Council weighs moving Plein Air judging back to festival sites; staff cites weather and judging concerns

Arts staff told the council that the judging element of Glendale’s annual Plein Air painting competition was moved into the Adult Center Auditorium for 2025 and 2026 after concerns about wind, heat and dust hampered outdoor judging.

The staff member said their supervisor instructed them to find a climate‑controlled location for the judging element, citing council concerns voiced two years ago about weather and dust during outdoor judging. Staff said they moved the judging indoors because the Auditorium is close to other festival sites and because staff were already planning interior displays that honor past winners.

Council members said moving the judging off the main festival footprint reduces public exposure and can limit audience engagement: one councilor argued that separating the judging from Chocolate Affair or the Folk and Heritage Festival means festival attendees are less likely to see the artists’ work. Several councilors suggested alternatives including the fruit packing shed’s temperature‑controlled room at the Folk and Heritage Festival, courtyard and hallway space at the Chocolate Affair, rotating the judging between events, or hosting it at the new City Hall after the downtown campus opens.

Council members asked staff to consult the Arts Commission and seek artists’ input before making a longer‑term decision. There was no formal vote; the council expressed a preference for returning the judging to a location that maximizes public visibility, with staff directed to consider the packing shed and to solicit opinions from artists and the Arts Commission.

The transcript contains differing descriptions of where the event has been held historically; staff and council members said it has been attached to multiple downtown events over time, and staff offered to return with options for 2027 and beyond.