THE BIRTH OF THE FESTIVAL
The Anacortes Arts and Crafts Festival got its start
in 1962 as the brain-child of Dr. Jack Papritz and a group of dedicated
community arts patrons. The Idea came from Dr. Papritz’s
European travels, specifically the Parisienne Montmartre - a French
open-air cafe.
With the support of the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce,
and $300.00 in seed money, the first festival in July of 1962 was
billed as “the longest art display in the world”. In
the 47 years since that simple beginning, the Festival has grown
into one of the largest and most respected Festivals in the northwest.
THE EARLY FESTIVAL
In it’s early years, the main emphasis of the
Festival was fine art in a festive atmosphere. There were judged
pieces in both amateur and professional divisions, a youth art
exhibit, and a venue for artists of all levels to display their
work. Throughout its history, this commitment to art has remained
constant and today is realized in the Art at the Port exhibition
that showcases cutting edge northwest art through Invitational
and Juried shows.
Early entrepreneurs sold their arts and crafts in
the street in a broad range of mediums – not so different
from the juried artists who are still the bread and butter of the
Festival. In the 60’s there was a designated “discovery
gallery”, in which any artist could submit artwork to be
hung on a clothesline and sold for either $1 or $5.
Another historical constant of the Festival has been
entertainment. Originally it was a jazz venue at the local high
school; today attendees need not leave the Festival thoroughfare
to enjoy the two stages showcasing sounds from around the world
and northwest jazz and blues.
PARTICIPANTS
As luck would have it, as the Festival was making
a name for itself, so were early contributors. Several gained national
prominence as the fathers of a “new” northwest style
of art. Others were affiliated with museums and universities, keeping
the Festival in touch with emerging art trends. Through the participation
of many influential participants, the Anacortes Festival was quietly
and unassumingly establishing a reputation in the northwest art
scene. |
THE PERMANENT COLLECTION
As early as 1962, the Festival Board planned on taking
income earned from commissions to purchase works to form a collection
that would become a public asset used to promote the Festival mission.
Thus, the Permanent Collection was born. For over 40 years, the
permanent collection has continued to grow and currently includes
67 pieces. Through the insight of early planners and participation
of talented artists, today the collection is a legacy of northwest
talent, including works by Guy Anderson, Max Benjamin, Norman Lundin,
Philip McCracken, Alden Mason, Philip Levine, Michael Dailey, and
many others. The Board remains committed to building this collection
through the yearly Purchase Award from Art at the Port exhibitions.
While the bulk of the collection currently resides at the Festival
office, in 1993 the Festival placed a large Max Benjamin piece
at the new Anacortes Public Library, and plans are underway for
additional pieces to rotate in the community. more...
OUR FAMILY
Anacortes Arts and Crafts Festival toddled through
the early years with little money, dependant on the foresight and
sweat of volunteers. For the first decade nearly every aspect of
the Festival was volunteer – students built display racks,
local organizations donated materials and manpower, non-profits
sold food to festival-goers, community members distributed posters
during their travels and a legion of volunteers set up, took down
and administered all the aspects of the growing Festival.
Today, over 150 volunteers still act as local ambassadors
and contribute their sweat to this large community event. 37 regional
organizations now partner as Festival sponsors, enabling us to
expand our activities and keep the entire weekend free of charge
to the public. Ever cognizant of these important connections, we
are the largest supporter of arts funding in our community, yearly
giving back over $25,000 through our grant and scholarship programs.
THEN AND NOW
 Changing
our name to the Anacortes Arts Festival in the 90’s, the
Festival Board remains committed to producing a first class Festival
that showcases art in all its forms. As some things change, others
remain vital to our identity – these things you will see
scattered throughout our web site. We recognize the contributions
of the many individuals and organizations who have formed the backbone
of our continuing mission of supporting the arts in our community,
and look forward to the continuing evolution of the Festival.
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