Second-Annual “Art in the Wilds” Planning Underway
June 3, 2008 - The second-annual “Art in the Wilds” fine arts show, featuring juried works of art from diverse categories, will be held June 28-29, 2008 in Kane, Pennsylvania.
The outdoor art show will run for two days, Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, in picturesque Evergreen Park in Kane. The all-volunteer Art in the Wilds committee has been busy with event preparations ranging from accepting artist applications, planning of marketing activities, selecting of food vendors, and other event logistics.
“Our committee was thrilled with the success of our first show last year, and the vote was unanimous to continue with the second-annual show for 2008. We’re excited to bring this cultural event back to our community, and we look forward to once again bringing tourism dollars to the region” said event Co-Director Marilyn Blackmore of Kane.
The 2007 show brought an estimated 3,000 art buyers and visitors to Kane, and artist vendors from as far away as Michigan and Massachusetts. 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 total economic impact to Kane, Pennsylvania for the 2007 show was estimated at $752,400 to $877,800, using economic tourism formulas provided by PA Department of Tourism research and economist Shailendra Gajanan of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
The 2008 show will be funded by critical corporate and individual sponsors. Supplemental grant funding has been secured also from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Lumber Heritage Region through DCNR, and the Kane Community Development Foundation.
The show is produced by an all-volunteer committee, and in partnership with the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau, Pennsylvania Artisan Trails, the Do Route 6 campaign, the Kane Area Revitalization Enterprise (KARE) and the Pennsylvania Wilds. Artist works will be featured in the categories of acrylics/oils, watercolors, drawing/pastels, clay/porcelain, photography, fabric/fiber, wood, leather and jewelry. Food vendors will be on hand at the event, and admission is free.
The Art in the Wilds’ mission is to expand the role of the arts in our rural communities, to promote economic development and to provide a platform for artists to display and sell their works.
Artists must be juried for acceptance into the show, and artist applications should be postmarked by May 12, 2008. Applications can be found at www.artinthewilds.org Corporate and patron sponsorships are still being accepted. For sponsorship information, please contact mab@penn.com or call 814.837.7167
For more information on Art in the Wilds, please visit www.artinthewilds.org. For tourism and travel information, please visit www.visitANF.com