In partnership with the Fort Wayne Artists Guild, Artlink is proud to host Moments: The Plein Air Movement. Translating to “in the open air” in French, plein air painting sets out to convey the atmosphere and natural experience of a subject. In adherence to this approach, artists seek to capture the true essence of a given landscape, emphasizing color, light, and movement. This group exhibition will feature Steve Puttrich of Arlington Heights, IL, Jill Stefani Wagner of Saline, MI, and Ray Hassard of Cincinnati, OH, three nationally acclaimed plein air artists.

Steve Puttrich

Steve Puttrich started his studies at the American Academy of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. He received his degrees in architectural illustration, graphic design and fine art. Steve studied watercolor painting under the Academy’s Director, Irving Shapiro, and Oil Painting under Eugene Hall. After a 35-year career as an artist, designer, and creative director for Parsons Corporations, Steve is now teaching various workshops at Chicago’s Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art. At the Morton Arboretum and Chicago Botanic Garden. Steve enjoys demonstrating his craft, and judging various local venues and has won several awards in Plein Air painting events, as well as quick painting competitions. 

Steve is a member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, the Plein Air Painters of Chicago and the National Watercolor Society.

“Art for me is a way of connecting shapes to tell a story. My intent with each piece of art is to capture and connect to the moment; connecting people in shared experiences, to this place and time. I’m partial toward painting landscapes. These beautiful scenes provide amazing contrasts of light, shadow, color and grays all offering great illustrations of life’s own journey. As elements of light and time displays shapes and movement, these same elements often mirroring our own storyline.”

Jill Stefani Wagner

Jill’s paintings can be found in corporate and private collections across the United States and Europe and her work has been awarded in national and international exhibitions. She’s a designated Master Pastelist in the Pastel Society of America and Master Circle in the International Association of Pastel Societies. Jill also belongs to Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, American Women Artists, Degas Pastel Society and Great Lakes Pastel Society. Her work is frequently published in Pastel Journal, Fine Art Connoisseur and Plein Air Magazine, which recently featured her painting on its cover. She was honored to be faculty at the Plein Air Convention in 2016, 2017, 2019 and will be a featured artist in Pastel Live this summer. Her plein air and studio paintings are represented by Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne and 3 fine art galleries in the Midwest.

Ray Hassard

Ray Hassard was born and raised in the New York area. Growing up, he attended Saturday classes at the Museum of Modern Art, and took community education art classes at local schools and art organizations. He studied at Pratt Institute, and, more importantly, spent hours and hours at New York's wonderful museums and galleries. Ray moved to Buffalo NY in 1977, where he was awarded several commissions, including one for a 45 foot long wall piece in the subway system the city was building. In 1985, he and his partner came to Cincinnati and became co-owners and publishers of  American Record Guide, a classical music CD review magazine.

 Ray belongs to the Ohio Plein Air Society, Indiana Plein Air Painters Association, and is a signature member of the Cincinnati Art Club and National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS). He was awarded signature and Master Pastellist status by the MidAmerica Pastel Society in 2008, and served on the Board of the Ohio Plein Air Society for two terms. He was given Signature Member status by the Pastel Society of America in 2011, and named Eminent Pastellist by the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) in 2019.

Ray has been involved with the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati in their program Artists Reaching Classrooms for over 5 years. He also leads the monthly Signature Member critique sessions at the Cincinnati Art Club.

Opening Reception

Thurs, July 29 from 5 - 8pm 

Meet the Artists

Saturday, August 28 from 11am - 1pm.