CPFA’s Executive Director, Rick Bryant, is happy to answer questions about press releases. Please give us a call at 814-237-3682 or complete the inquiry form here and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
You can access our media kit, which includes downloadable versions of our logo, a brief overview of the organization, and other relevant information, here.
While this summer’s Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be taking place in the “virtual” world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Festival organizers have kept the tradition of issuing a collectible Festival poster.
The 24” by 36” poster, sponsored by Penn State Health, was designed by longtime Festival poster designer Lanny Sommese and his daughter Saige. In a subtle nod to a summer without a festival, most of the images found in the typical festival poster—the Festival jester, references to art, music, and theatre, are missing. Instead, a simple sunrise, rising over a stylized Happy Valley landscape, symbolizes optimism and hope for better days in the future.
“When we were discussing canceling this summer’s Festival, we felt it was important to continue the tradition of the real Festival poster. Instead of referencing downtown State College and the Penn State campus, the poster’s text says “happening wherever you are”, noted Festival executive director, Rick Bryant.
The poster is free and can be picked up at several local businesses, including:
-Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
403 S. Allen Street, Suite 205A, State College
-Downtown State College Improvement District
127 S. Fraser Street, State College
-State College Framing Company and Gallery
160 Rolling Ridge Drive, State College
-The Makery
209 W. Calder Way, State College
-Art a la Carte
107 S. Allegheny Street, Bellefonte
-Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau
One West Market Street, Lewistown
After July 12, any remaining posters will be available for sale on the Festival’s website.
Poster designer Lanny Sommese is emeritus Professor of Graphic Design at Penn State. Saige Sommese is a 2018 graduate of Penn State’s graphic design program and is the principal in her own design firm. For over 40 years, the elder Sommese has designed the colorful posters for the Arts Festival. The entire collection is on display in Penn State’s HUB-Robeson Center.
The Festival is made possible by grant support from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Centre County Commissioners. The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The festival will take place from July 9 to July 12 on the Festival’s website, arts-festival.com.
Friendship bracelets—lengths of braided or twisted colored string—are a fun reminder of summer. In any given year, lots of young people would have made the bracelets to sell in Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts’ Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale. Festival organizers would like to continue that tradition—with a twist—as a part of this summer’s virtual Arts Festival.
In a project called “Tying Us Together” Festival organizers are calling for people to make friendship bracelets between now and July, sharing some with their friends and donating the remainder to the Festival.
Festival organizers will sell them at local retailers to support this year’s virtual arts festival. Their goal is to collect 10,000 bracelets.
“Each friendship bracelet is as unique as the person who made it”, noted Festival Executive Director Rick Bryant. “They also remind us of how valuable our friends are—something important to remember while we fight COVID-19. While you can make a bracelet by yourself, it’s difficult to tie it on your own wrist. Having a friend do that makes life so much easier.”
The Festival has partnered with The Makery in downtown State College in this project. The Makery’s staff created simple instructions and created a how-to video now posted on YouTube.
While to make this project a success, people will have to use their own supplies, the Festival is priming the pump by making a limited number of kits of embroidery floss and instructions. The kits are free and can be picked up at the following locations:
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, 403 S. Allen St., Suite 205A, State College
The Makery, 209 W Calder Way, State College
State College Framing Company & Gallery, 160 Rolling Ridge Dr., State College
Art a la Carte, 107 S. Allegheny St., Bellefonte
In addition to the goal of creating and selling 10,000 bracelets, the Festival would like to collect photos of people wearing them in all fifty states.
As an incentive to participate, people who donate at least five bracelets to the Festival, or submit a photo of someone wearing one, will be entered into a drawing for one of four $50 Downtown State College Gift Cards. Full details can be found on the Festival’s website, arts-festival.com.
Founded in 1967 by the State College Chamber of Commerce and Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, the Festival attracts approximately 125,000 visitors to the Centre Region each summer. This is the first year since the event’s founding that it has been canceled or postponed.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Additional funding is provided through a grant made by possible by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
With deep regret, the Board of Directors of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announces the cancellation of its July 2020 event due to public health concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made after consultation with officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Borough of State College, and Penn State.
This is the first time in its 54-year history that the Festival will not take place in July.
Founded in 1967 by the State College Chamber of Commerce and Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, the Festival attracts approximately 125,000 visitors to the Centre Region each summer and is regarded as one of the nation’s premier events of its kind.
Festival staff will turn its attention to presenting artists and musicians in a “virtual festival” in early July. As any events for the “virtual festival” are scheduled, they will be listed on the Festival’s website, arts-festival.com.
“We’re a resilient organization and community,” said CPFA Board President Renata Engel. “While this is a disappointment at the moment, the Arts Festival team is already turning its focus toward engaging artists, entertainers, and volunteers in new ways during this unprecedented time. Creativity and collaboration are central to our mission, and although it may look and feel a bit different, the Festival will be back. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the memorable experiences our audience looks forward to each year.” Engel also serves as Penn State’s vice provost for online education.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Additional funding is provided through a grant made by possible by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its juried gallery exhibition, Images 2020. Images 2020 will hang in in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery and Downsbrough Room of the Schlow Centre Region Library and the Kish Bank Expect More Store during the month of July.
Work eligible for exhibition in the show includes drawings, paintings, mixed media, photography, hand-pulled prints, watercolors, fiber, paper, and digital art.
The works in Images 2020 will be selected by juror Emily Burns.
Ms. Burns is an assistant professor of graphic design at Penn State. Before joining the Penn State faculty, she taught and worked as a professional photographer in New York for more than 10 years. In 2013, she founded Maake Magazine, an independent, artist-run, limited edition print publication and online resource showcasing the work of emerging artists.
Her background in fine arts and practical experience in painting, illustration, and photography brings an interdisciplinary approach to her work.
Images 2020 is open to artists whose primary residence is in Pennsylvania. Digital images of original work produced within the last three years may be submitted. Both adults and enrolled students from ages 16 through 26 may apply to the exhibition. The application deadline is
May 8, 2020.
Artists will be eligible for at least $1,900 in prizes awarded by Ms. Burns. In addition to the Best of Show and Awards of Merit, there will be awards for Best Pastel, Best Drawing, and Best Student Submission.
The application may be found online at arts-festival.com/images-juried-exhibition.
The fifty-fourth Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 8 through July 12 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. Children and Youth Day is July 8, and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens on July 9 and continues through July 12.
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its annual banner competition, one of the signature events of the Festival. The Festival has hung banners over South Allen Street since the first Festival in 1967, adding color and movement to the festive atmosphere.
Both individuals and groups may submit entries, which 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. The Festival encourages local non-profit organizations to create banners celebrating their organization.
The members of the banner jury will be announced at a later date. The jurors will award prizes in three categories: professional, general, and youth.
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 19, 2020. Banner Competition winners will be announced Saturday, July 11, 2020 at the Sidewalk Sale Awards Ceremony, at 9:00 a.m. on the Allen Street Stage.
More information may be found online at arts-festival.com/banners.
The fifty-fourth Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 8 through July 12 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. Children and Youth Day is July 8, and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens on July 9 and continues through July 12.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, a signature event of the Children’s Day Activities of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
The 2020 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 8 through July 12 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale will be held on South Allen Street, on Children and Youth Day, Wednesday,
July 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is a fun way for children to sell original artwork that they have made and perhaps earn some money in the process.
Children from ages 8 to 18 who live in, or who have relatives in, Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin or Union counties are eligible to participate in the Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale. The event is subject to simple rules. For example, each artist must make his or her own work. Items made from kits are not permitted. The complete list of rules can be found in the Call for Entries.
