Stern

LAHAINA — Jean Stern, the executive director of the Irvine Museum in Irvine, California and a recognized authority on California Impressionism, will once again join the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational as a guest speaker and juror during the event from Feb. 19-26.

His free lecture and slideshow, titled “Early Painters of Hawai’i from 1850-1950,” will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina.

Stern credits the popularity and power of plein air painting to the fact that nature and the human experience are intertwined. For people who live in cities or work in busy places, the right painting can be a powerful source of calm and centering.

According to Stern, you do not need an expert to tell you what the painting means — you know right away if it’s good.

The Irvine Museum is the only facility in California dedicated to the preservation and display of California Impressionism or Plein Air paintings, an art style that flourished in California from 1890 to 1930.

He considers some of the invitational’s participating artists among the best plein air painters working today.

“Events like this bring out the best in the artists and in the people who attend the exhibitions,” said Stern. “I have not yet found a more agreeable locale for enjoying great art and good friends than Lahaina.”

The Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational (MPAPI) will feature 25 of the finest plein air painters from Hawaii and the Mainland.

The event offers visitors and local residents the opportunity to watch the artists at work, learn about outdoor painting and support art activities in the community.

MPAPI is interspersed with free special events to gather the artists and public throughout the week. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.MauiPleinAirPainting.com.