& Fest evolves over 44-year history
decided on a juried show,” said
sat, who was managing director dur
inge.
> who set up the festival went on
978, moving Arts Fest off campus for
time. The State College Borough
plans that year to move the festival
, according to Collegian archives.
ting taught us that we could do more
alk sale downtown as well as on cam
ltz said. “We changed the layout on
is because the campus was getting
a »
ist’s reputation as a premier arts
gan to grow nationally. In 1979,
Arts Magazine rated the festival a 9
making it one of just five festivals to
at ranking.
Os brought a whirlwind of fun to the
avid Garfield made the first “unoffi
r appearance and hot air balloons
r inaugural flights at Arts Fest.
ter became the “official mascot” of
il in 1983. During the same festival,
;ries changed its name to “A Slice of
classic movies were shown on the
said he remembers sitting on the
i child watching the movies on the
ut modem technology and a lack of
Test killed the event, he said
a tasty form of art was created with
s of ice cream sponsored by the
1993 - People's Choice festival begins,
ng to Collegian
rformers are
it time.
Centre County and Pennsylvania Dairy
Promotion boards: two giant banana splits
were built in canoes.
“[The ice cream] is great, but the little kids
are dangerous. You have to keep saying ‘No,
no, that’s OK please don’t decorate my legs
with ice cream,’ ” Mark Disabato told a
Collegian reporter in 1988.
That messy tradition unfortunately soon dis
appeared too.
The 1990 s
In 1990, Rana McMurray Arnold founded
Festival Eyes. Still occurring today, Festival
Eyes aims to show the visually impaired visual
arts through the use of the other four senses.
Three years later, a great divide happened
when George Marion initiated the People’s
Choice festival, for artists not accepted to Arts
Fest to showcase their work.
After he was not accepted into the festival,
Marion had had enough. Even a man who
made doormats out of used tires was chosen
over him.
The People’s Choice festival still continues
today in Boalsburg.
Then at about 1:30 am. on July 13, 1998, a
dark cloud fell on Arts Fest. A riot broke out
when a trashcan was thrown into Beaver
Avenue near Beaver Canyon. The crowd grew
from 150 to 1,500 people.
An estimated $150,000 worth of damage
ensued after three fires were started and 33
lampposts were broken. Twenty people were
arrested 11 of whom were university students.
1994 - First sand sculptures are created at festival
Sixteen police officers and two pedestrians
were treated for minor injuries, according to
Collegian archives.
The 2000 s
Early in the new decade, history repeated
itself with a 2,500-person riot, but police quick
ly quelled it before any damage could be done.
Also in 2000, the now-popular Italian Street
Painting was added to the festival.
Pam Lautsch, sidewalk sale and exhibition
coordinator, said street painting was included
because it was “beyond hopscotch creativity.”
“The interaction with the people coming to
the festival because the creation would happen
as people were wandering the streets [is a rea
son it was added],” she said. “It had also
become a popular item across the country
where people would be using that medium.”
In 2001, in an effort to deter rioting, After Fest
hosted a few years of concerts at the HUB-
Robeson Genter until 3 am. Local churches
also held Christian music festivals called Bless
the Pest, another event that has now stopped
running.
Today
This year, the festival will premiere
Book Fest PA.
“Things change with the festival,” Bryant
said. “[We’re] keeping it fresh by changing
the elements whenever necessary... hopeful
ly that tradition will stay on.”
To e-mail reporter: krislo6@psu.
T 998 - Thousands flood downtown in a
riot that results in $50,000 in damage.
2006 - Security cameras in
Beaver Canyon are monitored
for the first time.
2000- Italian street
painting starts.