A BREATH OF PLEIN AIR

A renowned regional arts event flourishes in the Columbia Gorge landscape

story by JANET COOK | photos by DAVID BURBACH

Even for the non-Francophiles among us, painting “en plein air” is just what it seems: painting outdoors, in view of the landscape being painted. If you were tasked with picking an ideal place for the pursuit, the Columbia River Gorge, with its endless supply of accessible, beautiful landscapes worthy of painting, would certainly be in the running.

That’s exactly what Hood River artist Cathleen Rehfeld thought years ago when she discovered plein air painting. A landscape painter who works in oil, she’d become enamored of plein air during visits to her husband’s hometown of Lyme, Conn., known as the birthplace of American Impressionism and steeped in plein air painting.

“My husband had grown up looking at people outside painting with their easels,” she said. When the couple moved to the Gorge in the early 1990s, he asked her why she wasn’t painting outside. “No one was really doing it,” Rehfeld said. Her neighbor was Eric Jacobsen, a renowned plein air painter who also hailed from Lyme, and Rehfeld made her first plein air forays in the Gorge with him and his wife.

For years, Rehfeld made the rounds to wellknown plein air shows in Connecticut and Vermont, in Carmel and Catalina Island in California. Plein air events usually revolve around a “paintout,” where artists paint en plein air for up to several days, then turn in their work for judging. “I kept thinking, all of these places are really beautiful but none are as beautiful as where we live in the Gorge,” she said.

Hood River artist Cathleen Rehfeld, opposite inset, started the annual PNW Plein Air in the Gorge event in 2005. It’s been attracting preeminent artists from around the region and beyond every summer since then, including Sally Reichmuth, opposite top, Yong Hong Zhong, above left, and Kat Sowa, above right, painting with Rehfeld.

Back in Hood River, Rehfeld talked about starting a local plein air show to anyone who would listen. “Most people didn’t even know what it was,” she said. “I started thinking that if this is going to happen, I guess I’m going to have to do it.” So she did.

The first Pacific Northwest Plein Air in the Columbia River Gorge event took place in 2005. From her experience with plein air shows, Rehfeld knew that getting a respected juror was key. “The juror is very important,” she said. “It has to be someone familiar with plein air, who does plein air and does plein air workshops, and someone whose opinion everyone would be okay with.” As she was organizing the inaugural event, Rehfeld went to a plein air show in Lyme — where she knew many of the top plein air artists would be — armed with packets about the upcoming event in the Gorge. She handed them out and talked to as many artists as she could.

To her delight, renowned plein air artist and past-president of the Plein Air Painters of America, Kenn Backhaus, said he was interested. “He was intrigued by Oregon and Washington and wanted to see something completely different,” Rehfeld said. Backhaus became the event’s first juror, and returned for the second year.

Since then, the show has become a muchanticipated event every summer, headquartered for the last several years at Maryhill Museum of Art. This year is the 16th annual show, although last year’s was canceled due to the pandemic.

Rehfeld has stepped away from organizing the event, although she is still one of the show’s artists. Steven Grafe, curator of art at Maryhill Museum, is in charge of the show, in which 40 artists are juried in — mostly from the Pacific Northwest, with a few from farther away. The paint-out starts Monday, July 26, and continues for four days. According to artist Celeste Bergin, who has been involved in the show since its inception, artists are given a long list of suggested painting locations throughout the Gorge.

where art meets nature in the Columbia Gorge

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The PNW Plein Air in the Gorge event features 40 artists who are juried into the show. They spend four days painting at various locations throughout the Gorge, followed by judging from a selected juror and an awards presentation at Maryhill Museum of Art. An exhibit of the artists’ work will be on display from July 30-Aug. 28.

“The first day, lots of us find each other and we paint as a big group,” Bergin said. “The second day, everyone scatters. That’s the funny thing about plein air painters. They want to be together, but they want to be alone.” Artists submit their work — up to five pieces — at Maryhill Museum on July 29. The juror for this year’s event is California artist Peggi Kroll Roberts, who will award prizes in several categories besides the overall winners, including Best Sky, Best Mountain, Best Water and the Maryhill Museum Award.

Kroll Roberts will host a plein air workshop on July 30. In the meantime, the artists’ work will be hung in a gallery at Maryhill, with judging on July 31. Normally, an exhibition opening would take place during the evening following the judging, but none is planned this year due to potential pandemicrelated crowd restrictions. In lieu of that, the show will hang in the gallery, open to the public, for a week longer than usual, until Aug. 28.

“Our hope is that by being open for an additional week, more people will be able to view the exhibition,” Grafe said.

Peggy Ohlson Oils

The artists participating this year were the ones juried in for last year’s show that was cancelled. As always, those who submitted works but didn’t get selected are welcome to come and paint with the other artists. “Our event is a little unusual,” Bergin said. “It’s benevolent.”

Rehfeld hopes the show continues to get more people involved and educated — including encouraging art collectors to see the Gorge as a destination.

“I hope it’s helped to promote artwork and painting in Oregon and Washington,” she said of the event’s legacy, “and to help get the Gorge known as a place you can come see great art, experience great art — to see a landscape and see how it was interpreted.” For more information, go to pacificnwpa.com

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DR. LOYD grew up in a missionary family and experienced various cultures across the globe. After attending the University of Oklahoma he continued his training at Wake Forest University and New York University. He learned about the beauty of the Gorge while working in Portland. His medical career took him to Colorado before moving to the Gorge and joining Hood River Dermatology. He is board certified in dermatology and dermatopathology. His interest in returning to the area was sparked by the plethora of outdoor recreational opportunities of the Cascades. He looks forward to enjoying these activities with his 2 daughters. Some of his interests include hiking, backcountry skiing, biking and kiting.

Luke Sloan, MD • Melissa Arndt PA-C • Aaron Loyd, MD • Victoria Hopkins PA-C

HOOD RIVER DERMATOLOGY was established 21 years ago by Dr. Sloan. Over the years the clinic has grown and provides comprehensive dermatologic care. The founding mission statement emphasizes general dermatology health that’s based on the latest advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatments. The medical clinic was built in 2006 and is located at 917 11th St (This was the old livery barn site). The clinic needed more space and last year expanded into the annex building located to the south at 919 11th St (The old archery shop). Living, working and recreating in this part of the country is a wonderful opportunity given the unique geographic beauty. These features create many challenges for our skin and the providers and staff at Hood River Dermatology are passionate about delivering exceptional state of the art care for you and your skin. This includes cutaneous care for all ages, Mohs surgical treatments for complicated skin cancer, and advanced laser aesthetic treatments for rejuvenation. Now accepting new patients.