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Opus Outdoor Painting Challenge
Take your show on the road! Join in the Opus Outdoor Painting Challenge and begin your journey to a creative spring and summer.
Paint in your favourite medium – acrylic, oil, watercolour – or create a mixed media piece, a drawing, a collage; you name it! Your only limits: working outdoors within the designated painting zone, and using the surface we provide you with.
Each Opus store will be awarding prizes to three works, chosen on site by an impartial jury. The top prize in each location is a $500 Opus Gift Card, with 2nd and 3rd prizes being $250 and $100 Gift Cards, respectively.
Ready to challenge yourself? Here’s how to join in!
- Register at your local Opus, in store or by phone.
- On Saturday, April 21, sign in at your local Opus by 10:00 a.m. Bring your favourite media and tools (paints, pencils, mixed media, easel, brushes) with you or pick up some new materials before you head out. We’ll provide you with the surface (a canvas panel or watercolour board), free to registered participants.
- Gather outside the store for further instructions, then head out within the area specified by your Opus Outdoor Guide to find inspiration in nature and the urban landscape.
- Return to Opus with your completed piece before 3:00 p.m. All works will be juried with winners announced and prizes awarded at 5:00 p.m.
In true plein air style, the Challenge will happen rain or shine.* Get a little inspiration for your day in the sun (or otherwise) - artist Maria Josenhans talks about the rewards of painting outdoors in this video.
Register by Friday, April 20th (check each store link below for store hours) and we'll see you at your local Opus on April 21!
Opus Locations:
Granville Island
1360 Johnston Street
604-736-7028
Downtown Vancouver
100-207 West Hastings Street
604-678-5889
North Vancouver
120 Lonsdale Avenue
604-904-0447
Langley
95 - 5501 204 Street
Langley Mall
604-533-0601
Victoria
512 Herald Street
250-386-8133
Kelowna
1357 Ellis Street
250-763-3616
The Opus Outdoor Painting Challenge in the Press
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? On April 19, the Vancouver Sun listed the Challenge as one of Best events in Vancouver this week!
Victoria News is talking about the Challenge!
Published April 17 : Get out and paint the town
Check out this article about the Challenge in the April 9 edition
of the Langley Times: Compete en plein air with Opus art store
* Forecast
The weather is looking perfect for all locations! Last we checked, it was mix of sun and cloud for all locations.
Lower Mainland
Victoria
Kelowna
Bring your sunscreen!
Comments
I have a painting of your store I did last summer when our art class did this very thing outside your store. We were allowed to finish it at home so mine has a lot more time spent on it than your contest would allow. I would like to sell it. Would it be possible to display it at your painting challenge on April 21? I will send you a picture of it so you can see if you think it is okay. I realize that it would not qualify for your contest but it would be some advertising for your store and I may sell it you never know. Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Pat Robinson
Hi Pat, we'd love to see your painting! Please feel free to send us a picture to info@opusartusupplies.com. Thank you for offering to display it in our store but, as you mentioned, we'll only be displaying the paintings painted the day of the challenge and only for the purposes of judging. We also don't sell artwork in our stores as we are not a gallery. Thanks again!
Is there a fee for this? it sounds interesting, and i want to participate, but i need to know whether or not it costs anything. thank you! c:
There is no charge for this event!
What time does the challenge start?
Hi Marianne, all participants must pre-register by contacting their local Opus store. On the day of the challenge, all registered participants must sign in at that store by 10am. Shortly after that, all will gather outside the store and be given instructions. I would imagine you'll all be set up and ready to begin your piece sometime between 10:30-11:00am. Hope that helps!
What happens if it rains?
Hi Alison, whether the weather is rain or shine, the Challenge is on! If the weather is rainy, participants will have to get creative with where they set up, using umbrellas, etc. It could be quite the creative adventure!
Is there a limit to how many people can register at a certain store?
Hi Gracelle, there is no limit to the amount of participants per store - the more, the merrier! But we do encourage everyone to register as soon as possible so we can be sure everyone can have the surface of their choice (a canvas panel or watercolour board will be provided to each registered participant). We hope to see you there!
