Visiting artists will next week join the local art community for Bermuda’s first Plein Air Festival.

Starting on Sunday, the public will be able to see local artists along with the 25 visiting artists painting Bermuda’s landscapes in private and public locations.

“The Bermuda Plein Air Festival aligns perfectly with our strategy to position the November to March period as the peak season for arts, culture and sports,” said Pat Phillip-Fairn, the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s (BTA) chief product and experiences development officer.

“We are very excited to welcome these artists who fit the profile of our target visitor, especially at this time of year. We hope the art they create next week will inspire those who see it to visit Bermuda in the future.”

The Plein Air Festival organisers were successful applicants in the BTA Experiences Investment process and the festival will run from Sunday to the following Saturday.

Festival co-organiser Rhona Emerson said: “The Bermuda Plein Air Festival gives local artists the chance to work alongside international and professional artists in various mediums, make new connections to expand their work, and learn new techniques.

“Our visitors and their partners will experience the beauty of the Island, take advantage of our first-class accommodations, and become lifelong fans of Bermuda and her talented artists.”

In addition to painting, the artists will visit the Bermuda National Gallery and Masterworks to learn about the rich history of the world-famous artists who have made Bermuda their winter playground.

A highlight of the festival is the Quick Art Competition on Thursday, when artists will be painting throughout the City of Hamilton between the hours of 9.30am and 1.30pm.

Artists will also be submitting their best painting of the week to compete for the festival’s best in show prize, and three best in category prizes for oils, watercolour/gouache or pastels/acrylic. The completed works will be judged by three international judges.

These entries, together with an additional four paintings per artist, will be exhibited at the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery in City Hall on Saturday, November 21.

This one-day festival exhibition will be open to the public from 4pm to 8pm. Cash and product prizes worth $15,000 will be awarded at 5pm. All artwork will be available for purchase and the sales commissions will be shared among the Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard, Masterworks, the Bermuda National Gallery, and the Bermuda Society of Arts.

• The full artist schedule can be found on the Bermuda Plein Air Festival website , on its Facebook page or view the PDF under related media