The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, popularly known as "Arts Fest," is a 5-24-hour interval event that draws more than 125,000 visitors to Centre County every summer. Since its founding in 1967, the festival has become i of the top arts festivals in the Usa.

The thought for the festival was conceived in late 1966 by Wally Lloyd, president of the Land College Area Chamber of Commerce. Lloyd thought an arts festival would help boost business organization in downtown State Higher during the summer when fewer students were attending Penn Land.

In Jan 1967, Lloyd pitched the idea to Gary Moyer, chairman of the Downtown Merchants Association, writing that the festival "would give publicity to Land College, many people would come to town because of it and hence business organization activity should be high." He also argued that the festival would create "a favorable image of the business concern customs in the minds of local citizens and Academy students."

A wood carver worked at his arts and crafts during the 1971 festival. (Photograph by Dick Dark-brown)

Lloyd saw that  "the wholehearted participation of the academy is indispensable." In Apr, he contacted Dr. Jules Heller, dean of Penn State's Higher of Arts and Architecture. Heller agreed to be co-chairman alongside Lloyd, and six Penn State professors were tasked with putting together the festival in just two months.

In add-on to funds raised by local businesses and individual donors, the projection received a $2,000 grant from the newly formed Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. With a limited budget and 150 volunteers, the festival made its debut.

On July 22, 1967, the opening anniversary was marked by the memorable entrance of Governor Raymond Schaffer, who arrived by helicopter, landing on the Old Main lawn. In attendance were State College Mayor Chauncey P. Lang, Penn State President Eric A. Walker, and the festival commission. They watched every bit the governor's iv-year-onetime grandson cut the ribbons unfurling the official festival banner.

The get-go festival lasted ix days. The Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition featured an array of art propped upwards forth snow-fencing that spanned "the wall" separating the Old Main lawn from downtown Southward Allen and Pugh Street. Community members spontaneously contributed a range of artwork, including paintings, photographs, pottery, sculptures, and crafts of varied quality. One vendor sold kittens. There were twenty-three theater performances, 2 boob shows, concerts ranging from chamber orchestras to bluegrass bands, experimental films, children's arts and crafts, and a live program airing on WSPX-TV.

The side by side year'south festival had double the number of art pieces on display at the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition. The rapid growth fabricated it clear that more professional management was necessary. In 1971, the Sale and Exhibition became a juried show, which express the volume of art eligible for display and sale and improved the quality of the festival.

Nonetheless, the festival still faced organizational difficulties as it continued to operate through the efforts of volunteers and a single role-time staff member. Additionally, the festival still had no long-term financial plan, relying on raffles, T-shirt sales, and program advertisements.

In the early on 1980s, treasurer Karen Shute established a budget and set up up a business advisory committee. In 1991, Phil Flit became managing director and outsourced the publication of the festival program to Boondocks and Gown magazine, generating more than $300,000 in advertisement acquirement. Waltz also introduced a ticket system allowing visitors to support the festival through the buy of $1 buttons, gaining access to sectional venues in return. In 1994, the introduction of a winter result, Offset Night State College, allowed the festival to utilize its resources year-round while bringing in additional revenue, cementing the issue'due south financial stability.

Painter Carrie Jacobson sits next to her booth at the 2018 festival. (Photograph by Volition Yurman)

Security and crowd control measures were implemented afterward a riot during the festival weekend in 1998. More than 1,500 revelers inflicted near $fifty,000 worth of damage on Beaver Avenue, several blocks away from the festival. More than than twenty people were arrested.

Rick Bryant became executive director of the festival in 2005, having worked his way upwards from trash coiffure, for which he get-go volunteered in 1984. Today, the festival operates year-round with a full-fourth dimension staff of two full-time and 1 office-time employees. The festival relies on this staff, a volunteer board of directors, and more 500 volunteers workers to operate each year.

The festival has transformed the artistic landscape of Centre County. Several organizations and events have grown out of the festival's success. The Key Pennsylvania Fine art Alliance was founded in 1968 and offers year-round art exhibitions and fine art classes for children and adults. Local musicians who had performed at the first festival in 1967 banded together to form the Nittany Valley Symphony, which now plays at the Eisenhower Auditorium. The Land College Municipal Band originated from the festival, playing its first concert at the 1976 event.

The festival has also spawned other local festivals, including the People's Selection Festival in Boalsburg, Heritage Days in Phillipsburg, and the Lemont Fest in Lemont, all of which accept identify during the same week.

Today, old traditions from the first festival, including the Sidewalk Auction and Exhibition and imprint contest, have endured, and new traditions take emerged. Children and Youth Day, a popular event that allows young artists to sell their work, began in 1976. The start Arts Festival Race was a 10-mile run in 1975. The races have since expanded to offering a 5K, a 10K, and Kids Races. They are co-sponsored by the Nittany Valley Running Society and were renamed the Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races in 2006. The Italian Street Painting Festival began in 2000 and BookFest PA in 2010.

In 2020 and 2021, the festival was held virtually because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Grey Rochon

Sources:

"About United states of america." Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. [Box sixteen] Wallis Lloyd-Festival Planning, 1967, Special Collections, Pennsylvania Country University Libraries

Cheng, Vicki, Harold Goodridge, and Chris Krewson. "Riot Rocks Downtown State College." Eye Daily Times, July xiii, 1998.

Clemson, Donna Symmonds. "A Town-Gown Adventure" The Penn Stater, October 1967.

Doom, Tracy M. "Celebrating the 50th Festival." Town and Gown Magazine, January 5, 2021.

Showtime Published: September xi, 2021

Last Modified: February 25, 2022