There is a $25.00 entry fee. The application postmark deadline is June 19, 2020. Applications postmarked after that date will not be considered. Applications may be delivered to the Festival offices at 403 South Allen Street, Suite 205A, State College until 5:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2020.
Applications may now be downloaded at arts-festival.com/children-and-youth.
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Officials and sponsors of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts presented over $17,000 in prizes for its 2019 Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, on Saturday July 13, at 9:00 a.m. during an award ceremony on the Arts Festival’s Allen Street stage.
Sidewalk Sale Coordinator Pam Lautsch emceed the brief and informal awards ceremony, assisted by Rick Bryant, the Festival’s Executive Director. Special guest, State Senator Judy Ward (R-30), a member of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, assisted in presenting the awards.
Ceramicist Paveen “Beer” Chunhaswasdikul of Gadsden, AL received the Arete Best of Show Award. The award was presented by former Festival board president Linda Gall to Mr. Chunhaswasdikul. The award is funded by an endowment at the Centre Foundation created by Ms. Gall and her husband Blake. The award carries a cash prize of $2,800.
The Fine Arts Award, worth $1,750, was given to jewelers Danielle and Chris Merzatta of Mount Tabor, NJ.
The John C. Mason Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design was presented to Victoria Varga and Daniel Brouder of Cumberland Foreside, ME. This award carries a cash prize of $825.
Other exhibitors receiving Awards of Excellence were:
Athlone Clarke, Douglasville, GA (Mixed Media- 2D)
Honey Jaffe Memorial Award: Marie-Helene Grabman, Fort Mill, SC (Paper)
Mitch Lyons Memorial Award: Sangjoon Park, Highland Mills, NY (Ceramic)
The following exhibitors received Awards of Distinction, worth $700:
Noelia Torres Romero, Cary, NC (Leather)
Z.L. Feng, Radford, VA (Watercolor)
Duff Family Award of Distinction: Karen Hibbs, New Haven, CT (Glass)
Pam Ruest and Jeff Jones Award of Distinction: Patricia Wilder, Victor, NY (Photography)
Receiving Awards of Merit, worth $550 were:
John McCarthy Award of Merit in Wearable Fiber in Memory of Sharon McCarthy: Nanako Miller, New York, NY
Shuey Family Award of Merit in memory of Naomi Shuey: Kristin Moger, Gap, PA (Drawing)
Bob & Ginny Mountz Award of Merit: Laura Wilder, Rochester, NY (Printmaking)
Susan & Lewis Steinberg Award of Merit: Timm Chapman, Apache Junction, AZ (Photography)
Tom & Kristen Coombs Award of Merit: Maryann Schmidt, Galway, NY (Painting)
Aaron T. Roan, DMD & Associates Award of Merit: Tom Horn, Emmaus, PA (Mixed Media- 3D)
Anne Layng Award of Merit: Tomas Savrda, Kent, CT (Mixed Media- 3D)
Rapid Transit Sports Award of Merit: David Benyosef, Somerville, MA (Glass)
Connections Clothing Award of Merit: Astou Dioum, New York, NY (Basketry)
Towne Centre One Award of Merit: Samantha Skelton, Pittsburgh, PA (Jewelry)
William Alburger, Barto, PA (Wood)
Debra Adelson, Collingswood, NJ (Jewelry)
The Frost & Conn, Inc. Booth of Distinction Award was presented to Sheko Kirby (Jewelry), Booth B-15. This award is carries a $250 prize.
The jurors for this year’s event were Brienne Brown, Julian, PA; Brian Giniewski, Philadelphia, PA; Pat Little, Philipsburg, PA; Lynette Santoro-Au, Columbus, OH; and James Thurman, Denton, TX.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional funding is provided through a grant made by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced the award winners in its 2019 Banner Competition at its annual award ceremony on the Festival’s Allen Street stage on Saturday, July 13 at 9:00 a.m.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Executive Director Rick Bryant made the presentations with State Senator Judy Ward, a member of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
In the professional class, Joanie Eyster of State College took first place for her acrylic paint work, A Tail of Two Sixties. Marty Edmunds of Boalsburg took the second spot for her rainwear faboric applique with vinyl banner, In the Age of Robots, Meet Robojester.
In the general class, Teresa Jacobs of Lock Haven made the winning banner, Bright Sunflowers. Suhrudwamsi Musunuri of University Park received second place with her piece, Celebrating Art.
This year’s banner judges were Laura Robinson and Cindy Schultz of State College. The event is chaired by Lisa Zander-Campbell of Centre Hall.
The banner exhibition is sponsored by FirstEnergy Foundation.
Juror Cindy Schultz commented, “The banners this year were a great selection and it was hard to choose between them. The most colorful choices caught my eye.”
The Banner Competition is one of the signature events of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Both individuals and groups may submit entries. The Festival hangs this year’s banners and those from its collection over South Allen Street, adding color and movement to the festive atmosphere.
This year, in addition to the banners hanging over South Allen Street, the Festival hung banners in the State College Municipal Building and the HUB/Robeson Center on Penn State’s campus.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional funding is provided through a grant made by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced $1,900 in awards for Images 2019, the Festival’s annual juried exhibition of fine art. The award decisions were made by the show’s juror, Shannon Egan, Director of the Schmucker Art Gallery at Gettysburg College.
The Best in Show was awarded to Nancy Burch Brassington of Bellefonte, PA for her oil painting, Looking Down on Willowbank Street.
Fifty-nine pieces were chosen by Egan from the 334 pieces submitted from across Pennsylvania.
The William D. Davis Award was awarded to Kelly Green of State College, PA for her drawing, Katherine. The Davis Award is sponsored by the Sturtz-Davis Family in William’s memory.
The Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society sponsored an award for Best Pastel to draw more attention to the pastel medium. The Best Pastel Award was presented to William Sweeny of Garnet Valley, PA for his pastel, A View from the Pond at Dawn.
The following works were chosen as Award of Merit winners.
Submerged
Susan Parsonage, State College, PA
The Perfect Spot
Christie Biber, Pittsburgh, PA
Looking Through the Window
Mary Eileen Carson, Harrisburg, PA
Portal
Gloria Plosky Scaltz, State College, PA
The Awards of Merit were sponsored by Gabrick Shadle Insurance Agency; the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania; the Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County; and the State College Framing Company & Gallery.
The Schlow Library Foundation sponsored the Best Student Submission Award. This award was presented to Alyssa Brown of Philadelphia, PA for her oil painting, Red Creek Trail.
In addition to the prize decisions made by the juror, the Viewers’ Choice Award will be chosen by ballots cast by exhibition visitors. This year’s prize is sponsored by Joyce Robinson & Norman Spivey.
Images 2019 will hang in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery in Schlow Library and the Kish Bank Expect More Store during the month of July.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Additional funding is provided through a grant made by possible by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The 53rd annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will take place Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14 on the streets of downtown State College and the adjacent Penn State campus.
The Festival features the nationally recognized Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, a juried gallery exhibition, Children and Youth Day, Street Painting, educational opportunities, music, dance and theatrical performances in a variety of outdoor and indoor venues.
The 2019 Arts Festival commences with Children and Youth Day on Wednesday, July 10, which features programs and events designed especially for the young and young at heart. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. the Children & Youth Sidewalk Sale, sponsored by Penn State Federal Credit Union, will be held on South Allen Street. More than 250 young Central Pennsylvania artists are expected to showcase their original works.
