Weather or Not: A Juried Exhibition of Plein Air Art and Tribute to Kathy Francis

Weather or Not is an exhibition of plein air painting and a tribute to the late Kathy Francis, a well-loved painter in the Port Townsend community and co-founder of "Weather or Not," a loosely knit group of fellow painters. The group operated with no rules, no meetings, and no dues—just brushes, paint, canvas, and artist comrades who helped each other with observations and insights. The exhibition will be juried by artist Catherine Gill, a renowned Northwest painter and educator who works extensively in plein air.

Plein air painting is the practice of painting landscape pictures outdoors, offering a direct expression of what a painter sees before their eyes. The work provides a sense of freshness and immediacy through direct contact with the natural world. This is a regional exhibit open to artists from the Pacific Northwest region (WA/OR/AK/ID/MT/WY and BC). A maximum of five entries may be submitted per artist. All submissions should consist of work completed within the last three years, with at least 75% completed outdoors. Submitted digital images should represent the quality and nature of the work, showing the artwork in its entirety with one image per artwork. Artists should indicate the dimensions of each entry.

Entry fee is $40 for up to five entries (non-refundable). Awards include a $500 Juror's Choice Award, three $300 Merit Awards, and a $100 People's Choice Award. The exhibition runs September 1 – October 29, 2023, with gallery hours Thursday–Monday 12:00–5:00pm or by appointment. Shipped work must arrive between August 21–25, 2023. All artwork must be available for sale; Northwind Art pays 60% of the retail selling price. Artists must include return postage for any accepted work that does not sell.