Jim and Max Silcox, father and son, at a past art fair. Photo by Phoebe Muthart.

By Karen Kroemer
Guest Columnist

SYRACUSE — Syracuse in the summer — what could be better than sunshine and lots of lake time fun? Well, Chautauqua-Wawasee is calling all artists and lovers of art to get ready for a summer packed with lots of close encounters with artistic opportunities.

Start off the summer season of art Friday, May 23. David Broerman, a Fort Wayne teacher, has been a plein air artist for 10 years and is the founder and president of the Northern Plein Air Artist Association. He organizes and conducts the annual Chautauqua Plein Air Paint Outs. In 2024, Broerman opened the Wawasee Fine Art Gallery, located at 10601 SR 13, Syracuse, on the South Side Social campus.

Plein air is the act of painting outdoors, capturing landscapes directly onto canvas at the location of the scene.

On Friday, you may see one of the 20 regional and local artists painting at locations around the lakes and surrounding area. Would you like a commissioned piece of your lakeside property or favorite place in our community? This can be arranged by contacting Broerman at [email protected] by May 15.

Saturday, May 24 is the 11th Annual Wawasee Art Fair featuring more than 30 diverse selection of juried regional and local experienced artists. New this year are juried Wawasee High School students with artwork for sale. The ever- popular children’s area will once again be a great stopping point for the youngest budding artists. Bring the entire family to this free event.

Part of the art festival will be a plein air art demonstration, competition and sale. Saturday is day two of the Chautauqua Plein Air Paint Out, where 20 artists will be painting at various locations. Stop by the plein air art tent to view a live demonstration and sale of plein air art.

This is the second year of the three-day plein air workshop, taught by nationally- known artists for regional and local experienced painters. Last year, the workshop was taught by David Seward, featured as one of the “Best of the Best” in the January issue of Plein Air Magazine.

This year, Mary Ann Davis, an award-winning artist from Indianapolis who has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, American Art Review, Pastel Journal and the Southwest Art magazine, will share her expertise and offer guidance for the workshop participants. This year’s workshop is already sold out.

What better way to end a relaxing Wednesday than painting lakeside at Between the Lakes? The Syracuse/Wawasee area provides an abundance of national beauty of lakes, marshes, wildlife and breath-taking sunsets. Broerman, serves as a mentor to assist and guide local beginning artists to explore plein air painting.

These weekly gatherings are June 4, 11, 18, 25 and July 2, 9, 16 and 23 and are free to attend. There will be a limited number of easels, paint and canvases available for beginning artists.

Once the kids return to school, it’s time for an end-of-summer pottery workshop to get your creative juices flowing. They are Thursdays, Aug. 14, 21, 28. North Webster full-time potter, Kim Marcadis, will teach students how to create unique, beautiful and functional works of pottery. This three-day workshop explores hand building and glazing techniques. Equipment, clay, glazes and firing will be provided. Marcadis has been a featured artist at the Wawasee Art Festival. There is a fee to attend the workshop.

Bid farewell to summer and welcome fall with the stained glass workshop on Thursdays, Sept. 4, 11, 18. Sally Mahnken, a Syracuse stained glass artist, will teach students to construct beautifully created art pieces from a selected pattern. They will learn to cut glass, grind, foil, solder and finish their stained glass panel. Equipment, glass and supplies will be provided. For years, Mahnken has sold her pieces at the Wawasee Art Festival. There is a fee to attend the workshop.

Join in this summer and early fall to experience art through multiple opportunities as a beginning or experienced artist, an art patron or simply as an admirer.

For more information and specifics on these art opportunities, visit: chautauquawawasee.org.