Other Children and Youth Day activities include free arts and crafts activities on Penn State’s Old Main Lawn and in State College’s Sidney Friedman Park. Musical and dance performances tailored to the young will take place on two stages thanks to local student ensembles and performing arts schools. However, for some, the highlight of the day will come at 4:00 p.m. with the 2019 Centre Daily Times Children and Youth Day Grand Procession. Over 300 children (accompanied by some parents) will carry small, medium and large papier-mâché puppets, masks and drums. The procession will begin on the Old Main Lawn and travel through downtown State College as it makes its way to Sidney Friedman Park.
The Pat Farrell Community Sing Along will be on Wednesday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the State College Presbyterian Church. Young and old, those who can sing, and especially those who can’t, are invited to join Russell Bloom, Erik Clayton, and Leah Mueller as the community comes together to make some joyful noise. CPFA Performance Button Required
On Thursday, July 11, at 10:00 a.m. the award-winning Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition will open. Sidewalk Sale hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. The works of more than 300 exhibitors comprise one of the nation’s best juried fine art and craft shows. A panel of five jurors will award over $17,500 in prize money to winning exhibitors during a ceremony at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 13, at the Allen Street Stage.
The 2019 Street Painting exhibition recognizes the cross-border popularity of street painting among Italy, England, and Germany. Due to the construction project on the former Garner Street parking lot, this year our street painters will be working on Foster Avenue at South Allen Street. A variety of local visual artists will create 6-foot by 4-foot paintings. For a $5 fee, Young Artists Alley gives children the opportunity to create a 14”x 14” square street painting. Painting ends at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, weather permitting.
The public is invited to celebrate the 53rd Festival by purchasing tickets to the Festive Spirits benefit party, which will be held at The Towers, 403 South Allen Street, on Friday, July 12, at 5:00 p.m. Bellefonte’s Big Spring Spirits will provide locally sourced spirits, with hors d’oeuvres by Catering with Style. Tickets to the party can be purchased by calling the Arts Festival office or by visiting arts-festival.com/festive-spirits-party.
The Festival’s fine art exhibition, Images 2019, will hang in Schlow Centre Region Library’s Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery, 211 S. Allen Street, and Kish Bank Expect More Store, 114 S. Allen Street, during the month of July. Images 2019 is open to artists whose primary residence is in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The works in Images have been selected by juror Dr. Shannon Egan, director of Schmucker Art Gallery at Gettysburg College.
The 11th annual BookFest will take place on Saturday, July 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m in the BookFest tent, located in the library’s parking lot. Caricature artist Seth Young will be on hand to draw your likeness and capture your personality on paper. This year more than twenty different authors will be meeting fans and signing books in the BookFest tent. For more information go to arts-festival.com/bookfest.
Experience Harold Lloyd’s silent film, The Kid Brother, accompanied by a virtual theatre organ, an instrument developed by accompanist Ben Model. The virtual theatre organ uses an assemblage of keyboards and digital technologies to bring movies by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to twenty-first century theatres. Ben Model performs in The State Theatre on Friday, July 12 at 8:30 p.m. CPFA Performance Button Required
The acoustic-duo Ryanhood got its first break more than a decade ago as street-performers at Boston’s Quincy Market. It was there that they were spotted by a college booking agent and thrust into the college touring scene. They’ve since gone on to perform more than 1000 shows in 45 U.S. States over the past decade. Come out to the State College Presbyterian Church on Saturday, July 13 at 8:00 p.m. to catch their performance. CPFA Performance Button Required
Poor Man’s Gambit is a trio of traditional artists comprised of Corey Purcell, Federico Betti, and Deirdre Lockman. Building on their roots as traditional Irish musicians, the trio’s repertoire is also influenced by traditional music of other cultures including France, Scotland, England, and America. Poor Man’s Gambit will perform at the State College Presbyterian Church on Thursday, July 12 at 8:00 p.m. CPFA Performance Button Required
Greg Warren, most recently seen on Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show, and Comedy Central Presents, has built a strong fan base with an act inspired by his Midwestern upbringing. An honest mix of self-deprecation, frustration, and an arsenal of lifelike characters highlight Greg’s colorful perspective. Greg hails from St. Louis, where his father was a high school wrestling coach and his mother made him play clarinet in the band. He has captivated audiences with anecdotes about the conflict inherent in meshing the two disparate high school identities of varsity wrestler and band geek. Greg will bring his comedy act to the State Theatre on Friday, July 12 at 10:00 p.m. A ticket is required for this performance.
RPR is a band of contrasts, subtleties, humor, and the agility to go from full rampage to whisper in a heartbeat. The band brings a rare combination of poignancy and personality to the stage, crafting shows with tuneful music, touching stories, laughter, and astonishing vocal harmonies. Rob Ritchie, Al Parish, and Steve Ritchie were around when Tanglefoot won Best Vocal Group at the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Check out their performance on Saturday, July 13 at 7:00 p.m. on the Festival Shell Stage.
While most performances are free, some require a festival button. Buttons cost $10.00 for adults and are free for children ages twelve and under. They are good for the entire festival, and grant admission on a space available basis to selected indoor events. Buttons are available at each performance venue, at many locations on the Festival route, and in downtown State College stores.
The Nittany Valley Running Club’s 44th annual Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races will take place Sunday, July 14, starting at 8:15 a.m. The event comes in 5K & 10K distances. The Kids’ Fun Runs will start at 10:00 a.m. with distances of a quarter mile through a half mile for kids ages 12 and under. The Arts Festival Races are sponsored by Penn State Health. For registration and additional race information, please visit nvrun.com.
Leave parking and traffic worries to others by parking in the Jordan East parking lot, next to the Bryce Jordan Center and Beaver Stadium. For $5.00 a car, visitors may park and take a free bus operated by the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA). The bus will stop in the Festival zone at the corner of College and Hiester, with a second stop at the corner of College Avenue and South Allen Street.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Additional funding is provided through a grant made by possible by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has released its 2019 collectible poster. The 24” by 36” poster features a picture within picture of the Festival jester in a harlequin suit of bright yellow and red triangles. An image of the jester’s feet, in ballet slippers rests on the easel. Collage elements representing art and music—among them a banjo, a paintbrush, scissors, and a harp—float in space in the artist’s studio—which opens onto a landscape with balloons floating in the distance.
The poster is free and can be picked up at several local businesses, including:
-Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
403 S. Allen Street, Suite 205A, State College
-Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau
800 E. Park Avenue, State College
-Downtown State College Improvement District
127 S. Fraser Street, State College
-State College Framing Company and Gallery
160 Rolling Ridge Drive, State College
-HUB-Robeson Center Desk, Penn State Campus
-Hintz Family Alumni Center, Penn State Campus
-Penn State Federal Credit Union
1937 North Atherton Street, State College
-Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau
One West Market Street, Lewistown
The poster for the 2019 festival was designed by emeritus Professor of Graphic Design at Penn State, Lanny Sommese, in collaboration with his daughter, Saige, a 2018 graduate of Penn State’s graphic design program. For over 40 years, the elder Sommese has designed the colorful posters for the Arts Festival.
This year’s poster is sponsored by a partnership between Highmark and Penn State Health.
The Festival poster is also made possible by grant support from the Centre County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and Centre County Commissioners. The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The festival will take place from July 10 to July 14 in downtown State College and on Penn State’s campus. Children and Youth Day is July 10 and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens on July 11.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its juried gallery exhibition, Images 2019. Images 2019 will hang in in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery and Downsbrough Room of the Schlow Centre Region Library during the month of July.
