En Plein Air

It was the sand dunes that artist Michelle Held focused on as she looked out at the calm Gulf waters off Mexico Beach.

She knew about Hurricane Michael and the devastation it brought to the town in 2018. But it was the resilience of the dunes she couldn’t get off her mind. To her, they stood as a testament to the area’s natural beauty and endurance. 

Painters use Mexico Beach as a backdrop for their work during the Forgotten Coast en Plein Air Festival. Invited artist Michelle Held, from Sarasota, works on her seascape. Photo by Mike Fender

They were survivors.

“The sand dunes themselves are such striking subjects,” she says. “Their soft, flowing forms contrast with rugged grasses and the windswept patterns etched into the sand. The way the light plays across them, shifting from warm to cool tones throughout the day, is fascinating.”

Photo by Mike Fender

For Held, the scene was as pretty as a painting.

So, the Sarasota-based artist set up an easel, mixed up her colors, and started to paint. As a beach breeze ran across her face, a crowd gathered to watch. With a dab of color here and a brushstroke there, she brought the spirit of the dunes to life on her canvas.

Held was one of 17 artists invited to participate last March in the Apalachicola festival, Forgotten Coast en Plein Air: America’s Great Paint-Out. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, the 10-day event invites world-renowned painters to create works inspired by eight communities along 100 miles of the Forgotten Coast. 

The event is organized by The Forgotten Coast Cultural Coalition, a nonprofit that funds the festival through donations, grants, painting sales, and sponsors like Duke Energy, the State of Florida Cultural Affairs, and regional tourist development councils. Too, The St. Joe Company has been instrumental in supporting the event from its beginnings 20 years ago.

Communities from Alligator Point to Mexico Beach, including Carrabelle, Eastpoint, Apalachicola, St. George Island, Cape San Blas, and Port St. Joe, take part in the festival.

Board president Susan Bassett says that the capturing of fleeting moments of light, composition, and subject is what makes the event special.

“The paintings represent a moment in time,” Bassett says. “It is challenging for the artists to produce and thrilling for observers to watch take form.”

The history of plein air painting dates back to the early 1800s in France where the practice of creating paintings outside from start to finish became popular. Prior to that, most painting took place inside studios. By 1870, when paint in tubes was invented, the style became even more popular.

Held started painting plein air style after three decades of doing custom murals, historical restoration, and fine faux finishes. Now, she paints on the plein air circuit across the country, teaching and hosting workshops in the U.S., Italy, and Ireland.

“There’s something magical about being outdoors,” she notes. “There’s an honesty in plein air painting, an authenticity that comes from responding directly to the world around me which keeps me coming back to it.”

Artists invited to the March festival are culled based on recommendations from the organization’s board and other artists. Bassett said they look for accomplishments on the national level including awards, gallery representation, and social media following. Artists stay with volunteer hosts during the event. Finished pieces are offered for sale with proceeds split between the artist and the organization. Many of the pieces are sold to collectors.

For Bassett, two of the biggest accomplishments over the 20-year run of the event have been helping start and develop the community art space at the Apalachicola Center for History, Culture and Arts, as well as purchasing, renovating, and launching The St. Joe Center for the Arts building in Port St. Joe.

For the 20th anniversary, Bassett says they will have legacy awards for artists who have made an impact both within the festival and among the greater plein air community. There will also be roundtable discussions with artists and customary key activities such as Plein Air Church, a community-wide gospel service on the waterfront in Apalachicola. 

Other events include Quick Draw, a timed two-hour painting event you can register for and compete in or just come to watch. Student Art Day welcomes local high school students and pairs them with invited artists for a morning of painting in Apalachicola. The Wet Room Gallery, where recently painted works hang on display, will be at the Fort Coombs Armory in Apalachicola.

From March 14-23, invited artists will paint live at scheduled appearances throughout the Forgotten Coast. Visitors can watch and interact with artists throughout the 10-day run.

For more information on the event, including schedules and volunteer opportunities, visit ForgottenCoastEnPleinAir.com.