The Duluth Art Institute‘s Plein Air Duluth Paint du Nord exhibition opening last week featured a first-prize painting of the Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen storefront in Knife River. In the video above, Frank Sander interviews painter Joni Jurek while she works on the piece.

Jurek has exhibited work throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota, including at the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota in St. Paul and at the Red Wing plein air event. She has also shown statewide in Texas, Vermont, Colorado and New Mexico, and abroad in Italy.

Thirty-four artists participated in the Duluth Art Institute’s third annual Plein Air Duluth festival, painting outdoors through various weather conditions in the Duluth-Superior area. The artwork remains on display on the walls of Blacklist Artisan Ales until Aug. 27.

Second place went to Angie Malin’s “Barefoot in the Sand.” Third place was John Sterner’s “Intersection of W. 6th St. & N. 8th Avenue W.” Honorable mentions included Doug Malin’s “Hay Barn,” Michelle Wegler’s “A Happy Place” and Julia Jaakola’s “Duluth Port Storage.”

An award for Best Sense of Place was given to Allison Eklund for “Surfing After Storm.” Honorable mentions in that category included Lisa Stauffer’s “Zenith Machine, Canal Park” and Lee Englund’s “Garden House.”

As part of the Plein Air Duluth festival, artists also competed in a special Quick Paint event in which they had 90 minutes to complete a painting at the Lake Superior Zoo. This category was judged separately from other festival work. First place was given to Lisa Stauffer’s “Perched for a Chatter.” Honorable mention in the Quick Paint category was awarded to Karen Savage Blue for “Top Dog at the Zoo,” which also took the People’s Choice selection.