Catalina Island News

Avalon Salon Showcases Artist John Budicin

2014-06-11
Catalina Island Conservancy

In conjunction with Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show & Sale, the Catalina Island Conservancy recently hosted a Wild Side solo salon in Avalon that featured the works of plein air painter John Budicin, who has been traveling to the Island for 15 years to capture on canvas its wildlands and scenic beauty.

Salon guests purchased several of Budicin's paintings depicting Catalina landscapes as well Two Harbors and Avalon and other scenic spots on the Island. The award-winning artist from San Bernardino was on hand to describe each of the paintings, his background and his love for the Island.

"Catalina has a special hold on me, and it seems I cannot get my fill of the Island," Budicin said. "I have been coming back for a great number of years. It is home to me."

While the salon was an event unto itself to focus on Budicin's artistry, it anticipates Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show & Sale on October 26 at Newport Harbor Yacht Club, which will feature additional works by Budicin and nine other award-winning plein air artists. Plein air artists paint in the "open air" so they can accurately depict what they see on the Island.

"The Salon was a wonderful preview of the high quality of the artists and artworks that our guests will see in Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show & Sale in Newport Beach," said Ann M. Muscat, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Conservancy. "The art show is a unique opportunity to bring attention to the Island's wildlands and document how the Conservancy is restoring and protecting Catalina's natural and cultural resources."

In addition to Budicin, this year's Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show & Sale will feature the works of Kenn Backhaus, Bye Bitney, John Cosby, Andy Evansen, Kim Lordier, Joe Paquet, Matt Smith, Kate Starling and Jesse Powell.

In a unique use of art for conservation's sake, proceeds from the sales of the artworks benefit the Conservancy and are used to establish a permanent collection of x art that documents the organization's conservation efforts and progress in habitat restoration. Many of the paintings acquired in past years are on display in the Conservancy's Nature Center in Avalon Canyon.

For the first time ever, Catalina: The Wild Side Art Show & Sale will take place on the mainland, at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Doors open at 2 p.m. on October 26 for a 45-minute preview of the artists' works. Sales begin at 2:45 p.m. Tickets are $40 for Conservancy members and $50 for nonmembers. Registration available online on our website. Select Events, then choose Wild Side Art Show or by phone to (562) 437-8555 ext. 239.