Forever the Forest

Exhibition Gallery Hours:

Thursday, July 9 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM — Opening Reception
Friday, July 10 | 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday, July 11 – Tuesday, July 14 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Daily
Wednesday, July 15 | 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday, July 16 – Saturday, July 18 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Daily

Whether you are a seasoned collector or a nature lover, we invite you to step into the Tidewater Inn, explore these freshly painted works, and return throughout the week to experience the exhibit and live demonstrations. This summer, two of the Eastern Shore’s most cherished organizations unite once again to celebrate the breathtaking beauty of our natural landscapes. Plein Air Easton (PAE) and Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) are proud to present Forever the Forest, a spectacular alumni invitational exhibition hosted at the historic Tidewater Inn.

This unique collaboration brings back an elite group of Plein Air Easton alumni artists, tasking them with a singular mission: capturing the "soul" of our woodlands. To bring this vision to life, Eastern Shore forests permanently protected under the care of ESLC were professionally photographed to serve as inspiration. While a few of the selected artists chose to paint on-site en plein air, most utilized these reference images to complete their masterworks in their studios. Commissioned during the peak of autumn, these master painters have brilliantly captured the dramatic shift of the seasons. Through their brushes, you will experience the deep, quiet majesty of the Eastern Shore’s woodlands draped in the warm colors of fall—reminding us all of the quiet beauty that gives way to winter, and offering a stunning contrast of rich autumn hues on display this July.

This year’s theme highlights the vital role of ESLC in keeping the Eastern Shore green, healthy, and scenic (and irresistibly paintable!) for generations to come. Founded in 1990, ESLC has helped to conserve more than 67,000 acres of the Eastern Shore forever. Learn more about their work here.

A Heartfelt Thank You to the Underwriters: Thanks to the generous support of Bruce Wiltse and Bill Davenport, ESLC and PAE are collaborating once again to bring this powerful intersection of art and conservation to life. We are profoundly grateful for their continued commitment to our community and our landscapes.

Participating Plein Air Easton Alumni Artists:
Paul Bachem*
David Csont*
Ken DeWaard
Ron Donoughe
Martin Geiger**
Joshua Hoffman**
Tim Kelly
Nikolai Mikushkin
Diane DuBois Mullaly
Sara Poly
Lori Putnam
Julia Rogers
Patrick Saunders
Murray Taylor**
Lyudmila Tomova-Clark**

*These artists will also be giving a demo at Plein Air Easton Headquarters (40 S Harrison Street) July 12-15

**These artists will be giving a demo at Local Color (Christ Church Parish Hall, 111 S Harrison St) July 16-17