Work eligible for exhibition in the show includes drawings, paintings, mixed media, photography, hand-pulled prints, watercolors, fiber, and paper.
The works in Images 2019 will be selected by juror Shannon Egan.
Dr. Egan is the director of the Schmucker Art Gallery at Gettysburg College, where she curates exhibitions of contemporary and historical art. She has received research fellowships from the ACLS/Terra Foundation for the Arts, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Center for the Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art. In addition to her curatorial work, Dr. Egan teaches courses on contemporary art, the history and theory of photography, twentieth-century European art, and art and public policy.
Images 2019 is open to artists whose primary residence is in Pennsylvania. Digital images of original work produced within the last three years may be submitted. Both adults and enrolled students from ages 16 through 26 may apply to the exhibition. The application deadline is May 3, 2019.
Artists will be eligible for at least $1,500 in prizes awarded by Dr. Egan. There will be awards for best pastel, best drawing, and best student submission.
The application may be found online here.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 10 through July 14 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. Children and Youth Day is July 10, and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens on July 11 and continues through July 14.
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its annual banner competition, one of the signature events of the Festival. The Festival has hung banners over South Allen Street since the first Festival in 1967, adding color and movement to the festive atmosphere.
Both individuals and groups may submit entries, which 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. The Festival encourages banners that Banners commemorate community organizations.
The members of the banner jury will be announced at a later date. The jurors will award prizes in three categories: professional, general, and youth.
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 21, 2019. Banner Competition winners will be announced Saturday, July 13, 2019 at the Sidewalk Sale Awards Ceremony, at 9:00 a.m. on the Allen Street Stage.
More information may be found online here.
The fifty-second Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 10 through July 14 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. Children and Youth Day is July 10, and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens on July 11 and continues through July 14.
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, a signature event of the Children’s Day Activities of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
The 2018 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 10 through July 14 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale will be held on South Allen Street, on Children and Youth Day, Wednesday, July 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is a fun way for children to sell original artwork that they have made and perhaps earn some money in the process.
Children from ages 8 to 18 who live in, or who have relatives in Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin or Union are eligible to participate in the Children’s Sidewalk Sale. The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is subject to very simple rules. For example, each artist must make his or her own work. Items made from kits are not permitted.
There is a $24.00 entry fee. The application postmark deadline is June 21, 2019. Applications postmarked after that date will not be considered. Applications may be delivered to the Festival offices at 403 South Allen Street, Suite 205A, State College until 5:00 PM on Friday, June 21, 2019.
Applications may now be downloaded at arts-festival.com/children-and-youth
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is sponsored by the Penn State Federal Credit Union, www.pennstatefederal.com.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts elected new officers and members of the board of directors at its annual meeting on January 15, 2019.
The new officers are: Bob Hicks, board president; Yvonne Gaudelius, vice-president; Kristen Coombs, treasurer, and Kathleen Raupach, secretary.
Bob Hicks is CEO of Persea Naturals LLC and is the minister at Upper Spruce Creek Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania Furnace. Gaudelius is associate vice president and senior associate dean for undergraduate education at Penn State. Coombs is a financial advisor with Kristen Coombs Financial Advisors. Raupach is an instructor in Penn State’s Recreation, Park, and Tourism program.
Heidi Nicholas of State College was elected to a three-year term on the board. Since 2001, she has been a principal in Nicholas Enterprises, a State College based firm that engages in the development and management of commercial and multi-tenant residential real estate. She holds degrees in fine arts from the University of California at Los Angeles and completed her graduate education at Cornell.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts was founded in 1967 by the State College Chamber of Commerce and Penn State University’s College of Arts and Architecture. It now encompasses five days of visual and performing arts programming. Approximately 125,000 people visit the Festival each summer, and the Festival is considered to be a quintessential part of the Penn State student and alumni experience.
In addition to producing the summer festival, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts also produces First Night State College, an alcohol-free, family-oriented New Year’s festival.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Officials and sponsors of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts presented over $17,000 in prizes for its 2018 Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, on Saturday July 14, at 9:00 a.m. during an award ceremony on the Arts Festival’s Allen Street stage.
Sidewalk Sale Coordinator Pam Lautsch emceed the brief and informal awards ceremony, assisted by Rick Bryant, the Festival’s Executive Director.
Jewelers Danielle and Chris Merzatta of Mount Tabor, NJ received the Arete Best of Show Award. The award was presented by former Festival board president Linda Gall to the Merzattas. The award is funded by an endowment at the Centre Foundation created by Ms. Gall and her husband Blake. The award carries a cash prize of $2,800.
The Fine Arts Award, worth $1,750, was given to photographer Marie-Helene Grabman of Fort Mill, SC.
The John C. Mason Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design was presented to Allison Jones of Pittsburgh. This award carries a cash prize of $825.
Other exhibitors receiving Awards of Excellence were:
Karen Hibbs, New Haven, CT (Glass)
Honey Jaffe Memorial Award: Paveen “Beer” Chunhaswasdikul, Gadsen, AL (Ceramic)
Mitch Lyons Memorial Award: Thomas Dumke, Stone Bank, WI (Wood)
The following exhibitors received Awards of Distinction, worth $700:
Patricia Wilder, Victor NY (Photography)
Jake Johnson, Waynesboro, VA (Ceramic)
Duff Family Award of Distinction, Olga Mihaylova, Pittsburgh (Jewelry)
Pam Ruest and Jeff Jones Award of Distinction, Laura Wilder, Rochester, NY (Printmaking)
Receiving Awards of Merit, worth $550 were:
John McCarthy Award of Merit in Wearable Fiber in Memory of Sharon McCarthy, Galina Kostanda-Lambert, Ft. Myers, FL
Shuey Family Award of Merit in memory of Naomi Shuey, Tim Sullivan, Marietta, GA (Ceramic)
Bob & Ginny Mountz Award of Merit, Teresa Haag, Phoenixville, PA (Painting)
Susan & Lewis Steinberg Award of Merit, David Benyosef, Somerville, MA (Glass)
Tom & Kristen Coombs Award of Merit, Petty Shepard & Mary Otieno, Kingsport, TN (Basketry)
Aaron T. Roan, DMD & Associates Award of Merit, Aileen Lampman, Pittsburgh, PA (Jewelry)
Anne Layng Award of Merit, Greg Stones, Greenville, RI (Watercolor)
Rapid Transit Sports Award of Merit, Victoria Varga, Cumberland Foreside, ME (Jewelry)
Connections Clothing Award of Merit, Samantha Skelton, Pittsburgh, PA ( Jewelry)
Towne Centre One Award of Merit, Jenna Vanden Brink, Pittsburgh, PA (Ceramic)
Glenn Woods & Keith Herbrand, Palm Harbor, FL (Ceramic).
Chris Knox, Cummington, MA (Ceramic)
The Frost & Conn, Inc. Booth of Distinction Award was presented to Deborah Adelson (Jewelry), Booth A-66. This award is carries a $250 prize.
The jurors for this year’s event were Casey Droege, Pittsburgh, PA; Brian Ferrell, Jeannette, PA; Becky McDonah, Millersville, PA; Clayton Merrell, Pittsburgh, PA; and Yoko Sekino-Bové, Washington, PA
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced the award winners in its 2018 Banner Competition at its annual award ceremony on the Festival’s Allen Street stage on Saturday, July 14 at 9:00 a.m.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Executive Director Rick Bryant made the presentations.
In the professional class, Joanie Eyster of State College took first place for her acrylic paint work, 1,000 Cranes Begins with 1. Marty Edmunds of Boalsburg took the second spot for her polyester fabric applique banner, The Jester Steps Out.
