St. George Island Paint Out

The St. George Island Paint Out is celebrating four years of inviting professional artists to paint en plein air (outdoors) on beautiful St. George Island, and the river and bay areas. We are excited to have sixteen award-winning artists who will travel here from eight different states as well as Florida. The artists will paint daily on location and teach painting workshops. Throughout the week, there will be daily events and activities for the artists and the public to enjoy.

The events of the week are as follows:

Saturday, May 1, 10am-4pm.  We will kick off the week with the sixteen invited artists in the Apalachicola Historic District, where they will be painting homes, gardens, and churches.  A map of where the artists are painting will be available on the website at www.sgipaintout.com and at the event. The painting locations are within an easy walking distance of each other along Avenues C and B.

Saturday, May 1, 5pm-7pm.  The public is invited to a complimentary wine and cheese reception at Live Oak Gallery, 156 Market Street in Apalachicola. Meet all the artists and see the paintings completed that day.  The Historic Homes Art Show will be available for viewing at the gallery 11am – 5pm daily until Thursday, May 6.

 Sunday, May 2, 9am-11am. A Quick-Draw Contest in memory of SGIPO board member, Pat Gore, will be held at the SGI Visitors’ Center at Lighthouse Park on SGI.  There are two categories to enter:  Professional or Open (amateur).  Monetary prizes will be awarded in each category and all recipients will receive gift bags with merchandise provided by Golden Art Supplies, Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies and Blick Art Supplies.  The winning paintings in each category will be available for viewing until May 7 at the St. George Island Visitors’ Center during business hours.  For more information and to register for the event, go to www.sgipaintout.com. The entry fees from friends of Pat Gore will be donated to Franklin County Schools Art Department and they will wear badges that say “Painting for Pat”.

Monday-Thursday, May 3-6, 11am-5pm  “Fresh off the Easel” paintings completed each day by the artists, are available for viewing at the following locations:  Live Oak Gallery, 156 Market Street; Becasa 115 Commerce Street; Apalachicola and Coastal Realty Group 123 E Gulf Beach Drive on St. George Island.

Tuesday, May 4, 4pm-7pm Enjoy Happy Hour at Eastpoint Brewery 374 US HWY 98. Watch as artists capture the beauty of the bay on their canvases.  Beer, wine, and pizza will be available for purchase; complimentary snacks will also be available.

Wednesday, May 5, 5pm-7pm Attend the “After Hours” complimentary reception at Becasa, 115 Commerce Street,  Apalachicola, hosted by owner, Emily Ratfield.  Mingle with the artists and watch as several of the artists paint street scenes in the area.

Friday, May 7, 5pm-8pm Make a reservation at www.sgipaintout.com by May 5 to attend the signature Champagne Reception and Final Art Show at Live Oak Gallery.  See the winning paintings, selected by our judge, view new art by the artists and cast your vote for the People’s Choice award.  The price of a $20 ticket will be deducted from one painting of purchase. Heavy hors d’ oeuvres, champagne, wine and beer will be served in the garden. The reception is catered by Kim Council of the SGI Food Truck.

Raffle tickets for a framed oil painting by artist Kathleen Denis will be available during the week.  The winner will be drawn at 7pm on Friday during the Champagne Reception.  All proceeds will be donated to Franklin Co. Schools Art Department. Raffle tickets are three for $5.

SGI Paint Out is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization sponsored in part by the TDC and Duke Energy, local businesses and friends.

The St. George Island Paint Out was established in 2017 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of St. George Plantation.  That year, local artists and friends were invited to paint within The Plantation (a gated community on the far west end of the island) to capture the natural beauty of our beaches, green spaces, and homes.   At that time, a visiting artist friend suggested a larger “Paint Out” to involve the whole island the next year. After much encouragement, and with support of local businesses, The St. George Island Paint Out was born! Our mission was, and still is, to promote art and business in our area by bringing awareness to the beauty of our natural beaches, rivers, bays, and quaint towns and fishing villages. The St. George Island Paint Out strives to establish our part of “old Florida” as a painting destination for many artists to be able to feel its magic and capture its beauty on their canvases.