Tidbits from the Tourism subcommittee minutes: July 2013:

a. Theodore Robinson Plein Air Painting Contest: Jim Brooks submitted this written report: The Plein Air event held on June 23 was once again successful with 15 participants and 8 paintings sold. Attendance was similar to 2012, and participation down slightly, perhaps due to competition with similar events in Beloit and Cedarburg on the same weeks. However, the lack of new faces and attendance at the sale from out of town means that organizers must find ways to attract new buyers for the artwork or face the diminishing returns that ended the Harvest Windmill Festival. While a returning audience of mainly local residents is encouraging the success or failure of the event will turn on attracting new purchasers to keep it financially viable. To that end, the organizers are looking at a date in September for the 2014 event. Care must be taken to not overlap the competing event in Shorewood on the 3rd weekend of September, and any Packer/Badger home game conflicts. This will be especially troubling since the 2014 Packer schedule will not be available before schedule printing deadlines for our publications.