In the general class, Ginny Cooper of Ocean View, NJ made the winning banner, In and Out. Donna Queeney of State College received second place with Chaos Begins, and Teresa Jacobs of Lock Haven won third place with Poppies.
In the youth class, first place was won by Emeline and Lilahgrace Reese of State College for Friends in the Deep Blue Sea.
This year’s banner judges were Diane Bloom of Gatesburg, Laura Robinson and Liz Liadis of State College. The event is chaired by Lisa Zander-Campbell of Centre Hall.
The banner exhibition is sponsored by FirstEnergy Foundation.
Juror Laura Robinson commented, “It’s more difficult to choose winners every year—the quality of the work keeps improving. This year’s banners are quite accomplished in terms of design and construction. “
The Banner Competition is one of the signature events of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Both individuals and groups may submit entries. The Festival hangs this year’s banners and those from its collection over South Allen Street, adding color and movement to the festive atmosphere.
This year, in addition to the banners hanging over South Allen Street, the Festival hung banners in the State College Municipal Building and in the HUB/Robeson Center on Penn State’s campus.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced $1,900 in awards for Images 2018, the Festival’s annual juried exhibition of fine art. The award decisions were made by the show’s juror, Erin M. Coe, Director of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State.
The Best in Show was awarded to Marisa Eichman of Pine Grove Mills, PA for her oil painting, The Hunt For The Red Doe.
“For Images 2018, I applied the same standards to jurying this show as I have to other exhibitions I’ve adjudicated in the past”, said juror Erin Coe.
“My criteria include a combination of the following: works that demonstrate dexterity with the medium employed; excellence in design and composition; and the subject of the artwork, which I carefully consider—what does it represent and how is it conveyed? Here, I am looking for something more elusive and subjective: what inspired the work of art and how does the artist express the wellspring of an idea? Whether this is achieved through color, line, shading, light, texture, or a combination of these, I am concerned with how the artist expressed the subject or the idea behind the work. The awards were given to those works that exemplified these traits and exceeded my expectations.”
Thirty-six pieces were chosen by Coe from the 264 pieces submitted from across Pennsylvania.
The William D. Davis Award was awarded to Todd Krout of Lemont, PA for his watercolor, Urban Sprawl. The Davis Award is sponsored by the Sturtz-Davis Family in William’s memory.
The Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society sponsored an award for Best Pastel to draw more attention to the pastel medium. The Best Pastel Award was presented to Kathleen Muffie-Witt for her pastel, Ladies in a Row.
The following works were chosen as Award of Merit winners.
Can Never Be, Abbey Rosko, New Tripoli, PA
Kora-ju 23, Will Wadlington, Warriors Mark, PA
Boxing, Gloria Plosky Scaltz, Howard, PA
Unchartered, Michele Randall, State College, PA
The Awards of Merit were sponsored by State College Framing Company & Gallery; The Queen, A Victorian Bed & Breakfast; and Garbrick Shadle Insurance Agency.
The Schlow Library Foundation also sponsored an Honorable Mention. That award was given to Susan Parsonage of State College for her work Beyond.
In addition to the prize decisions made by the juror, the Viewers’ Choice Award will be chosen by ballots cast by exhibition visitors. This year’s prize is sponsored by Joyce Robinson & Norman Spivey.
Images 2018 will hang in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery and Downsbrough Room of the Schlow Centre Region Library during the month of July.
The Awards Reception hosted by the Schlow Library Foundation was held during the five-day Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts on Thursday, July 12.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is joining forces with a group of enterprising Penn State students in a pilot project to live stream one of its outdoor concerts this year.
At the suggestion of Bob Beaury, the Director of the Entrepreneurship Program in the College of Engineering, the Festival has teamed up with student-led startup that is developing portable live streaming technology. This technology will allow internet users across the world to experience the energy of a concert on the Allen Street Stage.
The startup is CastPak, a venture led by Andrew Przyjemski, a Schreyer Honors College senior from Reading. He is joined on the CastPak team by two other Penn State students, Keri Nicolich and Xavier Glavin.
Przyjemski notes, “CastPak provides all of the necessary equipment to set up a reliable and professional live stream with all of the hardware conveniently packaged within a backpack. This allows the CastPak to go where you go without the need for access to power outlets or Ethernet ports. We have designed CastPak to give users the functionality of professional broadcasting equipment with an easy to use interface that allows anyone to setup a stream in minutes.”
The CastPak team will live stream the concert by Louise Page, on Friday, July 13 at 3:30pm. The Festival staff approached Page about the project since as a singer/songwriter she will be performing all original songs and so there would be no issues about broadcast rights. Page, a State College native now living in Memphis, readily agreed.
The stream will be available on the Festival’s website, at arts-festival.com/event/louise-page/
Rick Bryant, the Festival’s executive director noted, “I’m so glad that Bob Beaury brought this project to our attention. We’re always eager to work with Penn State students, especially when they could help us reach new audiences. While there will never be a substitute for experiencing a performance, streaming just might be the next best thing to being there.”
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Additional funding is provided through a grant made by possible by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The 52nd annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will take place Wednesday, July 11 through Sunday, July 15 on the streets of downtown State College and the adjacent Penn State campus.
Founded by the State College Chamber of Commerce and Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, the Festival attracts approximately 125,000 visitors each summer. The Festival features the nationally recognized Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, a juried gallery exhibition, Children and Youth Day, Italian Street Painting, educational opportunities, music, dance and theatrical performances in a variety of outdoor and indoor venues.
The 2018 Arts Festival commences with Children and Youth Day on Wednesday, July 11, which features programs and events designed especially for the young and young at heart. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. the Children & Youth Sidewalk Sale, sponsored by Penn State Federal Credit Union, will be held on South Allen Street. More than 250 young Central Pennsylvania artists are expected to showcase their original works.
Other Children and Youth Day activities include free arts and crafts activities on Penn State’s Old Main Lawn and in State College’s Sidney Friedman Park. Musical and dance performances tailored to the young will take place on two stages thanks to local student ensembles and performing arts schools. However, for some, the highlight of the day will come at 4:00 p.m. with the 2018 Centre Daily Times Children and Youth Day Grand Procession. Over 300 children (accompanied by some parents) will carry small, medium and large papier-mâché puppets, masks and drums. The procession will begin on the Old Main Lawn and travel through downtown State College as it makes its way to Sidney Friedman Park.
The Pat Farrell Community Sing Along will be on Wednesday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the State College Presbyterian Church. Young and old, those who can sing, and especially those who can’t carry a tune in a bucket, are invited to join Russell Bloom, Erik Clayton, and Leah Mueller as the community comes together to make some joyful noise.
Russell Bloom is the director of music at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in State College; Clayton was appointed as director of choirs at State College Area High School in 2015; Mueller is a music teacher in the State College Area School District. This year’s sing along will open with a special performance by the Nittany Valley Children’s Choir, under the baton of Lou Ann Shafer. The event is free.
On Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. the award-winning Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition will open. Sidewalk Sale hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. The works of more than 300 exhibitors comprise one of the nation’s best juried fine art and craft shows. A panel of five jurors will award over $17,500 in prize money to winning exhibitors during a ceremony at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 14, at the Allen Street Stage.
The 2018 Italian Street Painting exhibition honors the 16th century Italian tradition of using special chalks to paint on the street. Look for the Italian Street Painting on the 100 block of Hiester Street in downtown State College. A variety of local visual artists will create 6-foot by 4-foot paintings. For a $5 fee, Young Artists Alley gives children the opportunity to create a 14”x 14” square street painting. Painting ends at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, weather permitting.
