Annual painting festival is just plein fun

Painters can head downtown this month to capture Surf City’s light for several art festival events.

The sixth annual Plein Air Painting Festival, hosted by the Huntington Beach Art Center, is in full swing with Painting in the Streets, two free workshops and a dinner event at the end of the month.

The festival kicked off Aug. 22 and will continue throughout September.

Painting in the Streets will bring artists down to Main Street and the Strand to capture the downtown light. Residents can check out artists while at work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Residents will also a chance to try their hands at painting with two classes at Pier Plaza on Sunday. Diana LoSchiavo will teach watercolor techniques from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Pamela Panattoni will instruct on oil painting techniques from 2 to 5 p.m.

The classes are free, but pre-registration is required.

The center is also hosting Dining En Plein Air in its galleries from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 23. There will be a champagne reception, a family-style dinner by Zimzala chef Roy Hendrickson, a silent auction and opportunity drawing. Tickets are $95.

All the art created during the festival will be on display Sept. 25 to Oct. 2 with an free opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 24.

For more information, call (714) 374-1650 or go to https://www.huntingtonbeachartcenter.org.

—Britney Barnes