Cover Story
Art In The Park
by Wendy Christ-Kyser, BC Hospital Foundation Coordinator

It’s time for Art in the Park! For 46 years, Art in the Park has been a signature event in Boulder City, and the largest fundraising event for the Boulder City Hospital Foundation. The event is traditionally held the first weekend in October, and this year’s event will take place October 4th and 5th. Festivities are held in the beautiful downtown park area, not far from Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the bright lights of Las Vegas. The event is free to the public, and although Boulder City’s population is just over 15,500, the event draws over 100,000 visitors each year. Regardless of weather and the economy, people come from all over the United States to participate in Art in the Park each year.

In 1962, Sara Denton held the first Art in the Park in her backyard to help raise capital equipment and improvement funds for the non-profit Boulder City Hospital. For many years after that, the Hospital Auxiliary successfully ran the event before handing the reigns over to the Hospital Foundation. Today, the Hospital Foundation not only runs Art in the Park, but is a visible presence in the community through health fairs, wellness seminars, osteoporosis screenings and community outreach.

Art in the Park has become one of the largest outdoor juried art festivals in the Southwest, hosting over 400 fine art, fine craft, contemporary craft and traditional craft artisans each year. You might be wondering what a juried art festival is, as opposed to a regular art festival. Simply put, every application is reviewed by a jury panel of 3-5 qualified community members who decide which artists will be accepted into the event. They judge the quality and originality of the art depicted by photos submitted by each applicant.

The same jury process happens for our specialty food vendors in order to make sure we have the best fresh food options available for attendees. This year, attendees will be able to choose from Italian, Thai, Chinese, German, Mexican, wraps, barbeque, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, slushees, snow cones, kettle corn, funnel cakes, roasted nuts, specialty coffees, fruit, breakfast items and much more. There will definitely be something for everyone!

For the 2008 event, we have decided to return to everyone’s favorite layout. Artists will be featured in Wilbur and Escalante Parks, food vendors will be located on Colorado Street, and live music, seating and activities will take place in Bicentennial Park. Each artist will display their artwork in either a 10’x 15’ or 10’x 30’ space. Participants will be holding demonstrations on glass blowing, painting and other forms of art. The event will open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. each day, including shuttle service.

Another favorite element returning this year is the famous Art in the Park Raffle. Each of the over 400 artists participating in the event will donate at least one piece of artwork to the raffle. Local businesses and sponsors will also donate gift certificates and merchandise. What this means is that we will have hundreds of amazing raffle items available this year. Tickets will go on sale in September and will be sold at local businesses and on-site at the event.

What about entertainment? If you enjoy strolling at Art in the Park or relaxing in the grass, the music this year will only add to your enjoyment. Each day, local jazz and acoustic musicians will take the stage and play for approximately half an hour each. During that time, attendees can enjoy the music and will then have the opportunity to meet the musicians and purchase their music. There will also be plenty of art projects and fun for the kids, but you’ll have to come to the event to find out…we’re keeping this one a surprise!

You might be wondering how you can help. Well, there are many ways to get involved with Boulder City Hospital and the Foundation. Volunteer opportunities exist on the Board of Trustees, Foundation Board, Hospital Auxiliary, teen volunteer program, and of course, Art in the Park. We have individual volunteers, business groups, civic groups, church groups and school groups who volunteer at the hospital and Art in the Park. We’ll never say no to help from the community. Boulder City Hospital is Boulder City’s hospital, and we wouldn’t be here without your support.

If your business is interested in getting involved, we have sponsorship opportunities, media partnerships and event program advertisements available. Just call (702) 293-0214.
Finally, we would like to congratulate Glen Powell for being selected our featured artist for 2008. Glen is a western pencil artist from Gold Canyon, Arizona. His artwork is depicted on the cover. He has participated in Art in the Park for many years. To see more of Glen’s work, visit www.glenpowell.com or stop by to meet him.

We hope to see you in October, and thank you for your continued support of Boulder City Hospital, the Foundation and Art in the Park. Visit www.artinthepark.org.