PA Wilds artisan products to be featured at Pennsylvania Farm Show
Participation made possible by a partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
HARRISBURG — Products representing the beauty and bounty of the Pennsylvania Wilds and made in the region by hand will be part of a joint display at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January. The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. (PA Wilds Center), a regional nonprofit that supports conservation and economic development, will be sharing an exhibitor space with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency tasked with strengthening the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of Pennsylvania’s communities through the arts.
The PCA will be distributing information about the agency, running a 3D printing demonstration, and offering a creative opportunity for children that allows them to design their own keychain to take home.
PA Wilds Center will be selling products made in the Pennsylvania Wilds by creative makers involved in The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania (WCO), one of rural Pennsylvania’s largest networks of creative entrepreneurs. Products made by eligible WCO member artisans and crafters — including jewelry, wares, self care products and wearables — are purchased by the PA Wilds Center to create inventory for the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, a gift shop designed to make a big impact on the regional economy and support artisan trades.
“The PA Wilds Conservation Shop, which has a physical presence at Kinzua Bridge State Park as well as an online presence, allows visitors and residents alike to ‘take home a piece of the PA Wilds’ and celebrate the specialness of the region. As we look to grow this platform, we continue to find unique ways to bring products to market. The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a prime example of this, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to make this a reality in 2020!” said Abbi Peters, EVP of Creative Commerce at the PA Wilds Center.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to share exhibit space at the PA Farm Show with our friends from the Wilds Cooperative of PA,” said Karl Blischke, executive director of the PA Council on the Arts. “The Wilds Cooperative of PA has long worked to leverage investment in arts and culture and showcase Pennsylvania’s creative industries. In fact, in Pennsylvania alone, arts and cultural economic activity make a $24 billion impact on our commonwealth’s economy, so there are many positive aspects to supporting our creative industries.”
In addition to reaching a new market for products, participation in the Pennsylvania Farm Show provides opportunities to educate a broader audience about the Pennsylvania Wilds and encourage visitation.
“The Pennsylvania Farm Show garners around half a million visitors, and many of these individuals have probably never been to the Pennsylvania Wilds,” said Peters. “This is a great opportunity to bring them into the fold, showcase what our region is all about, and provide quality handmade products that will entice them to learn more!”
Visit both organizations at the Farm Show, January 4-11, 2020, at Booth #752 Main Hall East.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, visit www.arts.pa.gov/. To learn more about the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, visit shopthepawilds.com/.
