The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will have a new feature this year to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
“Dreaming American Futures” will see artists creating murals live on site for a juried exhibition during the five-day festival from July 8 to 12 in State College.
The festival is accepting applications through April 17 from experienced and novice mural artists across the country, with preference given to Pennsylvania based artists. Applicants can submit up to three design proposals to scale for murals 5 feet high by 8 feet wide, based on the overarching theme of Dreaming American Futures and the closing lines of Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb”:
“When day comes, we step out of the shade
aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Submissions must include an artist statement of no more than 250 words explaining how the work relates to the exhibition theme.
Accepted artists will be notified by May 15, 2026 and will be provided a travel stipend of $500, as well as hotel accommodations for a maximum of five nights.
Prizes will be awarded in three categories. The Downtown State College America250 Committee Award winner will receive $2,000, while the Sponsor’s Choice will get $1,500 and the People’s Choice $1,000.
Those who are not selected for awards will receive $500.
Artists will have until noon on July 12 to complete their murals, which will be retained by the festival
“Award-winning murals may be installed in more permanent settings throughout Centre County to further enhance the visitor experience,” according to a news release from the festival.
The mural exhibition is one of a number of activities planned around Centre County to celebrate the United States Semiquincentennial.
Downtown State College Improvement District is working with Penn State’s Palmer Museum of Art on a separate project that will replicate American-made works from the Palmer collection on 10 to 12 murals, most of which will be displayed outdoors on downtown buildings.
Historic Bellefonte Inc. will host on July 3 an Independence Day parade, dedication of Hometown Hero banners and a 75-minute concert featuring the Bellefonte and State College community bands.
Ed Stoddard, communications director for the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Centre County advisor for the statewide America250PA organizing efforts, recently said that other events being planned include a free concert at the Bryce Jordan Center featuring an artist to be announced and activities connected to the the Central PA 4th Fest parade in downtown State College; the State Games of America, which will be held in Centre County for the first time July 24 to Aug. 2; and Centre County Grange Fair, Aug. 21-29
America 250 efforts in Centre County got underway last May with the dedication of a Liberty Tree on the grounds of the Centre Furnace Mansion in State College. In November and December, America250PA and Centre County organizations unveiled four artist-designed commemorative Liberty Bells honoring local history — part of the Bells Across PA initiative — at Centre Furnace Mansion, Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village in Howard, downtown Philipsburg and the Bellefonte Train Station.
