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The History Event Founder, Richard Carrell
Entering the second decade, Forgotten Coast
en Plein Air honors the founder’s original vision, documenting the Forgotten Coast in the Plein Air
tradition. “This area is so lovely; don’t you wish you could paint?” That was how Richard Carrell introduced the idea of a nationally recognized plein air event at a dinner party. It was 2004 and the area was going through a huge real estate boom. “What if
we invited artists to paint the area?” The whimsical idea of capturing the Forgotten Coast before it was the “Disappeared Coast” was grabbing some traction. Carrell, the source of this seemingly fanciful notion, took notes at some of America’s premiere plein air locations such as Carmel, California and Old Lyme, Connecticut. He consulted with representatives from Plein Air Painters of America and visited artists from central Florida to northeast Maine introducing his idea. Knowing he would need to ensure the artists it would be worth their time to come to this unknown market, Carrell approached The St. Joe Company in 2005. With the speci c assistance of John Hendry, St. Joe embraced the vision and pledged their commitment to start the St. Joe Collection. And so over lunch at the home of Richard
and Julia Carrell, the idea of an annual plein air event was launched to a room of dedicated volunteers in 2006. While Richard only lived to see four years of plein air events, his ideas became a mantra as the event continued to grow and is now recognized as one of the lead- ing plein air events in the country. Richard Carrell envisioned all of this. Always debonair in his bow tie, he knew the potential but would caution on staying true to the key points: document the area, strive for excellence, and promote arts education. The events honor Richard, his wife, Julia and their family for this sustained commitment. Organizers believe Richard would be proud of his vision today.
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Richard Carrell, at far left, celebrating the winners of the rst Forgotten Coast Quickdraw. Now in 2017, the Quickdraw returns to Carrabelle to continue the legacy.