Northside Social Painting Earns Artist Top Plein Air Festival Award

FALLS CHURCH, VA — After artists took to the streets of Falls Church to create paintings, awards have been given for Falls Church Arts' Plein Air Festival.

The plein air festival, which featured artists creating art inspired by landmarks around the city from Sept. 15 to 29, wrapped up with awards and a quick draw competition on Sept. 30. Among the locations featured by artists were Northside Social, Falls Church Farmers Market and Cherry Hill Farmhouse and Barn.

First place went to "Northside Social" by Rajendra KC. Best New Artist at the En Plein Air Texas Festival. "Northside Social" also won the People's Choice Award voted on by the public with about 500 votes. A Nepal-born resident who moved to the U.S., Rajendra has won other Falls Church Plein Air Festival awards in the past as well as the Best New Artist at the En Plein Air Texas Festival last year. The first place winner was sponsored by Beyer Automotive Group.

Second place, sponsored by Rock Star Realty, went to "Midday at St. James" by Christina Blake. Jill Banks won third place for "Social Hour." The Barbara Cram Plein Air Prize, named for the late president of Falls Church Arts, went to "House on the Hill," by Alison Landry. Honorable mentions were "Cones" by Dipali Rabadiya and "Rainy State" by Lynn Lewis.

A quick draw competition sponsored by June Beyer Art was open to all ages and skill levels on Sept. 30. First place went to "Farmers Market" by Dipali Rabadiya. Second place went to "Baskets" by Lynn Lewis, and third place went to "Cherry Hill Farm" by Tony Neville.

Aside from the People's Choice Award, the award winners were chosen by Juror Alexia Scott. Falls Church Mayor David Tarter attended the festival and viewed all the paintings, remarking that the festival was one of his favorite events of the year.

Falls Church Arts has another festival underway, the Halloween Window Painting Festival on downtown business windows.