New exhibition to show art created outdoors in Arlington Heights

Artists will be in the outdoors across Arlington Heights over the next week, creating landscape artwork that will be displayed at The Empty Corner's upcoming Arlington Heights Plein Air Festival.

Inspired by 19th century French Impressionists who used portable easels to draw and paint in the open air, local artists can submit up to three paintings or drawings in any medium created outdoors - within the two primary ZIP codes of Arlington Heights - from direct observation of the subject matter.

Artists who pay a $40 fee and pick up a packet of registration materials Thursday, Sept. 14, are eligible.

The art gallery, 214 E. Grove St., will host an opening reception from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, when submitted artwork will be evaluated by a panel of judges (Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 board member Liz Nierman, Yeulanda Degala from the Good Neighbors Network and Liz Schrenk from The Empty Corner and Something Blue Photography).

They will award first-, second- and third-place winners with cash prizes, including a special cash award for winning artwork produced by Northwest Suburban High School District 214 students.

The exhibition will be on display through Oct. 12. For more information, visit theemptycorner.com.