The Aug. 9 to 11 event is a top-ranked U.S. art festival
By Hayden Seder
One of Sun Valley’s most iconic events will celebrate its 51st year this weekend, but it will be the first time for the group planning the festivities.
The annual Sun Valley Arts & Crafts Festival will take place Friday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 11. The free, three-day outdoor fine arts event will not be run by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, as control of the event has officially been handed over to Altitude Events Group and its owner, Art Daves.
“We’ve been wrestling with this question for some time, but The Center’s mission is based on education, and the time is right to focus our energy on those priorities,” said Christine Davis-Jeffers, executive director at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. “It’s hard to let the festival go, but it’s critical that we direct our resources to educational programs that align with our mission and make the greatest impact.”
Altitude Events Group has been contracting with The Center for four years on productions including the Wine Auction, summer concert series and the arts & crafts fair, as well. After hosting last year’s 50th anniversary festival, The Center transferred ownership and management of the event over to Daves and his group to focus on other pursuits while still allowing the event to continue.
The event will take place at Atkinson Park in Ketchum and feature live music, food trucks, artist demonstrations and a kids’ craft area, as well. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Daves’ previous experience with the event has made it a smooth transition, organizers say.
“I feel honored to have been part of this beloved community event for the past eight years, and I am excited to pass the torch to Art Daves, who has extensive knowledge in the event-producing world,” said Sarah Stavros, former festival director at SVCA. “I know he will use his expertise to grow and evolve this already successful event.”
This year’s event will feature 125 artists from Idaho as well as about 20 other states. A jury of local artists, art collectors and others from the art culture in Ketchum select the artists based on originality and craftsmanship. This year the applicant pool was about 425 artists.
Many types of art will be represented, including ceramics, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, metalwork, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and woodwork. The jury will be present at the event and will choose a “Best Of” for each of the 12 types of art as well as a “Best of Show” award. Winners will be given an automatic invitation to come back next year and the “Best of Show” winner will be on the jury next year, as well.
According to the Greg Lawler’s Art Fair SourceBook, a comprehensive guide to the top-selling art fairs and craft shows around the country, the Sun Valley Arts & Crafts Festival in 2018 ranked fourth in the country for crafts sales and 20th in the country for arts sales. Overall, it ranks in the top 100 fine-art festivals in the United States.
The event will also feature live, local music on Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m. Food will be available form KB’s, Smokey Bone BBQ, Wood River Sustainability Center, Tony’s Sun Valley Ice Cream and Sun Valley Brewery.
“It is both humbling and exciting at the same time to take over production of this wonderful special event in the Wood River Valley,” said Daves. “I’m indebted to the SVCA for this opportunity, and look forward to carrying on the tradition of this cultural pillar in our community.”