The public is invited to celebrate the 52nd Festival by purchasing tickets to the Festive Spirits benefit party, which will be held at The Towers, 403 South Allen Street, on Friday, July 13, at 5:00 p.m. Bellefonte’s Big Spring Spirits will provide locally sourced spirits, with hors d’oeuvres by Catering with Style. The Festive Spirits Party is made possible by the support of Kristen Coombs Financial Advisors, Fulton Bank, The Hartman Group, and Jodi and Al Pringle. Tickets to the party can be purchased by calling the Arts Festival office or by visiting arts-festival.com/festive-spirits-party.
The festival’s fine art exhibition, Images 2018, will hang in Schlow Centre Region Library’s Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery, 211 S. Allen Street, during the month of July. Images 2018 is open to artists whose primary residence is in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The works in Images have been selected by juror Erin M. Coe, the Director of the Palmer Museum of Art.
The tenth annual BookFestPa will take place on Saturday, July 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m in the BookFest tent, located in the library’s parking lot. Caricature artist Seth Young will be on hand to draw your likeness and capture your personality on paper. This year more than twenty different authors will be meeting fans and signing books in the BookFest tent. For more information go to arts-festival.com/bookfest.
Named in honor of the many minor-league baseball teams that barnstorm the country, the AAA Blues Band continues that tradition, playing not for glory or wealth, but for the love of the game. Anchored by guitarist Andy Tolins’ mastery of the fretboard and deep vocals, Triple A has been slamming home runs with original and eclectic blues since 1991. The band will be joined on stage by special guest Wayne Werner. They will be performing Friday evening July 13 at 9:30 p.m. at the Allen Street Stage.
Experience Buster Keaton’s 1928 silent film hit, Steamboat Bill, Jr., accompanied by a virtual theatre organ, an instrument developed by accompanist Ben Model. The virtual theatre organ uses an assemblage of keyboards and digital technologies to bring movies by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to twenty-first century theatres. Ben Model performs in The State Theatre on Friday, July 13 at 8:30 p.m. CPFA Performance Button Required
Classical guitarist Colin Davin has emerged as one of today’s most dynamic young artists. He has performed at venues across the world, including the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, the Fridge Fringe in Dubai, and venues throughout the United States. He has even appeared as a featured musical guest on the Late Show with David Letterman alongside legendary soprano Jessye Norman. Come to the State College Presbyterian Church on Thursday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. to hear what sets him apart. CPFA Performance Button Required
State College native Joe Machi did not always plan to enter comedy. After graduating from Penn State, Joe became a customer service manager for a supermarket. It wasn’t until after a stint as a human resources assistant that he decided to try his hand at standup comedy. In 2010, he won first place in the ‘Emerging Comics’ contest at the New York Underground Comedy Festival and was also named a finalist at the New York Comedy Festival’s NY’s Funniest Person Competition. He’s done standup on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and finished 4th on Season 8 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Machi will perform on Saturday, July 14 at 10:00 p.m. in the State Theatre, 130 W. College Avenue. A ticket is required for this performance.
Louise Page is a singer/songwriter based in Memphis, TN. Her raw vocals, intricate lyrics, and piano prowess create a genre bending musical experience. She is joined by percussion, horns, and strings to lend a full, modern chamber orchestra sound to her alternative, jazz, pop, and classical original songs. Catch Louise Page on Friday, July 13 at 3:30 p.m. at the Allen Street Stage.
Pure Cane Sugar’s “assemblage of masterful melodies and haunting harmonies” have been captivating audiences since the band’s debut in 2007. Known for its fusion of acoustic, roots rock, blues and country, the readers of State College Magazine selected Pure Cane Sugar as the “Best Local Band” in 2015 and 2016. Pure Cane Sugar will perform at Festival Shell Stage on Saturday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m.
While most performances are free, some require a festival button. Buttons cost $10.00 for adults and are free for children ages twelve and under. They are good for the entire festival, and grant admission on a space available basis to selected indoor events. Buttons are available at each performance venue, at many locations on the Festival route, in downtown State College stores.
The Nittany Valley Running Club’s 42nd annual Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races will take place Sunday, July 15, starting at 8:15 a.m. The event comes in 5K & 10K distances. The Kids’ Fun Runs will start at 10:00 a.m. with distances of a quarter mile through a half mile for kids ages 12 and under. The Arts Festival Races are sponsored by Penn State Health. For registration and additional race information, please visit nvrun.com.
Leave parking and traffic worries to others by parking in the Jordan East parking lot, next to the Bryce Jordan Center and Beaver Stadium. For $5.00 a car, visitors may park and take a free bus operated by the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA). The bus will stop in the Festival zone at the corner of College and Hiester, with a second stop at the corner of College Avenue and South Allen Street.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Additional funding is provided through a grant made by possible by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has released its 2018 collectible poster. The 24” by 36” poster features elements familiar to any festival goer; musical notes, a paintbrush, and the Festival jester. They are arranged over a background of yellows, oranges, and pinks. This year’s poster is notable since for the first time in history, the Festival jester is depicted as a woman.
The poster is free and can be picked up at several local businesses, including:
-Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
403 S. Allen Street, Suite 205A, State College
-Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau
800 E. Park Avenue, State College
-Downtown State College Improvement District
127 S. Fraser Street, State College
-State College Framing Company and Gallery
160 Rolling Ridge Drive, State College
-HUB-Robeson Center Desk, Penn State Campus
-Hintz Family Alumni Center, Penn State Campus
-Penn State Federal Credit Union
1937 North Atherton Street, State College
-Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau
One West Market Street, Lewistown
The poster for the 2018 festival was designed by emeritus Professor of Graphic Design at Penn State, Lanny Sommese, in collaboration with his daughter, Saige, a 2018 graduate of Penn State’s graphic design program. For over 20 years, the elder Sommese has designed the colorful posters for the Arts Festival.
This year’s poster was made possible by grant support from the Centre County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and Centre County Commissioners. The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, a signature event of the Children’s Day Activities of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
The 2018 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 11 through July 15 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale will be held on South Allen Street, on Children and Youth Day, Wednesday, July 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is a fun way for children to sell original artwork that they have made and perhaps earn some money in the process.
Children from ages 8 to 18 who live in, or who have relatives in Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin or Union are eligible to participate in the Children’s Sidewalk Sale. The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is subject to very simple rules. For example, each artist must make his or her own work. Items made from kits are not permitted.
There is a $20.00 entry fee. The application postmark deadline is June 22, 2018. Applications postmarked after that date will not be considered. Applications may be delivered to the Festival offices at 403 South Allen Street, Suite 205A, State College until 5:00 PM on Friday, June 22, 2016.
Applications may now be downloaded at arts-festival.com/children-and-youth
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale is sponsored by the Penn State Federal Credit Union.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its juried gallery exhibition, Images 2018. Images 2018 will hang in in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery and Downsbrough Room of the Schlow Centre Region Library during the month of July.
Work eligible for exhibition in the show includes drawings, paintings, mixed media, photography, hand-pulled prints, watercolors, fiber, and paper.
The works in Images 2018 will be selected by juror Erin M. Coe.
Ms. Coe is the new Director of Penn State’s Palmer Museum of Art where she started on September 11. She is the former Director of The Hyde Collection, an accredited art museum and historic house in Glens Falls, New York. As Director of The Hyde, Erin focused on her vision of improving the Museum’s accessibility, community engagement, and visitor experience.
