Smethport Web — by Nathan Muller
The Fifth Annual Art in the Wilds juried fine arts show will take place on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26. It will be held in scenic Evergreen Park in the center of Kane, Pennsylvania from 10 AM until 5 PM each day.
A total of 34 artists showcase work in the following categories: acrylics, oils, watercolors, drawings, pastels, gourds, basketry, pottery, photography, fiber, wood, leather, jewelry, glass and metal. Attendance and parking are free and food vendors are available.
During the show on Sunday, special demonstrations will take place in the Evergreen Park gazebo by show artists. The first demonstration will feature artist Gregg Kristophel. During his demonstration, Gregg will showcase the process of wood carving, specifically “treenware” from 11AM- Noon. This method of wood carving, from the plural of “tree”, uses primitive tools to create functional objects, such as a spoon.
The second demonstration will feature Roly Boni between 1PM to 2PM. Roly will be demonstrating the creation of functional stoneware and porcelain pottery by using the potter’s wheel. Individual pieces continue to be crafted and altered to include spouts and handles before they are glazed and then fired.
The third artist to be featured is Smethport’s Julie Mader. Between 2 PM to 4PM Julie will demonstrate her pen and ink stippling, which is a drawing made entirely of tiny dots using a technical drawing pen.
The Art in the Wilds all volunteer committee works in collaboration with the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau (ANFVB), Pennsylvania Route 6, the Lumber Heritage Region, the Kane Chamber of Commerce and the Pennsylvania Wilds.
The project was supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency, through the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA), its regional arts funding partnership. State government funding for the arts depends upon an annual appropriation by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. PPA is administered in this region by Elk County Council on the Arts.
Additional funding was also secured through grants from the Kane Community Development Foundation and sponsorship contributions from Collins Pine Division of Kane Hardwood, Friends of Westline, Kane Rotary Club, Ed and Julie Malmstrom, Ronald McDonald II Funeral Home, Inc., Zook Motors, Inc. and other corporate and individual donations.
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 their works.
For more information on Art in the Wilds, please visit www.artinthewilds.org or find us on Facebook under Art in the Wilds. For sponsorship information, please contact mab@penn.com or call 814.837.7167.
For tourism and travel information, please visit www.visitANF.com or www.kanepa.com.
