Rick Bryant, the executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has announced that he’s retiring from the organization at the end of January 2023.

“I love my job but now it’s time to let someone else run the show” he said. “We have a great team of paid staff and volunteers, so there’s a firm foundation for my successor to build upon.”

Bryant joined the Festival’s paid staff in 1999 and became its executive director in 2005. He first volunteered for the Festival in the mid-1980s, serving on the Festival’s trash crew.

“Rick has been the driving force, the connector, and the person at the helm of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and First Night for 18 years”, said Renata Engel, President of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Board of Directors. She added, “the joy, music, and art that he has brought to this community have been mainstays and a point of pride. We are grateful for his commitment and the foundation he established on which we will continue to build.”

The Festival’s Board of Directors will undertake a national search for Bryant’s successor and plans to have him or her in place this winter.

Founded in 1967 by the State College Chamber of Commerce and Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, the Festival attracts approximately 100,000 visitors each summer. In addition to the nationally recognized Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition the Festival features a juried gallery exhibition, Children and Youth Day, street painting, and music, dance, and theatrical performances on both outdoor and indoor stages.

The 2023 Festival will open on July 12, 2023, with Children and Youth Day. The Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition will open on Thursday, July 13 and continue through Sunday, July 16.

In addition to its namesake summer Festival, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts produces First Night State College, a family-friendly celebration of the New Year’s holiday held in downtown State College on December 31. First Night features a large display of ice sculpture, musical and theatrical performances, resolution sculptures, and a 5K resolution run.

Festival Seeks Executive Director

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (CPFA) seeks an experienced, dynamic leader to serve as the organization’s Executive Director following the retirement of longtime executive director, Rick Bryant.

CPFA produces both its namesake five-day long summer festival and First Night State College, a family friendly arts-oriented celebration of the New Year’s holiday.

As the organization’s chief administrative and artistic officer, the Executive Director works with the Board of Directors, paid staff, and volunteers to produce the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and First Night State College.

The ideal candidate will be an independent organizer with significant administrative and fund-raising experience, preferably with a major volunteer or community organization.

Details on the position are available at https://arts-festival.com/executive-director-search/

Salary is commensurate with experience; benefit package includes life, health, and disability insurance, 403(b) Plan, and paid time off.

Applicants may forward a resume and references to: humanresources@arts-festival.com or Chair, Executive Director Search Committee, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, P.O. Box 1023, State College, Pennsylvania 16804. Applications will be considered beginning November 2022 but will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Inc. is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and additional grant support from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Centre County Commissioners.