29th Annual New Growth Arts Festival

The New Growth Arts Festival, sponsored by the Indiana Arts Council, is a well-established arts celebration. The Festival, heading into its 29th year, is held the third weekend of July on the main street of Indiana's downtown business area. Dates for the 2002 New Growth Arts Festival are July 20th and 21st. This is Indiana County's only annual arts festival, featuring great art and crafts available for purchase, lots of free entertainment and activities, two quality art shows and mouth-watering food.

The New Growth Arts Festival, sponsored by the Indiana Arts Council, is a well-established arts celebration. The Festival, heading into its 29th year, is held the third weekend of July on the main street of Indiana's downtown business area. Dates for the 2002 New Growth Arts Festival are July 20th and 21st. This is Indiana County's only annual arts festival, featuring great art and crafts available for purchase, lots of free entertainment and activities, two quality art shows and mouth-watering food.

The name New Growth originated when the first Festival was linked to a spring celebration of the "candlestick" or new growth in the evergreen trees. Indiana County is known as the "Christmas Tree Capitol of the World." The name continues to signify the growth of the arts in our community.

NGAF can accommodate as many as 100 artists in the street market area and it has the potential for 30,000 people to attend. Full slates of free activities include numerous children's performances and events, musicians and entertainment sure to please all ages, and an array of appetizing food booths.

Two art exhibits run throughout the Festival-the Artists' Juried Exhibit (Old Courthouse) and the Open Arts Exhibit (New Courthouse). The Artists' Juried Exhibit features entries from Street Market Artists and is representative of the quality work which has contributed to the growing success of the Festival. It is open to all fine and traditional artists and craftspersons, age 18 years older, who display and sell their original work.

To ensure the quality and variety of accepted work, all applicants are juried by a committee of impartial artists and craftspersons. Works must reflect the skills and expertise of professional commitment and may not be derived from kits or copying another's art. This Artists' Juried Exhibit is a judged competition in which Street Market Artists compete for awards and prize money.

The Open Arts Exhibit is open to adult artists, amateur or professional, and student artists in grades 9 - 12. All entered work must be original and not previously displayed at the Festival. The Open Arts Exhibit accepts non-juried entries in categories of 2-D, 3-D, and photography. Artists are invited to compete in this judged competition for many cash prizes and awards. This exhibit is not open to those participating in the Artists' Street Market.

Persons interested in being a Street Market Artist (acceptance as a Street Market Artist qualifies the artist for entry into the Artists' Juried Exhibit) or in entering the Open Arts Exhibit should contact the Indiana Arts Council for an application.

Children's Alley is a special attraction each year, with various themes and cultures highlighted. More than 1,000 children pass through the Alley yearly, enjoying numerous fun-filled, free activities. Dali the Dragon, a very large Chinese dragon made of beach balls and decorated with paper plates made by the children, has become a special mascot for the Alley. Children loved listening to Dali's tales of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City as they learned about Chinese culture. "Mrs. Shakespeare's Story Time" was another recent favorite as children learned about life in Ye Olde England and William Shakespeare from the perspective of Anne Hathaway, his wife.

A new addition to last year's NGAF was an old Pennsylvania tradition...the deer hunt. The Indiana Arts Council challenged area residents to locate all 18 of its colorfully decorated D'Artful Deer. Local artists decorated their deer according to various themes and local businesses provided deer lodging throughout "hunting season."

To join in the fun, participants purchased a "hunting license" with tongue-in-cheek clues as to the deer's whereabouts. Those who purchased a license and found every deer were eligible for a cash prize drawing at the Festival. As a grand finale, the D'Artful Deer were auctioned off during the Festival as a fundraiser.

The D'Artful Deer project was inspired by an artful herd of cows that grazed the streets of Chicago recently. The Indiana Arts Council decided the concept could be applied to Indiana County by using reindeer and giving the "Christmas Tree Capitol of the World" a bit of Christmas in July. Look for more D'Artful Deer fun at the New Growth Arts Festival in 2002!

Plan to join us for a weekend of art, fun, food and friendship in downtown Indiana, PA on July 20th and 21st. As Indiana, PA native and movie star Jimmy Stewart might say, "It's A Wonderful Life" in the "Christmas Tree Capitol of the World." Especially during the Indiana Arts Council's New Growth Arts Festival!