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Banner Exhibition and Competition

Entry Form

Leave Your Mark on the 60th Anniversary Arts Festival

Every July, thousands of visitors look up and smile.  Suspended high above South Allen Street, colorful banners dance in the summer breeze, transforming downtown State College into an outdoor gallery unlike any other. For many Festival-goers, these banners are among the most memorable and beloved traditions of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts—a tradition that dates all the way back to the very first Festival in 1967. 

Now it’s your turn to become part of that tradition.

The Banner Exhibition & Competition invites artists of all ages and experience levels to create a work of art that will be seen by tens of thousands of visitors during the Festival. Whether you’re an experienced fiber artist, a creative hobbyist, a student, a scout troop, a school class, or a community organization, this is your opportunity to contribute something lasting to the Festival experience.

Unlike artwork displayed inside a gallery, Festival banners become part of the celebration itself. They flutter above the crowds, frame photographs, create a sense of wonder, and help define the unique look and feel of Arts Festival week. Many banners continue to be displayed long after the Festival in community spaces throughout the Centre Region.

This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Imagine creating a banner that becomes part of this milestone year—one that helps tell the story of our community’s creativity, spirit, and imagination.

The competition includes Professional, General, and Youth divisions, with cash prizes awarded in each category. But many participants will tell you that the greatest reward is seeing their work soaring above one of Pennsylvania’s most celebrated arts events. 

So gather your friends, classmates, coworkers, or fellow artists.  Or take on the challenge yourself. Design something bold. Create something joyful. Celebrate a cause, a community milestone, or simply the beauty of artistic expression.

Then look up during the Festival and say, “I made that.”

Banner entries for the 2026 competition are due by June 12, 2026. We can’t wait to see what you’ll create.

 

Awards

Banner entries are divided into three categories so that entrants are competing with their peers:

  • Professional: Individuals or groups who work as fiber artists
  • General: Individuals or groups who are not working in the field of fiber arts
  • Youth: All individuals and groups under 18 years of age
Professional
  • First Prize – $200
  • Second Prize – $125
  • Honorable Mention – $50
General
  • First Prize – $150
  • Second Prize – $75
  • Honorable Mention – $50
Youth
  • First Prize – $100
  • Second Prize $75
  • Honorable Mention $50

Making and Submitting a Banner

CALENDAR

Banners entered in the competition must be delivered to the office of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts by 5:00 p.m., June 12, 2026. Banner Competition winners will be announced Saturday, July 11, 2026.

DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION CRITERIA

Design
When designing your banner, please remember that it will hang between 15 and 20 feet over the street. The design must be visible from both sides of the banner (identical or different). All components of the banner design and construction must be securely attached, or the banner will not be displayed. Banners with religious, partisan, or commercial messages will not be accepted. Banners commemorating community organizations are permitted.

Measurements
The banner must measure 72” long and 30” wide. It must be able to be rolled up for storage purposes. Its weight may not exceed 15 pounds.

Fabric
The banner must be constructed of heavy weight, colorfast, weather-resistant material. The following suggestions regarding materials will be helpful.
Fabric Materials
Sail cloth, duck, drill, canvas, heavy twill, cotton.
Fabric Properties
Durable, strong, color-fast, weather-resistant materials.
General Materials Needed
Approximately 4-5 yards fabric, thread, dowels.
Materials to Avoid
Burlap or felt, various types of net fabric, loosely woven fabric such as casement goods, see-through plastics, water soluble glues, or fragile adornments. Please do not use glitter.

Dowels and Weights
The banner must be hung from a 36” poplar dowel, either 5/8 or 3/4” in diameter. Please do not use an oak dowel or a metal rod since it is difficult to secure the banner to those materials. The dowel will extend 3” on each side of the banner. The banner must be weighted at the bottom. The weight must be completely enclosed and should be heavier than the top dowel. We recommend a heavy metal chain which can be sewn into place at several locations. Please be sure the ends are also tacked in place. The weight on the bottom keeps the banner hanging vertically even in windy conditions.

Lettering or Printing
Lettering or printing on the banner should be easy to read, clear, simple and direct.

Identification
Please include the following information on your banner:
• Title
• Artist’s name or group
• The year the banner was made
Use indelible markers, fabric paints or stitching by hand or machine.

JURORS
The Banner Competition jurors will be announced at a later date.

SUBMISSION
Banners will be accepted at the office of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, 403 South Allen Street, Suite 205A, until 5:00 p.m., June 12, 2026. Banners may be shipped or delivered by hand. Banners received after the deadline will not be considered.

Submitted banners become the property of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Should an artist request return of a banner, the banner will be neither juried nor hung at the Festival.

Entry Form

Visit the Festival Store!

Get a Festival poster and buy Festival t-shirts and other merchandise at the corner of College and Allen – or visit our online store.

Festival Store