Nationally Recognized Armonk Outdoor Art Show Returns This Weekend
One of the nation’s top art shows makes its return to the area this weekend.
It’s not a new event but the 58th annual Armonk Outdoor Art Show is scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday at Armonk’s Community Park.
Calling it one of the best shows isn’t boastful hyperbole. For the second consecutive year, Sunshine Artist Magazine ranked it the second-rated art show in the United States.
“Artists know it’s a very competitive show to get into and I hear directly from artists because I visit different shows (and) they’re absolutely thrilled to be admitted or they’re disappointed because they don’t get admitted,” said Anne Curran, the executive director of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show.
Once again, about 600 artists from around the globe submitted their applications hoping to gain one of the 185 coveted spots. A 13-member panel of jurors chose the featured artists from more than 25 states around the country, Canada and Israel who work in a variety of medium.
The process of including new artists each year and bringing back others is one factor in keeping the show exciting and fresh, Curran said. While the Armonk Outdoor Art Show has been well-known in the art community for a long time, marketing it throughout the greater metropolitan area has also helped.
“Our gate has been up consistently the last three years and I think that speaks to the quality of the show as well as we’re just doing a better job at promoting the show and giving visibility to the art,” Curran said. “That’s first and foremost, the art, of course.”
She said that this year organizers introduced the presale of tickets. It combines admission with special offers, including discount raffle tickets for two pieces of art that have been donated for the show. It also entitles early purchasers for a special dinner at Fortina, an Italian restaurant in Armonk, Sunday evening after the show closes.
While the art is front and center, the show also is a fun day for anyone who attends. There are free art-related activities for every age, from toddlers up through middle school. There is also a wide assortment of food, wine and craft beer vendors on hand, including Luke’s Lobster, barbecue from Taylored Menus, Fortina and the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company.
“It makes it a day where you come for the art and stay for the fun, I hope, and that was the tagline for this year,” Curran said.
Even better is that the proceeds from the show are returned to the community by paying for programs at the North Castle Public Library.
Curran said what makes the Armonk Outdoor Art Show’s high ranking within the artist’s community even more impressive is that the hamlet is a much smaller locale compared to the other Top 10 shows and it is organized and run almost entirely by a legion of roughly 300 volunteers.
“So it’s a great thing for our town that so many people are able to volunteer, and I think it also gives us something to be proud of, that Armonk is the home to this show that’s now in its 58th year and has really hit its stride,” Curran said.
The show is this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Community Park, located at 205 Business Park Drive in Armonk. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for seniors. Those 18 and under get in for free. There is free parking on site.
For tickets and more information, visit www.armonkoutdoorartshow.org or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/