Forever the Forest: Art Meets Conservation in Easton This July

Easton, MD - Two organizations with deep roots on the Eastern Shore are teaming up again this summer for an art event that also carries a conservation message.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) and Plein Air Easton (PAE) are hosting their third annual alumni invitational, "Forever the Forest." The exhibit is part of the 22nd Plein Air Easton Festival, held at the Tidewater Inn in downtown Easton.

The festival is the largest and most prestigious juried plein air painting competition in the country. This year's invitational features original studio works from PAE's top previous award winners. The paintings showcase autumn scenes of wildlife habitat, tree farms, pocket forests, campsites, and ESLC's own Jim and Mary B. Lynch Preserve, a 200-plus-acre woodland open to the public in Caroline County.

Every forest shown in the exhibit is protected by ESLC through a permanent conservation easement.

ESLC President and CEO Steve Kline put it simply: "When managed responsibly, these woodlands provide our region with clear air, clean water, biodiverse wildlife habitat, and essential economic benefits. If you imagine what you love about the Eastern Shore, forests and open space might not be on the tip of your tongue, might not be the thing that you say. But that feeling you get when you come here, when your blood pressure goes down, the feeling you get when you take a scenic drive on one of our country roads, the feeling of community you get from this place, the quiet, the peacefulness, it starts right here in these forests."

Those forests matter more than most people realize. Forestry is the fifth largest manufacturing industry in Maryland, supporting 18,000 jobs and contributing $2.5 billion to the state economy. Maryland trees become lumber, furniture, paper, firewood, fishing poles, and even bedding for livestock and poultry farms.

Since 1990, ESLC has conserved more than 21,600 acres of forest. The challenge? That same amount of forest acreage is now lost to other uses every single year in Maryland.

Plein Air Easton Coordinator Marie Nuthall described what visitors can expect from the paintings: "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."

Beyond the paintings, there's plenty to do throughout the exhibit. Visitors can attend photography talks, meditative tea times hosted by For All Seasons, interactive community art projects, and children's art activities. ESLC will also screen a new mini-documentary on forest stewardship featuring Steve Kline, Maryland Forestry Association President Beth Hill, NRCS Regional Wildlife Biologist Erin Baker, and Rick Abend of Abend Hafen Tree Farm.

Artist, educator, and docent Anna Madachik will be on hand throughout the exhibit with hands-on instruction and demonstrations using different art materials and techniques.

The opening reception and awards ceremony is Thursday, July 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Tidewater Inn. The full exhibit runs July 9 through July 19 and is open to the public at no charge.

To register for the opening reception or get more details on hours and programming, visit eslc.org/event/forevertheforest or the Plein Air Easton events calendar.