Gallery Talk with the Pros – How to Look at Art with John T. Eiseman

🎨 Gallery Talk – “How to Look at Art”

Event: Gallery Walk & Interactive Talk
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Location: New Bern, North Carolina
Venue: Festival Gallery / Exhibition Space/New Bern Farmer’s Market

Speaker: John T. Eiseman
(Also leading a mentored plein air experience during the festival)

“How to Look at Art”
A deep-dive, audience-participation conversation exploring how we see and understand painting.

👁️ What to expect

This is not a lecture—it’s a guided conversation that unfolds in front of the artwork itself.

Key ideas explored:

• Different artistic “voices” and interpretations
• How two artists can see the same subject completely differently
• Principles of design and composition
• Value relationships and structure
• Color choices and harmony
• Mark-making and expressive technique

💬 Format & Approach

• Open-ended gallery walk discussion
• Audience participation encouraged
• Real-time exploration of paintings on display
• Focus on understanding, not critique

You might compare how two artists—say, painting the same sailboat—arrive at entirely different yet equally valid visual interpretations. The goal is to sharpen your ability to truly see what’s happening in a painting.

🌟 Why attend

This session is about building a deeper connection with art—learning not just to look, but to understand, interpret, and appreciate the decisions behind what you see.

Explore all the Daily Topics of the Series

This is your chance to ask questions to last year’s top award winners and jurors:

• How are artists chosen?
• What criteria are considered by the selection jurors in reviewing applications?
• What award selection criteria does the award judge use?
• How does the organization decide on the featured artists for their selection process?
• How do award winners prepare themselves for competitions?
• What do artists look for when they first visit the communities they’re going to paint?
• What personal obstacles do artists overcome to produce their best work within the event guidelines?
• What do artists look for when choosing three competition paintings?
• What should people consider when building their own collections?
• How does an artist decide what they want to paint?

NC Plein Air Team Leaders and past award winners will be answering these and other questions daily from noon to 1 p.m. at the Exhibition Gallery.