Friday’s Art Festival Renamed ‘Marquita Call Memorial Plein-Air Event of Camas’

Camas Gallery together with Pike Art Gallery will be hosting the newly renamed “Marquita Call Memorial Plein-air Event of Camas” on Friday, September 1, 2023. Marquita Call, owner of Camas Gallery and founder of the annual Plein-air art event, passed away unexpectedly on August 29th. 

“Our community is still reeling from the news of Marquita’s death,” said Liz Pike, local artist and longtime friend of Marquita. “Marquita was loved by all who knew her. Since opening her Camas Gallery in 2010, she quickly became the unofficial Mayor of Camas because of her passion for the city and its residents. Having grown up in Camas, she was a living history book for the town. Her quick wit, million dollar smile and can-do attitude touched the lives of so many. Camas residents and visitors alike were welcomed as family, once inside Marquita’s Camas Gallery.” 

Pike noted it is both fitting and necessary to rename the event to honor Call. According to Pike, Call was a driving force to reignite fine art in downtown Camas. Undaunted by the Great Recession, Call marched ahead to open what would become the most popular art gallery in town. 

“Through her work at the gallery, Marquita helped launch the successful art careers of many local artists,” said Pike. “With grit and grace, she was a one-woman, non-stop promoter of local artists and the arts in our community.” 

Marquita founded the Plein-air art event several years ago to help connect the Camas community to local art. Since its humble beginnings, more and more artists participate each year on the first Friday of September. Marquita believed such an event would attract people to downtown Camas and help struggling merchants during those lean times of the economic downturn.

Participating local artists will take to the streets beginning at 9 am to paint the town this Friday, September 1st. Artists must start and finish their respective plein-air art between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm on September 1. Beginning at 4 pm, artists will move their easels and finished art to the sidewalk area in front of Camas Gallery, 408 NE Fourth Avenue, where the public may view all of the finished art in one location. As in past years, the community will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite finished work of plein-air art and also purchase any of the pieces for a flat rate of $200 each from 5 pm to 7:30 pm on Friday, September 1st. 

Proceeds from the sale of all plein-air pieces will be split between the selling artist and Camas Gallery. 

Artists may pick up an application form to participate in the newly named “Marquita Call Memorial Plein-air Event of Camas” at Camas Gallery, 408 NE Fourth Avenue or at the Pike Art Gallery at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Birch Street in #UptownCamas, 302 NE Sixth Avenue. All artist applications must be returned with a $10 entree fee to Camas Gallery no later than 9 am on September 1st. 

For more information or questions about the plein-air event, contact Liz Pike at 360.281.8720.