Maui art icons Carleton, Mike Carroll and Michael Clements will join event co-founder Ronaldo Macedo for an artist roster that will dazzle art enthusiasts. New to the event are Joe Anna Arnett (New Mexico), Greg Barnes (North Carolina), Carl Bretzke (Minnesota), Katie Dodson Cundiff (Florida), Leon Holmes (Australia), Terry Miura (California), Rita Pacheco (California) and John Poon (Utah). Popular returning artists are Mark Brown (Oahu), Hiu Lai Chong (Maryland), Josh Clare (Utah), Rick Delanty (California), Debra Huse (California), Greg LaRock (California), James McGrew (Oregon), Jim McVicker (California), Mary Pettis (Minnesota), Lori Putnam (Tennessee, pictured above), Aaron Schuerr (Montana), Randy Sexton (California), Jason Sacran (Arkansas) and John P. Lasater IV (Arkansas).

WEST MAUI – Maui Arts League promises Presidents’ Week will be a full week of public access to 26 nationally acclaimed artists as they express Maui’s scenery and island life. They will start painting Lahaina Harbor on Feb. 18 at 7:30 a.m. and complete their artworks in just three-and-a-half hours. Viewers may watch artists exquisitely capture morning beach, ocean, mountain or town scenes en plein air (outdoors). An art sale follows in the Pioneer Inn courtyard from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A Kapalua Bay sunset paint-out on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 3 to 6 p.m. precedes an art sale in the Montage Kapalua Bay Sunset Room from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

A two-hour “Quick Draw” painting event on Friday morning, Feb. 24, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Hanakao’o (Canoe) Beach Park will amaze art lovers and students. Some onlookers are artists themselves, picking up brush and palette knife techniques from the professionals. Others are thrilled to see talent in action as the creation emerges.

Said a frequent visitor to Maui, “I came to see John P. Lasater, who lives not too far from me. He is a fabulous painter – able to recreate a three-dimensional scene in two dimensions. What a talent!”

Jean Stern, curator and director of the Irvine Museum Collection of the University of California, Irvine, will present a free public art lecture on Monday, Feb. 20, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the courtyard at the Pioneer Inn. “The Art of Looking at Art” is especially for art lovers, museum-goers and students. Before the lecture, Maui Arts League and Pioneer Inn will host a silent auction of small canvasses donated by this year’s invited artists. Auction entries may be viewed ahead of time at www.MauiPleinAirPainting.org. The proceeds help the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational continue its workshops and events.

In addition to the scheduled painting events and art sales following each one, Royal Lahaina Resort is hosting art festivities in its ballroom on Feb. 24-25.

Residents and visitors who collect art, or others who desire to own an original painting, may register online or call Lois Reiswig at 665-1491 to purchase a ticket to the “Art to Heart” Gala & Art Sale. This exhibition of over 100 paintings in the Royal Lahaina Ballroom is a “first peek” at the award-winning artworks accompanied by elegant fine dining and entertainment by the Iona Modern Dancers and Gina Martinelli & Friends Jazz Combo. Tickets are $175.

On Saturday, Feb. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Artists’ Aloha Reception will be held. The huge “gallery” of paintings created during the week will include 17 award-winning paintings (“Best of Show,” “People’s Choice,” “Artists’ Choice,” Irvine Museum Collection Award, “Honor Hawaii-Honor Maui Award,” and several sponsors’ awards). The public is invited to enjoy this large collection of original artworks and meet the artists. While viewing the fine art, music lovers will also appreciate listening to the Maui Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (solos and small ensembles) play soft classical music. At noon, the full 20-piece orchestra will perform an original composition named “Palette.” Maui Arts League commissioned Siuai Laufou of Newleaf Music Productions to score this composition for debut at the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational Artists’ Aloha Reception, and he involved the students in the creative process.

On Sunday, Feb. 26, “budding artists” from Maui schools (grades 2-12) may attend a free art workshop called “Color Me Happy.” Pre-registration with your school’s art teacher or online at MauiPleinAirPainting.org is required. Paintings from this workshop will become part of a collage mural that will later tour the schools of workshop attendees. All materials and lunch are provided.

Artists and art students may still sign up for a high-powered, four-day plein air workshop for artists and art students conducted by visiting artists Lasater and Jason Sacran on Feb. 27 to March 2. The cost is $700.

For more information on all of the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational events, visit www.MauiPleinAirIPainting.org or call Reiswig at 665-1491.