Images 2018 is open to artists whose primary residence is in Pennsylvania. Digital images of original work produced within the last three years may be submitted. Both adults and enrolled students from ages 16 through 26 may apply to the exhibition. The application deadline is
May 4, 2018.
Artists will be eligible for at least $1,500 in prizes awarded by Ms. Coe. There will be awards for best pastel, best drawing, and best student submission.
The application may be found online at www.arts-festival.com/images-juried-exhibition.
The fifty-second Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 11 through July 15 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. Children and Youth Day is July 11, and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens on July 12 and continues through July 15.
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for its annual banner competition, one of the signature events of the Festival. The Festival has hung banners over South Allen Street since the first Festival in 1967, adding color and movement to the festive atmosphere.
Both individuals and groups may submit entries, which 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. The Festival encourages banners that Banners commemorate community organizations.
The members of the banner jury will be announced at a later date. The jurors will award prizes in three categories: professional, general, and youth.
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 22, 2018. Banner Competition winners will be announced Saturday, July 14, 2018 at the Sidewalk Sale Awards Ceremony, at 9:00 a.m. on the Allen Street Stage.
More information may be found online at www.arts-festival.com/banners.
The fifty-second Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will be from July 11 through July 15 on the streets of State College and on the adjacent campus of Penn State. Children and Youth Day is July 11, and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition opens on July 12 and continues through July 15.
The Festival receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the Call for Entries for The Art of Protest, a juried exhibition presented in conjunction with Schlow Centre Region Library and the one book, one community program, Centre County Reads. The exhibition, which will hang in the library’s Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery during March 2018, is open to artists living in Centre County.
This year’s Centre County Reads selection, The Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist, was written by State College native Sunil Yapa. The bestselling novel is set amid the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle.
Work entered in the exhibition should attempt to persuade the viewer to take action in favor of a particular cause, such as peace, the environment, civil rights, freedom of speech or religion.
The deadline to apply is January 26, 2018. Complete rules are listed in the call for entries, available here: https://arts-festival.com/the-art-of-protest
The show’s juror will be Martha Carothers, Professor of Art & Design at the University of Delaware where she teaches visual communications and book arts.
“Artists are typically readers, so this project makes a lot of sense for us,” noted the Festival’s executive director, Rick Bryant. “Like the written word, a visual image can provide a visceral way to communicate dissatisfaction with the status quo.”
Maria Burchill, head of adult services at Schlow Centre Region Library commented, “Centre County Reads always includes a writing contest, but a juried art exhibition is something new. We’re excited to partner with the Festival on a juried exhibition for Centre County artists. We want to highlight a creative aspect of civil disobedience that is powerful and, when done well, sparks thoughtful conversations.”
Officials and sponsors of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts presented $17,000 in prizes for its 2017 Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, on Saturday July 15, at 9:00 a.m. during an award ceremony on the Arts Festival’s Allen Street stage.
Sidewalk Sale Coordinator Pam Lautsch emceed the brief and informal awards ceremony, assisted by Steve Watson, Board President of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
Jeweler Wayne Werner of Havre de Grace, MD received the Arete Best of Show Award. The award was presented by former Festival board president Linda Gall to Mr. Werner. The award is funded by an endowment at the Centre Foundation created by Ms. Gall and her husband Blake. The award carries a cash prize of $2,900.
The Fine Arts Award, worth $1,750, was given to photographer Patricia Wilder of Victor, NY.
The John C. Mason Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design was presented to Nicolette Absil of Philadelphia. This award carries a cash prize of $825.
Other exhibitors receiving Awards of Excellence were:
Phill Singer, New Britain, PA (Painting)
Joe Engel, Staunton, VA (Mixed Media 2D)
James Hoggard, Freedonia, NY (Photography)
The following exhibitors received Awards of Distinction, worth $700:
Samantha Skelton, Pittsburgh, PA (Jewelry)
Shawn Thomas, Belton, TX (Leather)
John Furches, Elkin, NC (Printmaking)
Brad Smith, Worcester, PA (Wood)
Receiving Awards of Merit, worth $500 were:
Gina Kostanda-Lambert, Ft. Myers, FL , John McCarthy Award of Merit in Wearable Fiber in Memory of Sharon McCarthy
Eli Helman, Easthampton, MA (Drawing), Barash Media Award of Merit
Kate Harrold, Nashville, TN (Photography), Shuey Family Award of Merit in memory of Naomi Shuey
Marie-Helene Grabman, Fort Mill, SC (Paper), Bob & Ginny Mountz Award of Merit
Samuel Yao, Ann Arbor, MI (Basketry), McLanahan’s Market Award of Merit
Wes Glebe and Christine Bailey, State College, PA (Jewelry), Duff Family Award of Merit
Christy Knox, Cummington, MA (Ceramic), Aaron T. Roan, DMD & Associates Award of Merit
Mea Rhee, Silver Spring, MD (Ceramic), Anne Layng Award of Merit
Olga Mihaylova, Pittsburgh, PA (Jewelry), Rapid Transit Sports Award of Merit
Jera Lodge, Philadelphia, PA (Jewelry), Connections Clothing Award of Merit
Allan Fausnaught, Landenberg, PA (Musical Instruments), Towne Centre One Award of Merit
Chris Cumbie, Mobile, AL (Mixed Media).
The Frost & Conn, Inc. Booth of Distinction Award was presented to the Penn State Student Booth. The booth displayed ceramic works made by graduate students in Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture. This award is carries a $250 prize.
The jurors for this year’s event were Patricia Bellan-Gillen, Burgettstown, PA; Jim Bové, Pittsburgh, PA; Naomi Cleary, Philadelphia, PA; Jay Gould, Baltimore, MD; Sue Reno, Columbia, PA.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced the award winners in its 2017 Banner Competition at its annual award ceremony on the Festival’s Allen Street stage on Saturday, July 15 at 9:00 a.m.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Executive Director Rick Bryant made the presentations.
In the professional class, Joanie Eyster of State College took first place for her acrylic paint work, Jester Eclipse. Marty Edmunds of Boalsburg took the second spot for her polyester fabric applique banner, The Jester Sews his 2017 Banner. Melissa Steingrabe of State College took third prize for her banner Next Mile of Summer Breeze.
In the general class, Carrie Reede of State College made the winning banner, Festival of Flowers. Amy Moore’s Love Bus received second place, and Nicolette Kampf of Southampton earned an honorable mention for her banner, Nautical Nittany.
In the youth class, first place was won by Melica Kemanian-Leites of State College for Lollipop Land while Deana Washell’s 3rd grade class at Easterly Parkway Elementary School earned second prize for its banner, Easterly Parkway.
This year’s banner judges were Diane Bloom of Gatesburg and Laura Robinson of State College. The event is chaired by Lisa Zander-Campbell of Centre Hall.
The banner exhibition is sponsored by FirstEnergy Foundation and the banner awards are sponsored by the First National Bank.
Juror Laura Robinson commented, “I love judging the banners at the Festival. The creativity, design, and skill displayed is so wonderful to see. The banners are one of my favorite parts of the Festival. No one else has anything like them.”
The Banner Competition is one of the signature events of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Both individuals and groups may submit entries. The Festival hangs this year’s banners and those from its collection over South Allen Street, adding color and movement to the festive atmosphere.
This year, in addition to the banners hanging over South Allen Street, the Festival hung banners in the State College Municipal Building and in the HUB/Robeson Center on Penn State’s campus.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts announced the prize winners in Images 2017, the Festival’s annual juried gallery exhibition of fine art. The award decisions were made by the show’s juror, Kathryn E. Blake, Director of the Juniata College Museum of Art.
