From staff reports
KANE – The eleventh annual Art in the Wilds is returning this summer to Kane, and fine artists and fine craftsmen are invited to submit an application to participate in the show. This outdoor, juried fine arts event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25, in Evergreen Park located in the center of downtown Kane.
Kane is a small town in northwestern Pennsylvania surrounded by the Allegheny National Forest. It is part of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania and Pa. Route 6 Artisan Trails and is a beautiful drive from any direction.
The 2016 show was a great success, attracting over 6,000 visitors who purchased more than 1,300 separate original art pieces. They expect to attract over 6,500 visitors this year and plan to keep the number of artists below 40.
Funding is received from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Kane Community Development Foundation, along with corporate and individual sponsorships such as the Kane Community Hospital, an affiliate of UPMC, all of which are used in advertising and promotion to bring patrons to buy artwork.
Artist satisfaction is a priority with the organization:
The 2016 show had an average artist satisfaction score of 9.6 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Extensive advertising includes 40,000 show programs which are distributed in area newspapers along with radio, newspaper and travel guide ads, rack card and poster distribution and social media.
The average artist sale last year was $1,862.
Two thirds of their total annual budget is devoted to advertising and promotion of the show.
Artists may take advantage of Friday set-up with free parking nearby, a Friday night artist reception and free breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday.
Artist awards
Twenty-four-hour security in a safe atmosphere exists.
Inexpensive nearby lodging is available.
Volunteers are at the artists’ service to provide booth sitting, answer question and help with set up and take down.
There will be food vendors but the art is always the focus of the event.
A five-county high school student art exhibition encourages future sustainability of the show.
It’s Alumni Weekend in Kane all local high school classes celebrate at the same time every five years so they have a nice crowd of buyers from all over the United States.
Fine art, high quality fine craft and limited high quality prints and photography are accepted. The application deadline is March 1. Requirements include five digital images of recent work, one of the artist’s display and one of the artist creating their work, a copy of the participant’s artist statement and a description of their art process.
These will be reviewed by outside professional jurists and participants will be notified by March 24 of their acceptance.
Artists must provide a white tent with four sides that can be securely anchored to the ground and secured at night. The price of a 10-foot-by-10-foot spaces remains at $100 and the jury fee at $20.
Visit www.artinthewilds.org to learn more and to fill out the application, or call, email or write to the above address for questions and to receive a copy of the show guidelines, rules and application.