Feature Points
- HISTORIC POSTER REPRODUCTION: You'll love this high quality historic reproduction of 1981 Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Poster. Our museum quality prints are archival grade, which means it will look great and last without fading for over 100 years. Our print to order posters are made in the USA and each print is inspected for quality. This historic poster is a perfect addition to your themed decor. Vintage posters look great in the home, study or office. They make a perfect gift as well.
- MUSEUM QUALITY: This high quality poster print will be a great addition to your vintage-themed wall. Don't waste money on cheap-looking, thin paper posters. We use high-end printing equipment with professional quality poster paper and ink. Our professional's choice semi-gloss paper displays images beautifully.
- A LOOK BACK AT HISTORY: This is an impressive, historic reproduction of 1981 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Wall Art Poster. A true piece of history. See our product description section for more fascinating information about this historic poster and its significance.
- READY TO FRAME: This unframed print includes a 0.2 inch border for a perfect frame fit and look. Our posters are designed to fit easy-to-find standard frame sizes, saving you money from having to pay for a custom frame. Each poster is inspected for quality and shipped in a rigid envelope/tube. The Historic Prints logo watermark will not appear in the printed poster.
- HISTORIX: We love history and art. Sometimes old posters have tears, separations and other blemishes. We digitally restore and enhance posters while keeping its historical character. All our posters are proudly made in the USA. Looking for a specific size? Please contact us. Customers all over the world love our vintage posters and we know you will too.
Additional Information
For nearly six decades, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (CPFA) has been a celebrated annual event, held on the campus of Pennsylvania State University since its inception in 1967. The first festival, sponsored by Penn State's College of Arts and Architecture and the State College Chamber of Commerce, lasted nine days in July and allowed attendees to purchase original art created by both amateurs and professionals, as it was not a juried event at the time.
This 1981 CPFA poster was designed by Lanny Sommese, a renowned artist, graphic designer, and professor who began teaching at Penn State in 1970. Sommese's work has been featured in the Library of Congress, exhibited internationally, and included in collections at major museums worldwide. Over the festival's 30-year history, Sommese's posters became iconic, with many community members and festival attendees proudly displaying them as cherished keepsakes.
Today, the festival continues to feature a sidewalk sale but also includes juried works, offering prize money to selected artists. Widely regarded as one of the top arts festivals in the United States, CPFA showcases a vibrant mix of visual arts, performance art, and music, drawing thousands of visitors to the area during the warm summer months.
This 1981 poster embodies Sommese's distinctive style, combining bold graphic elements and a unique aesthetic that transports the viewer back to the festival's golden era. It serves as a timeless tribute to the creativity, community, and enduring legacy of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
