About the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts

The Paso Robles Festival of the Arts was born of a need to raise awareness of the Salinas River Corridor Project at the same time that Studios on the Park was preparing to open its doors to the public for the first time. After the resounding success of the inaugural Festival, its mission was written to reflect the intention to continue to support the arts and the environment in Paso Robles. A portion of proceeds raised through the Festival go to support the Salinas River Corridor Project and Studios on the Park.

Paso Robles Festival of the Arts, May 25-27, 2012

Celebrating the visual, environmental and musical arts each Memorial Day Weekend in the Paso Robles City Park, this art-filled 3-day event features Guest Lectures on Friday, the Festival of the Arts main event on Saturday and an Art Collectors Tour on Sunday.

Saturday’s main event starts with a Plein Air Quick-Draw and Auction, followed by a Fine Art Show, Youth Art Zone and Stage, hands-on art activities for all ages, live music, dance performances and other musical, visual and artistic surprises. The main event is FREE to the public!

The "Local Color" Exhibition

This special juried exhibition showcases original artworks interpreting the people, places, things and colors unique to Paso Robles.  The show will be on exhibition at Studios on the Park at 1130 Pine Street through July 1, 2012.

Beneficiaries

Salinas River Corridor Project Update

The community has connected with a new vision of an enhanced river corridor where conservation, recreation and enhancements to the natural habitat are all possible ~ and the Festival’s connection to the Salinas River Corridor is still going strong.

Last year’s success story was in acquiring the 154 acre Salinas River Parkway Preserve with over $1.5 million in State grant funds.  That purchase would not have been possible without the matching funds generated in previous years by the Festival of the Arts.

This year there is much progress to report!  Additional land has been acquired that will make way for construction of the River Road trail connection between the Niblick and 13th Street bridges.  Also, grant funds have been secured for trail and restoration enhancements that will connect Charolais Road walking trails with the River Parkway trail. And more….

Come by the River Vision Booth and see for yourself what projects are underway and what possibilities exist!  Remember, portions of the proceeds of today’s events will be dedicated to the REC Foundation’s river enhancement fund.   

Studios on the Park Update

Just weeks after opening in 2009, Studios on the Park co-hosted the inaugural Festival of the Arts! And since that day, we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that the Central Coast community and its visitors continue to have access to the visual arts. In two years, our nonprofit open studios art center has become the “crown jewel” of Paso Robles with nine studios, 50 professional artists and two galleries on site.

Major 2010 milestones included 365 collaborative special events, over 250 multimedia classes and workshops, 32 fine art exhibitions, and the Art Smart pilot program serving more than 1,000 local schoolchildren. Through these and other efforts, Studios on the Park has fulfilled our mission of making the creative process available to the public while becoming a strong cultural anchor to the downtown and a destination for tourists and art enthusiasts.

Yet, these numbers are only reflections of the passion and enthusiasm that flows through our building each day. One of the most exciting ways for us to showcase our talented artists and the results of our community efforts is the Festival of the Arts. We invite you and thousands more to experience that which makes our lives worthwhile: art, art and more art!

Thank you for coming, enjoy your day!