Sherwood Forest Press Release

Bidwell Park Centennial Celebration Steering Committee
PO Box 3223, Chico, CA 95927
530.891.5559 ext 307
530.345.7265
bpcc@sbcglobal.net
www.chicochamber.com/bidwell100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kathleen McPartland
June 29, 2005 530-898-4260
Maria Phillips,
Avenue 9 Gallery
530-879-1821

Chico Businesses Show Strong Support for Art

Among Chico’s newest members of the business community, Hotel Diamond, Umpqua Bank, and Lyon Books, are showing true entrepreneurial spirit in supporting a Bidwell Park Centennial Event, the "Sherwood Forest Plein Air (open air) Painting Competition" taking place July 20-23. Forty artists, eleven local and twenty-nine from throughout California as well as from Hawaii, Florida, Oregon, have been juried into the competition. These artists are adept in the rapid painting techniques developed by the French Impressionists. The public can watch as they create personal interpretations of Chico’s renowned Bidwell Park, working from dawn to dusk on Wednesday and Thursday July 20 and 21. On Friday, July 22, at 9am, competition judge Gerald Brommer will do a book signing of art instruction publications at Lyons Books. Beginning at noon at Avenue 9 Gallery the public is invited to vote for a People’s Choice Award and to bid on paintings through a silent auction. The culminating day of Saturday, July 23, offers for public spectatorship a "Quick Draw" of only one and one-half hours on the lawn of Bidwell Mansion. The competition paintings will be displayed at the Hotel Diamond and Diamond Alley at 1 p.m. the award of prizes and live auction will begin at 4 p.m. Refreshments and live music will be free to the public.

The newly renovated Hotel Diamond is providing lodging for competition judge, Gerald Brommer as well as hosting the live auction of works produced by the plein air artists. The hotel is an elegant and appropriate location for the auction, as it was built on the same site in 1904, just one year before Annie Bidwell’s gift of Bidwell Park.

"Chico is blossoming. I truly believe its best days are ahead and that art is part of this," said Wayne Cook, owner with Carol Cook of the recently renovated Diamond Hotel. "The Plein Air event is of such a high caliber that I think it could be a highly acclaimed annual event. It’s part of many exciting things that are happening to renovate the downtown—the renovation of the park, the opening of the hotel and several other efforts underway. We are pleased to support it."

Lyon Books is hosting a signing by competition judge Brommer of his book, "Emotional Content: How to Create Paintings that Communicate." Brommer is a renowned artist, author, educator, juror and scholar. He is a master of watercolor and collage painting methods and the editor of over 35 art books, 30 instructional posters and 12 instructional videos.

"We are so fortunate to have an artist of Brommer’s reputation in Chico," said Heather Lyon. "Supporting such authors is a large part of Lyon Books’ community outreach mission. We are happy to be able hold the book signing, support the Plein Air competition and to be part of the Bidwell Park Centennial Celebration."

Umpqua Bank has a policy of cultural support in the communities it serves. The bank previously made a significant donation to the Bidwell Park Centennial Committee for Centennial events, in addition to underwriting a portion of the auction party.

The artists will be competing for $5,000 in prizes, including a "People’s Choice" and an additional special Plein Air Magazine award.

For updates on the Sherwood Forest Plein Air Painting competition visit: www.avenue9gallery.com.

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