I was just wondering is there is specific place, date and time where we have to do it??
Hi Abby, there is! The Challenge is Saturday, April 21, 2012 and will take place at our stores throughout BC.
You'll first have to register at your local Opus (contact info is in the article above) - just give them a call before they close for the day on Friday, April 20.
Then head down to the Opus you registered at to sign in before 10am on Saturday, April 21, pick up your painting surface, and get further instructions about the day.
You'll have until 3:pm to return the store with your completed artwork in order for it to be eligible to be judged. The winners of the gift certificates will be announced at 5:pm.
Hope that helps!
Crissy.
I am a pencil artist in training, what size is the board? or expected art size,is there a minimum size?
Hi patzpaint,
Pencil is great! The canvas panels and watercolour boards provided (you'll be asked which you prefer when you register to be part of the day) will be 16"x20" - we'll have some stretched canvas and possibly some illustration board on hand as well. You'll have to use the surface we provide you with to be eligible to enter the Challenge so be sure to register at your local Opus before the stores close on Friday, April 20 (contact information is in the article above).
Hope you can make it out!
Crissy.
Sounds like fun! I'm wondering if there is an age limit? I'd like to give it a try and bring my kids too- would they be able to participate?
Hi Adine,
No age limit, all are welcome! If your kids would like to officially enter the competition, please be sure to call your local Opus to register not only yourself but them as well (contact information is found in the article above).
Thanks!
Crissy.
Hi,
This event sounds awesome unfortunately I cannot make it next weekend. Will there be another event like this later in the year?
Hi Stephanie,
This will be the only Outdoor Painting Challenge we host this year. However, we hope to host another next year so hopefully the date chosen for that works better for you and you can attend the next one.
All the best,
Crissy.
Hi Crissy,
Thank you very much for your reply. I wish you a great event and wonderful weather!
Take care,
Stephanie
You're welcome - and thank you! I think it's going to be a very fun day and the forecast for all locations is looking very promising. Hope to see you at our next Challenge! :o)
I just registered and learned that employees of Opus have also already entered, AND they know the area for the competition. Are employees of Opus eligible to win the gift certificates?
Hi Jack, thanks for your question.
We absolutely welcome our staff to join in today. The area for the competition is within a reasonable walking distance from each location. Staff have no more advantage than another participant who may be familiar with the area.
The works are numbered, not signed, so the judges will not know who's work they are awarding their selection to. The juries are impartial and Opus has not say in which works the judges select for the prizes.
While prizes will be awarded to three works, the spirit of the event is not a competition but a challenge - challenging yourself to get outside to make art and maybe to try something new too. And really, it's just a fun day creating outdoors with your fellow artists!
I hope you enjoy yourself today! The weather is looking marvellous already!
Crissy.
When will the winners be announced and/or posted on your website?
Hi Cher. Yes they will! We plan to post all about the day towards the end of this week. Thanks for asking! Crissy.
We were hoping to see some of the paintings from the "challenge". It would be so inspriing to see what people accomplished outside in such a short period of time. Is there a website where we can view the winners from each store, and maybe even some paintings of the other participants? Do you have the paintings on display at your store for any period of time? We hope everyone had fun and learned something new from the day.
Hi Lorne,
Thank you for your message. The Challenge day was fantastic! On the day and in the days following, we've heard so many wonderful stories from participants about how much they enjoyed challenging themselves, being outdoors creating, and interacting with other artists who were doing the same. It truly was an inspiring experience for both those that participated and for us at Opus too. We couldn't be happier with how the day went.
The paintings were taken home by most participants after the judging so they are not on display at the stores. We do have images that were taken at each location and we're working on getting them online along with the names of those who took home prizes for their work. There will also be a video that was filmed at our Granville Island store so that will be up soon too. We'd hoped to have everything up by the end of last week but were unable to do so. Instead, please look for complete coverage later this week!
All the best!
Crissy.
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