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asked
if their favorite musicians are returning to one of the many
stages throughout the festival. Then there is always the
annual film festival at Whitaker Center. Just visiting
Harrisburg seems to be a draw in itself.....so, we invite you
to enjoy all the aspects of our festival. Feel free to return
each and every day of the 42nd Annual Patriot-News Artsfest,
one of the ”Top 100 Art Events in the Nation” as rated by
Sunshine Artist Magazine.
Your
Favorite?.....
The
Amazing Art
It is
really quite fun putting all the components of Artsfest
together. For many, the artists are their main concern… we
understand people save all year to purchase art for their home
or for that special birthday gift. It is no easy task to
select the artists that bless us with their talents. Here at
the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council, the first thing we have
to do is get the artists to apply for exhibition space. With
the word out about what a great arts festival we have here in
Harrisburg, we were deluged with applications from artists and
craftsmen across the United States. Artist applications are
mailed in October of previous year. In January we hire expert
jurors and they select the accepted artists from the thousands
of slides submitted for entry into the Patriot-News Artsfest.
This year’s jurors were Pam Cummings –Ceramic Artist from
Harrisburg and Jeffrey S. Van Boskirk- Owner of Second Floor
Gallery in Mechanicsburg, PA. The next thing we have to
accomplish is to select the signature art to represent the
festival. We work with our title sponsor… the terrific
Patriot-News, to pick a piece of art from the thousands of
submitted slides. This year’s logo art is one of John Hartungs
playful painting of a pair of delightful wild birds which will
be featured in all of Artsfest’s advertisements, volunteer tee
shirts, billboards, artist postcards and festival guides.
The
Wildly Creative Children’s Area?
The
festival not only has one of the best artist markets in the
country but it also includes a delightful children’s festival
at the southern end of the Festival. And are they ever
excited. Within the block long of activity there are games,
artists, activities and loads of fun. The Children’s Stage
will feature nonstop performances throughout the day. The
Popcorn Hat Players are the hosts for the weekend and if you
have never seen them in action, you are missing something
wonderful….no age requirement here. There’s a huge children’s
activities area that gets the creative juices flowing… come
on, play, laugh, create.
The
Fabulous Food?
Even the
most serious art critic has admitted they love the variety of
delicious offerings for their dining Artsfest experience. With
over 45 different food booths, most admit it is hard to decide
what to narrow it down to quench that thirst or fill their
tummy! Even our food vendors are hand selected by food menu,
presentation and level of quality. We offer everything from
ethnic gyros, to hot apple dumplings in two major food courts.
Specialty treats are placed throughout the artist market for
that in between snack. Take a risk this year and try something
new- you know you will love it.
The
Awesome Film Festival?
In its
10th year, the independent film festival is an enormous
success. Held in conjunction with Artsfest hours at the
Undergound at Whitaker Center… Filmfest is awesome. Check out
the extensive lineup in the Festival guide. Todd Shill from
Filmspeak.com and Caleb Smith from Moviate are once again
hosting this annual event, dedicating themselves to the love
of film and are responsible for creating Harrisburg’s own
independent film festival that now has huge national
recognition. Venture over to Whitaker Center at 3rd and Market
Streets, it is quite a jewel, you won’t be sorry.
The
Non Stop Free Entertainment?
We have
it all. From funk to jazz- it’s at this year’s Artsfest.
Check out the extensive schedule. Three major stages are
almost enough to be overwhelming, but if you pace yourself you
can take in a lot in three days. The free musical
entertainment is all run by Artsfest chairs from the
community. We can never thank Steve Krempasky from Whitaker
Center enough for arranging all of the performances that grace
our stages of Artsfest. There are non stop hourly performances
at the Kunkel Plaza Stage at Front and State Streets and The
Walkin’ Bridge Stage between Walnut and Locust Streets under
the shade trees of Riverfront Park. Our third stage is in
Kidsfest. The Popcorn Hat Players are quite the hosts the all
the free children’s entertainment on the stage within Kidsfest.
Please join Wednesday Club for recitals at the Art Association
of Harrisburg across the street. Through the artist market,
take a break to listen to your favorite artist market
performers….once again FREE and superb all throughout the
festival site.
Visit
Harrisburg Camera Club at Artsfest
Celebrate 75 years of photography with the Harrisburg Camera
Club.
During Artsfest, club members will be on-hand to provide
information on
special club activities in celebration of its 75 years of
providing interest and
education in photography. The club will provide a special
exhibition of
black/white and color photographs from its members as well as
free “mini-photo” programs including travelogues during
Artsfest weekend.
Van Go! Returns to Artsfest
The
Susquehanna Art Museum's VanGo! Museum on Wheels is thrilled
to return to Riverfront Park at Artsfest.. The mission of
VanGo! is to provide exposure to original works of art to
students who otherwise lack such opportunities. At the heart
of this project is the belief that an art educational
experience of quality should expose viewers to the primary
source, rather than reproductions. VanGo! will be open for
visits throughout regular ArtsFest hours and will be located
at Front and State Streets in front of the main Artsfest
information booth.
New
Onsite Mural
by the BARAK
Mural Arts Program
Grab a
paint brush and be a part of a collective art project! During
Artsfest weekend, BARAK, a community arts organization in
Harrisburg, will welcome attendees to join professional
muralist Brett Greiman and other local artists in creating a
new mural which will reflect the spirit of the festival and
the Central PA community. After the festival, the mural will
be installed on a soon to be announced site in Harrisburg.
The BARAK Mural Arts Program
is a youth-centered
arts education and community revitalization program that uses
public art as a vehicle for social change,
to enhance neighborhood identities, to
strengthen economic development and tourism, to educate
children and adults, and to enrich the spirit and pride of our
citizens.
Artsfest has gone Green!
For the
first time a volunteer committee has been formed from the
community to recycle the trash at this year’s Artsfest! We are
doing our part to help save the environment to ensure future
Artsfests!
Our
Breathtaking Location?
What a
city! What a beautiful place to see gorgeous art and hear
beautiful music. Riverfront Park is such a wonderful place for
an event of this magnitude. Some of you say you simply come
for the glory of the river. Let us all thank our amazing Mayor
Stephen R. Reed, the Harrisburg Police Department and
dedicated staff at the Harrisburg Parks and Recreation
Department, the board of the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council
and the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who help us make all
of this possible. This partnership is in essence describing
the words teamwork and love of community. For whatever reason,
don’t miss the excitement of Artsfest. We are proud to bring
it to you year after year.
Thank
you,
Robert
Stadnycki Janet Reed
Executive
Director Visual Arts Chair
And the
Greater Harrisburg Arts Council Board Members
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