February 8, 2015 - ChaddsFordLive.com

CFHS rolls lucky 7 with Winter Plein Air Event

pleinair_1163 — Attendees at the Chadds Ford Historical Society's Winter Plein Air Event had an opportunity to chat with the artists as well as view their work.

Updated at 9:30 a.m., Feb. 10, to add details about ongoing sale

For the seventh year, artists and art lovers converged on the Chadds Ford Historical Society’s (CFHS) Barn Visitors’ Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, for the Winter Plein Air Event – an eagerly awaited exhibition that came with periodic warnings about receiving an unwelcome souvenir.

The admonitions were needed so that people didn’t brush up against the paintings on display. Many of them were still wet, having been created earlier in the day by the couple dozen painters who set up their palettes on area landscapes.

Ellen Gavin, a New Jersey artist, finds that opening a tube of paint is more challenging in the cold. She set up her easel in front of N.C. Wyeth's former studio. — Ellen Gavin, a New Jersey artist, finds that opening a tube of paint is a bit more challenging in the cold. She set up her easel in front of N.C. Wyeth’s former studio.

Painting plein air, French for “in the open air,” prompted the artists to capture local scenic vistas in a single sitting outdoors. After a day of painting, many of the creators lingered to mingle with those who came to view the show.

This year’s artists, some of whom traveled several hours to participate, were limited to those featured in 100 Plein Air Painters of the Mid-Atlantic, a book by Gary Pendleton, who will speak at CFHS next month. A few artists who were unable to attend submitted paintings in advance that had been done in the plein air style.

Nadia Barakat, executive director of CFHS, said she was pleased with this year’s event, which attracted nearly 100 attendees.

“I think the quality of paintings were better and the colors brighter this year,” she said, citing this year’s invitation-only format.

Barakat noted that the seventh version of the fundraiser happened to occur on Feb. 7 and serendipitously resulted in the sale of seven paintings. Since an equal number of paintings typically sell after the opening night – they will be on display through March 15 – she said this year’s fund-raiser was off to a great start.

Artist Jacalyn Beam (center) is flanked by Frank and Carolyn McIntosh, who show off the painting by Beam that they had just purchased.

Lisa Vonderstuck, owner of Brandywine View Antiques in Chadds Ford, said she was one of the buyers who made a post-opening purchase a couple of years ago. She learned from someone who attended the opening that one of the paintings featured her shop.

“I figured I better get over there,” she said, adding that once she saw the painting, she had to buy it and put it on display at the business. “It was my five-year anniversary there so that made it very special.”

The event is special for the artists, too, said Bruno Baran, incoming president of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

“A lot of the artists feel that they are walking on hallowed ground,” said Baran, referencing the Wyeth painting dynasty that includes N.C., Andrew, and Jamie.

Some got closer than others to those muses. Painter Ellen Gavin set up her easel in front of N.C. Wyeth’s former studio while Joe Gyurcsak worked nearby to capture Andrew Wyeth’s studio. Jacalyn Beam painted at the home of the Kuerners, one of Andrew Wyeth’s favorite haunts.

Frank and Carolyn McIntosh went home with Beam’s “Kuerner Color” – and strict instructions to keep the painting flat for a couple of days until it dried.

Pendleton will speak about plein air painting on March 10, as part of the historical society’s Spring Lecture Series. For more information, call 610-388-7376 or visit www.chaddsfordhistory.org.

For those who were unable to attend the event, the paintings are available for inspection and sale at the Visitors’ Center of the Chadds Ford Historical Society through March 15. Call or visit the website for more information.

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A team of employees from the Whole Foods in Glen Mills assemble at the Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington, De., to prepare and serve lunch with food donated by customers.

Giving back a part of Whole Foods culture

Business

Neatly stacked on the floor of the Whole Foods Market in Glen Mills, the 580 cases of food – ranging from organic applesauce to cannellini beans – would not be there for long. On Wednesday, Feb. 4, a crew from the Ministry of Caring’s Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington whisked them away.

The community-based nonprofit began in 1976 when Brother Ronald Giannone observed the absence of services for Wilmington’s poor and homeless and decided to create them. Since then, the Ministry of Caring has worked to promote the idea that “the poor should never be treated poorly.”

Customers donated more than $10,000 that Whole Foods used to purchase food at its cost for the Ministry of Caring in Wilmington, De.

That sentiment is shared by Whole Foods. On Friday, Feb. 6, a team of about a dozen store employees traveled to the Emmanuel Dining Room to prepare and serve lunch, using some of the $10,100 worth of food the store had recently added to its coffers.

Dean Martinelli, the store’s marketing team leader, explained that the outreach was part of a corporate commitment to assist the less fortunate. He said the store runs a variety of programs throughout the year. In this instance, he said the money came directly from the store’s generous customers.

“All we do is promote the campaign,” Martinelli said.

From Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, the store displayed “Feed 4 More” bags, which were filled with food staples for a family of four. Store employees were encouraged to provide information but no pressure when customers inquired. For $10, shoppers could purchase that equivalent of food – at the store’s cost – or they could donate any lesser amount, Martinelli said.

Whole Foods' employees prepare lunch for more than 200 at the Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington, De. — Whole Foods’ employees prepare lunch for more than 200 at the Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington, De.

He said the holiday promotion, which was done for the third year in a row, is only one of the company’s outreach initiatives. The Glen Mills store has a list of area nonprofits, such as the Safe Harbor shelter in West Chester, that receive surplus produce and bakery items daily. In addition, four times a year, the store selects a nonprofit to receive 5 percent of a day’s sales.

On a more regular basis, teams from the store do volunteer stints for organizations like the Land Conservancy of Southern Chester County and the Chester County Food Bank, and the store also works with smaller groups to create donations that meet their needs, Martinelli said.

“We’re always looking for partners and opportunities to help the less fortunate,” he said.

Martinelli explained that the Ministry of Caring, which was already on the store’s daily distribution list, came up during a meeting with Delmarva Broadcasting representatives. Martinelli said he typically does research on potential “Feed 4 More” recipients and presents them to a team of store managers, who then vote.

He said that because the Ministry of Caring operates a food bank as well as a soup kitchen, store employees had an opportunity to witness the benefits of the donation firsthand.

“It was a humbling experience,” Martinelli said, explaining that many families with children came into the Emmanuel Dining Room for lunch on Friday, Feb. 6. “We served 220 in an hour.”

Martinelli, a Chadds Ford resident, said he appreciates Whole Foods’ commitment to civic involvement. “I live in this community so it’s particularly important to me,” he said.

Carol Knotts, a Whole Foods customer who also lives in Chadds Ford, volunteers at the Ministry of Caring. She said she enjoys patronizing a business that gives back to the community.

“I do love this store,” she said. “What they are doing to help so many organizations is wonderful, and they’ve been doing it since they opened in 2012.”

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