive again to pay homage to the tradition of plein air “in the open air” painting, as it most likely did in the days of Jasper Cropsey.

The curated art show and lawn painting takes place on Sunday, August 18, from 1 to 4 pm. Admission for the event costs $10 and $5 for students and seniors.

The tradition of plein air landscape painting began with the Romantics (1789-1830) and became popular in the Ramapo Mountains and Sloatsburg through the work of Jasper Cropsey, who did a pencil study of Harmony Hall and oil paintings surrounding mountains and streams. The search for picturesque nature and natural light was an important component of plein air painting and the work of the Hudson River School Artists of which Cropsey was one of the leading figures in the 19th century.

At the Harmony Hall event, guests will work in groups with other artists and vote for a favorite artist. Refreshments will be served.