Brazosport Art League is excited to welcome the Brazoria County Plein Aires for their first exhibit, Meet Me Outside: The Landscapes and Landmarks of Brazoria County, in the gallery from Tuesday, February 17 through Sunday, March 22. The group meets monthly at outdoor locations across Brazoria County, most often at our county parks, beaches, bayous and forests.
A celebratory reception is scheduled for Friday, February 20 in the gallery. See the art, meet the artists and enjoy drinks & snacks! This event is FREE and open to the public.
The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM and Sundays from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Tickets are FREE and can be reserved in advance or in the lobby when you arrive.
Meet the Plein Aires! Check out the artists’ bio statements…
Plein Aires History:
A foggy, misty fall morning in 2020 at San Luis Pass County Park was the setting for the first gathering of the Brazoria County Plein Aires.
The world had shut down due to COVID and feelings of isolation were setting in for artist Cynthia Grandjean. She started thinking about how to reconnect with other creatives. After some deliberation, Cynthia decided she wanted to paint in oil…outdoors…with other people after being kept inside and away from fellow artists for months on end.
On November 9, Cynthia invited a few of her Master Naturalist friends to join her for some safe, creative time together in the great outdoors. Five people showed up that day. Still meeting 5 ½ years later, the group has been growing steadily ever since, with more than 35 members enjoying the adventures of creating art outdoors.
Cynthia scouts for locations and invites members to meet up once a month at locations all over Brazoria County. The group has painted at the wildlife refuge, marinas, bridges, churches, wetland plant nurseries and old cemeteries, as well as city and county parks and downtown areas. They have painted on trails beside lakes and rivers, at local beaches as well as on private property. Artists from neighboring counties have joined the group to paint as well.
The Plein Aires group is always open to more members! Anyone interested in sketching, painting, nature journaling and photography can join the fun. The group is open to any skill level and beginners are welcome. Artists are free to play, explore and express their own creativity while noticing new ideas and skills coming forth.
The Brazoria County Plein Aires meet the second Monday of every month from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. The group shares art tips and stimulating, fun conversations about all things art and wraps up the morning with a picnic lunch.
Plein Aires Ecosystems:
Columbia Bottomlands
One of the most unique habitats of the United States, the Columbia Bottomlands of Brazoria County have been deemed highly critical for protection. The area is interconnected with coastal prairies along the Brazos, San Bernard, and Colorado rivers.
Learn more:
- The ecosystem is a crucial stopover and hotspot for migrating neotropical and wintering birds.
- Considered a coastal forest with various Oak species, American Elm, Pecan, Black Willow, Bald Cypress, and many others.
- Home of bobcats, deer, river otters, alligators, Bald Eagles, and many other flora and fauna.
The Columbia Bottomlands is a favorite location for the Plein Airs to visit. Sites include Brazos Bend State Park, Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. Hudson Woods, Brazos Woods, and Hanson Riverside County Park.
Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes
The Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes region is a diverse landscape of shallow bays, salt grass marshes, sandy beaches, dunes, tidal flats and grassy plains, which are dissected by streams, bayous and rivers, draining slowly into the Gulf of Mexico. This estuarine ecosystem, along with the barrier islands, scattered oak mottes and remnant tallgrass prairies, are among the most productive on earth.
Thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish and other wildlife depend on estuarine habitats as places to live, feed and reproduce, making this among the most productive habitats on earth and a significant part of what makes Brazoria County special.
This varied ecosystem can be seen up-close at Quintana and San Luis Pass County Parks, Follett’s Island Coastal Management Area and most notably, Brazoria and San Bernard National Wildlife Refuges.
Brazoria National Wildlife refuge has become a favorite spot for the Brazoria County Plein Aires founding member Cynthia Grandjean, capturing the mood, colors and expanse of this extraordinarily rich area of our county.
Loblolly Pine Forest
Located along the Chocolate Bayou, Camp Mohawk contains the only native Loblolly Forest in Brazoria County. Along with this surviving remnnant of the southeastern pine forest is a diverse habitat of trees, shrubs and adjacent coastal prairie. It includes six oak species found together nowhere else in Brazoria County: Bottomland Post Oak, Swamp Red Oak, Water Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Live Oak and Willow Oak.
Once was a Confederate Army training camp in 1861, Camp Mohawk has become one of Brazoria County Plein Aires’ most visited locations.
