Art in the Wilds Draws more than 3,000 Art Buyers and Enthusiasts to Kane, PA
First Annual Juried Fine Arts Show Boosts Economic Development through Tourism
July 2, 2007 - Beautiful weather and fine art greeted just over 3,000 people who came to Kane, PA for the first annual Art in the Wilds juried fine arts show. The enthusiastic crowd converged in Kane’s Evergreen Park June 23rd and 24th to browse and buy from the creative offerings of 21 juried artists.
The Art in the Wilds show is one of the only juried art shows ever produced in McKean County. To be accepted as a vendor in a juried art show, artists must submit works for scoring to a confidential ‘jury’ of art experts. Juried art shows therefore offer a very high quality of original art, among a diverse variety of media. Art in the Wilds offered art for sale ranging from acrylics and oils, to watercolors, drawing/pastels, clay/porcelain, photography, fabric/fiber, wood, leather and jewelry.
The largest regional juried art show, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, takes place in State College annually in July, and draws over 125,000 people. It started out 40 years ago with a few artists as a way to help stimulate sales for downtown merchants. According to Sunshine Artist Magazine’s June 30, 2007 issue, the total economic impact of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is estimated at more than $5 Million.
“The Penn State show was an inspiration to us, but we also researched juried art shows around the country,” said Marilyn Blackmore, Co-Director of the event. “We modeled Art in the Wilds from best-in-class shows and we aimed high. Kane is a small town, and like many small towns we have economic and growth challenges. But we believed it could work, and now at the end of the show we are truly overwhelmed by the positive outcome.”
Show attendees, artists and event organizers alike remarked that the two-day event exceeded all expectations. At least 175 separate original art purchases were made, with art price tags ranging from $10 to $7,000 and up. Top towns for art-buyers ranged from Kane, to Erie, Pittsburgh, Ridgway, State College, Warren, Youngsville, Bradford, Dubois and St. Marys. Several purchases were made by out-of-state residents from Florida, New York, California, and Ohio – many of them in town for Kane’s annual high school alumni weekend. The Art in the Wilds committee advertised the show extensively via print ads in newspapers, art and culture publications and radio within a 2 hour drive from Kane.
“I have been doing art shows for over 24 years, and I can honestly say this one of the best, if not the best, fine art show I have done,” said Pamela Bartl, an art vendor showcasing handmade fiber clothing. “This show is truly a gem. My sales have been fantastic, and here I am – in the middle of the Pennsylvania Wilds.”
The Art in the Wilds all volunteer committee worked in collaboration with the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau (ANFVB), Pennsylvania Artisan Trails, the Do Route 6 campaign, the Lumber Heritage Region, the Kane Area Revitalization Enterprise (KARE), the Kane Chamber of Commerce and the Pennsylvania Wilds. The Art in the Wilds’ mission is to expand the role of the arts in our rural communities, encourage economic development through tourism and to provide a platform for artists to display and sell their works.
The Governor’s Task Force Report on the Pennsylvania Wilds and subsequent studies by the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau have concluded that tourism is the key driver to economic development in McKean County. Tourism is also the second largest industry in Pennsylvania. The volume of visitors to Kane for Art in the Wilds and the sale of art clearly provided an economic boost to the region.
Immediate economic impact would be felt as visitors came into Kane and surrounding areas and spent money on art, lodging, food, gas, and gifts. According to research undertaken by D. K. Shifflet for the PA Department of Tourism, the average length of stay for tourists in our area is 3.4 days. Linda Devlin, Executive Director of the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau, says that average spending per person per day is $83.60. According to these numbers, if an estimated 3,000 artists and tourists came to Kane for just 2 days an extra $501,600 would be infused into the local economy. With a multiplier of 1.5 to 1.75 as estimated by economist Shailendra Gajanan of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, the total economic impact would be $752,400 to $877,800. This will indeed have a significant immediate and long term economic impact on the area.
Jack Bell, a local Kane proprietor of a meat market remarked that the Art in the Wilds weekend brought over twenty new customers to his store. These customers had never been in his shop prior, and they made significant purchases. This retailer said, "Art in the Wilds is the best thing that has ever happened in this town".
Show organizers noted that the Art in the ‘Wilds’ theme was envisioned to leverage area strengths, such as scenic roadways into Kane, PA like Route 6, our refreshing outdoor, wilds environment and the warm hospitality of a small town. Artist Ross Shourds, a wood-worker and painter, announced “Kane could very well be one of the friendliest towns in America.”
In addition to the economic benefits of Art in the Wilds, the show provided both an outdoor recreational and cultural experience for art lovers, families and children alike.
Co-Director Dave Blackmore noted, “We knew in advance the success of the show would rest on four key factors – attendance, art sales, guest satisfaction, and weather. We knew we only had power over three of the four. So yes, we are elated that all four success factors surpassed even our highest goals. We are ready to begin work on Art in the Wilds 2008.”
For more information on Art in the Wilds 2008, please visit www.artinthewilds.org or contact Marilyn Blackmore at 814.837.7167. For tourism and travel information, please visit www.visitANF.com