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Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Quick Draw Competition

February 18, 2020

Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air will host its second annual Quick Draw Competition on Sat., March 21 at 9 a.m. in downtown New Iberia.

Together, artists and spectators will be immersed in the creative process as artists race against the clock to complete a painting en plein air in only two hours. Smell the wet paint and watch the paintings come to life right before your eyes!

Once time is up, artists will bring their completed paintings to the Shadows fence on Main Street. Works will then be judged, awarded ribbons and prizes, and available for sale off the easel. The competition is open to artists high school age and older. Artists wishing to participate must register and pay a $10 entry fee. Registration forms can be picked up at the Shadows Visitor Center or downloaded online here.

The Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition will take place March 14 - 21, 2020. Visitors are invited to travel around the seven-parish area and watch artists paint en plein air. Other festivities planned during competition week are an art talk, two painting demonstrations, awards reception and fine art sale, and quick draw competition. All activities and events are free to attend and participate unless otherwise noted.


  • Tuesday, March 17 at 1 p.m.: Kenn Backhaus will lead a Plein Air Painting Demonstration at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum.


  • Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m.: Kenn Backhaus will lead a Plein Air Painting Talk at the Shadows Visitor Center.


  • Thursday, March 19 at 2 p.m.: Kenn Backhaus will lead a Plein Air Painting Demonstration near the Shadows-on-the-Teche.


  • Friday, March 20 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Artists of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate in a Paint Out in Downtown New Iberia. Works produced at the Paint Out will be judged, awarded ribbons, and available for sale. Free to participate, but registration is required.


  • Friday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m.: Shadows Plein Air culminates in an Awards Ceremony & Fine Art Sale at the Shadows Visitor Center. Awards will be announced at 7 p.m. All paintings completed during the week will be available for sale.


About the Shadows-on-the-Teche:

The Shadows-on-the-Teche, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, opened to the public in 1961 with the mission to preserve the buildings, landscape, collections, and historical integrity of the site; to research and interpret through education programs a 19th century southern Louisiana plantation economy and community and their evolution; and to encourage an appreciation of and interest in historic preservation. The National Trust, which owns and operates the Shadows, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows does not receive funding from federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows. For more information, visit shadowsontheteche.org.

๏ปฟFor more information, please contact the Shadows at (337) 369-6446 or Shadows@ShadowsOnTheTeche.org or follow the event on Facebook. Any funds raised from this event provide funding for art education.