The Best in Show was awarded to Gloria Plosky-Scaltz of State College, PA for her mixed media piece, Begetter. The award is worth $400 and was sponsored by the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania.
“With such a wonderful array of styles and media, it’s challenging to attach superlatives to only a few pieces. Artworks can appeal for many different reasons and be just what we need at the time,” said Kathryn Blake, this year’s juror.
“The works I chose to single out combine technical skill in the medium with a unique perspective and a frankly difficult-to-define ‘something’ that kept bringing me back to look again and again. As a museum professional, I have to balance dispassionate assessment and personal preference all the time. I can’t deny that prior experience, perceived connections, and sheer joy play a part in what I gravitate to.”
Forty-two pieces were chosen by Blake from the 265 pieces submitted by 94 artists from across Pennsylvania.
The William D. Davis Award in Drawing was awarded to local high school student Drew Spielvogel of State College, PA for his charcoal drawing, Vapor. The Davis Award includes a $300 honorarium from the Sturtz-Davis Family in William’s memory.
The Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society sponsored an award for Best Pastel to draw more attention to the pastel medium. The Best Pastel Award was presented to Jeanne McKinney for her pastel, Long Lane Vista, along with a $200 honorarium.
The following works were chosen as Award of Merit winners, each with a $150 honorarium. One of these awards was sponsored by Bath Fitters.
The Carnegie and The Cathedral
Lisa Cirincione, State College, PA
Old Bedford Village
Heather Davis, East Fallowfield, PA
Denver Airport
Janice Heverly, Howard, PA
Driftwood Beach 1
Thomas Norulak, Pittsburgh, PA
This year the Schlow Library Foundation added a new award for the Best Student Submission. Enrolled students aged 16 – 26 were eligible for this award. Morgan Weissbach received this honor for her drawing, When Worlds Collide, along with a $100 prize.
In addition to the prize decisions made by the juror, the Viewers’ Choice Award will be chosen by ballots cast by exhibition visitors. This year’s winner will receive a $200 honorarium sponsored by Joyce Robinson & Norman Spivey.
Images 2017 will hang in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery and Downsbrough Room of the Schlow Centre Region Library during the month of July.
The 51st annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts™ will take place Wednesday, July 12 through Sunday, July 16 on the streets of downtown State College and the adjacent Penn State campus.
Founded by the State College Chamber of Commerce and Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, the Festival attracts approximately 125,000 visitors each summer. The Festival features the nationally recognized Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, a juried gallery exhibition, Children and Youth Day, the Downtown State College Italian Street Painting Festival, educational opportunities, music, dance and theatrical performances in a variety of outdoor and indoor venues.
The 2017 Arts Festival commences with Children and Youth Day on Wednesday, July 12, which features programs and events designed especially for the young and young at heart. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. the Children & Youth Sidewalk Sale, sponsored by Penn State Federal Credit Union, will be held on South Allen Street. More than 250 young Central Pennsylvania artists are expected to showcase their original works.
Other Children and Youth Day activities include free arts and crafts activities on the Old Main Lawn and in State College’s Sidney Friedman Park. Musical and dance performances tailored to the young will take place on two stages thanks to local student ensembles and performing arts schools. However, for some, the highlight of the day will come at 4:00 p.m. with the 2017 Centre Daily Times Children and Youth Day Grand Procession. Over 300 children (accompanied by some parents) will carry small, medium and large papier-mâché puppets, masks and drums. The procession will begin on the Old Main lawn and travel through downtown State College as it makes its way to Sidney Friedman Park.
The Pat Farrell Community Sing-Along will be on Wednesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the State College Presbyterian Church. Young and old, those who can sing, and especially those who can’t carry a tune in a bucket, are invited to come together to make some joyful noise.
On Thursday, July 13, at 10:00 a.m. the award-winning Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition will open. Sidewalk Sale hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. The works of more than 300 exhibitors comprise one of the nation’s best juried fine art and craft shows. A panel of five jurors will award over $17,500 in prize money to winning exhibitors during a ceremony at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, at the Allen Street Stage.
The Festival presents entertainers of local, regional, and national reputation on three outdoor stages as well as at four indoor venues from Thursday, July 13 through Sunday, July 16. Entertainers of note include singer/songwriter David Myles, chambergrass standouts, Harpeth Rising; Penn State’s NU Musical Theatre festival; and old favorites, Hughes, Kidder, and Rounds. Details of these performances and more can be found at arts-festival.com/performances.
The 2017 Downtown State College Italian Street Painting Festival honors the 16th century Italian tradition of using special chalks to paint on the street. Look for the Italian Street Painting Festival on the 100 block of Hiester Street in downtown State College. A variety of local visual artists will create 6-foot by 4-foot paintings. For a $5 fee, Young Artists Alley gives children the opportunity to create a 14”x 14” square street painting. Painting ends at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, weather permitting.
The festival’s fine art exhibition, Images 2017, will hang in Schlow Centre Region Library’s Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery, 211 S. Allen Street, during the month of July. Images 2017 is open to artists whose primary residence is in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The works in Images have been selected by juror Kathryn Blake, the Director of the Juniata College Museum of Art.
The eighth annual BookFestPa will take place on Saturday, July 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m in the BookFest tent, located in the library’s parking lot. The theme of this year’s Bookfest is genre fiction. This year’s featured authors include Maureen Baggett, Robert Hack, Jim Rugg, and Jodi Moore. There will be additional authors in the BookFest tent. For more information go to bookfestpa.org.
The Nittany Valley Running Club’s 42nd annual Sue Crowe Memorial Arts Festival Races will take place Sunday, July 16, starting at 8:15 a.m. The event comes in 5K, 10K, and 10 mile distances. The Kids’ Fun Runs will start at 11 a.m. with distances of a quarter mile through a half mile for kids ages 12 and under. The Arts Festival Races are sponsored by Penn State Health. For registration and additional race information, please visit nvrun.com.
Leave parking and traffic worries to others by parking in the Jordan East parking lot, next to the Bryce Jordan Center and Beaver Stadium. For $5.00 a car, visitors may park and take a free bus operated by the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA). The bus will take you to the heart of the Festival zone.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional funding is provided through a grant made by possible by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Centre County Commissioners.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has released its 2017 collectable poster.
The 24” by 36” inch poster features the Festival’s Jester standing shoulder to shoulder in a stylized Central Pennsylvania landscape with the tower of Penn State’s Old Main in the background. A happy and radiant sunrise presides over the whole scene.
This year’s poster is made possible by the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The poster is free and can be picked up at several local businesses, including:
-Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau
800 E. Park Avenue, State College
-Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
403 S. Allen Street, Suite 205A, State College
-HUB-Robeson Center Desk, Penn State Campus
-Hintz Family Alumni Center, Penn State Campus
-Penn State Federal Credit Union
1937 North Atherton Street, State College
-Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau
One West Market Street, Lewistown
The 2017 Festival poster was designed by Lanny Sommese. He is Emeritus Professor of Graphic Design in the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State, where he is also a Fellow of the Institute for Arts and Humanities.
For over 30 years, Sommese has designed the colorful posters for the Arts Festival, a feat unrivaled in the festival industry. The entire collection of Sommese’s festival posters is on display in Penn State’s HUB-Robeson Center.
For just $10, you get access to select indoor performances. Proudly wear your support of the Festival!
Get a Festival poster and buy Festival buttons, t-shirts and other merchandise at the corner of College and Allen – or visit our online store.
