In its fifth year, it looks like the Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Competition is gaining some traction.

“The first year, we had 29 registrants, and when we juried them they all got in,” said Jerome Weber, organizer for the event. “This year we had 73 register, and accepted 27. The competitors are getting really good, with some who are well known nationally.”

The competition kicked off Saturday morning, with artists arriving to have their canvases stamped before heading out to paint. Many have been in the area since last week, scouting locations and finding just the right subject for their work.

“I picked this one because it is such a beautiful building and they say no one has painted it before,” said Franklinton artist Ann Warner, who set her easel up on S. Weeks Street so she could paint the facade of the old U.S. Post Office (now Schwing Insurance) and catch the oaks of Shadows-on-the-Teche in the background. “I’m just blocking in the color now, then I will go back and develop the lines.”

Artists can choose to paint any subject in the region, with some heading south to Jeanerette and Franklin, others as far north as Arnaudville. Weber said each out-of-town artist was linked up with a host family for their stay, with other volunteers providing meals and hospitality for the artists. 

“We have a core group of seven volunteers, but there are more people who help,” he said. “It helps to spread things out.”

The artists will have until Thursday to complete their work, which will then be judged with a  $2,500 prize going to the winning entrant.

There are other events going on during the competition open to the public. This year’s judge, Morgan Samuel Price, an accomplished plein air painter, will hold an art lecture Wednesday evening at 7:30 in the Shadows-on-the-Teche Visitor Center and a painting exhibition Thursday afternoon. 

As there has been each year, there will also be a “Paint Out” competition open to the public, in which students and other artists will spread out on the grounds of the Shadows and along Main Street to paint from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Price will choose the winner after the deadline. The competition is free to all artists, but registration is required.

The gala event is the Awards Reception and Fine Art Sale Friday evening at the Shadows Visitor Center. Price will announce the winner at 7 p.m., followed by an art sale where patons can purchase works from the competition.

“This is an important part of the week for us,” Weber said. “The Shadows does not make any money on this. This is where the artists have a chance to be paid for their art. We have done well in the past, selling about 50 percent of the displayed works. If the artists know they can come here and be supported, they will continue to enter and come back.’

A new feature will be Saturday morning’s “Quick Draw” competition. Weber said it is “like ‘Chopped!’ for artists.”

“The artists will begin at the sound of the horn at 9 a.m.,” he said. “They will have until 11 a.m. They can go anywhere on the Shadows grounds or nearby where they can still hear the horn. When it is finished, patrons will be able to buy paintings right off the easels.”

Overall, Weber said he is very happy with the progress the fledgling competition has made.

“We have three-pronged goal,” he said. “First, we wanted to attract the artists, which we have done. We may not be a large market like Austin or Laguna Beach, but our hospitality more than makes up for our size.

“Second, we want to attract collectors who know they can come to our competition and see true artists at work. The third prong is to generate tourism, to bring people to New Iberia.”

At the end of the day, though, Weber said it is the sheer love of the art and the shared experience that keeps the event growing.

“It’s fun and we enjoy it,” he said. “We have 30 of the best plein air painters here, we are getting a good buzz thanks to the competition and our hospitality. We can out-hospitality any other area.”