EAGLE, Idaho β As Eagle continues to grow, so does the city's Plein Air Festival, now drawing nearly a hundred artists from across the country to capture Southwest Idaho's beauty and help define the city's reputation as an arts destination.
Meet some of the artists showcasing their talents at Eagle's Plein Air Festival
This year, Eagle's Plein Air Festival is bigger than ever. What started with just over 30 artists in its first year has grown to 95 β the most the festival has ever had.
"This is our 11th year celebrating the beauty of painting outdoors and really attracting people from all over the United States to come to Southern Idaho to paint the outdoor landscape," Meg Glasgow, director of the Eagle Plein Air Festival, said.
The festival has achieved national recognition, drawing artists from across the United States to participate in the week-long outdoor painting event.
"We have 95 artists this year, which is a lot. We're so thrilled that we're now on the national stage. So we're having artists come from as far as Tennessee, and Minnesota and California, Montana, Colorado, even, so it's really exciting that this event is nationally known," Glasgow said.
Bonnie Griffith, a Meridian artist who has participated in the festival since 2015 when she moved to Idaho, has witnessed the event's remarkable transformation firsthand.
"I do about 10 to 12 of these events a year around the country and this is my top favorite one because it's a great area to paint," Griffith said.
The convenience of participating in a high-quality event close to home adds to the festival's appeal for local artists.
"It's a wonderful festival, and we have so much fun," Griffith said.
Griffith, who declared at age 5 that she would be an artist, transitioned from a career in medicine to painting full-time in 2009. She has been showing work in galleries since her early years and paints daily as her profession.
The festival's reputation has spread beyond Idaho's borders, attracting artists like Liz Hubbard, who came from Oregon after years of encouragement from her friend and mentor, Bonnie Griffith.
Hubbard's journey to Eagle began when she was starting to learn painting and attended a local show at the Fable Museum in Klamath Falls.
"I looked for artists that I wanted to paint like them, was drawn to their work, and I found Bonnie's name, and I looked her up on Instagram, and she was very friendly, and we've been friends since then. I've taken Zoom classes from her and came over and taken workshops," Hubbard said.
The mentorship relationship eventually led Hubbard to experience Eagle's festival firsthand.
"She's been telling me for years what a great event this was, so I finally made it over and it, it's, it's fabulous," Hubbard said.
The festival creates opportunities for artists to connect over their shared passion, something Hubbard particularly values.
"Well, it's really fun to find somebody that doesn't get tired of talking about, paint colors for 3 hours, you know, my husband gets a little tired of that, so it's fun to just hang out with people that are willing to talk about what brush to use and what different types of paint and all those tricks of the trade," Hubbard said.
As Eagle's population soars, so does interest in showcasing its scenery. Artists fan out across a 50-mile radius, finding inspiration from riverbanks to foothills.
"So I like to come out to Eagle Island to paint because there's, there's endless possibilities of subject matter," Griffith said.
The festival's growth reflects its ability to serve both professional and amateur artists, according to Griffith.
"That's the beauty, I think, of this festival. That it attracts and it satisfies both hobby painters as well as professionals," Griffith said.
Beyond artistic development, Griffith notes the festival's broader community impact.
"So the positives are that it brings revenue to the area," Griffith said.
Glasgow believes the festival serves a larger purpose in establishing Eagle's cultural identity.
"I love this event because it really puts Eagle on the map for being a center of, of arts, and there's so much beauty here in southern Idaho to paint and kind of the magic of this event is it turns painting into a spectator sport, so people can actually go out and watch the painters create these original works of art and even buy paintings right off the easel," Glasgow said.
The festival concludes with special events designed to showcase the week's artistic creations. Friday, Oct 10, offers the community a chance to see all the completed works at Banbury Golf Club.
"Friday night is a chance for you to come to Banbury Golf Course, where we will have all the paintings they've created all week long on display," Glasgow said.
"The event runs [from] 5 to 8 this Friday night at Banbury Golf Club. So at 6 o'clock we're handing out the awards, so that's really fun to watch, but it's gonna be your chance to see all of the beautiful paintings artists have created all week long, and your chance to purchase your favorite," Glasgow said.
Saturday activities continue at the Harvest Festival in downtown Eagle, where the festival will maintain its community engagement focus.
For many participants, this festival serves as a reminder of what makes Eagle special β a place where growth hasn't outpaced the natural beauty that originally attracted residents and visitors.
"We still have the beauty of the state of Idaho to paint," Griffith said.
The complete schedule is available on the festival website at eaglepleinair.com, offering detailed information about all activities and locations throughout the week.
