Big ideas for future plans often get tossed around over drinks after midnight on New Year’s Eve. But not too many of them last for more than a few months, and even less for half a century. But when Bruce Johnson and Reed Dixon rang in 1975 during the annual round of New Year’s Eve parties in Mount Gretna, they decided to start an art show in the small town.
The two artists, who were living in Mount Gretna and working as art directors for Armstrong World Industries, shared their idea with John Wenzler, then the director of Chautauqua Summer Programs, during the party.
And the first Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show was born.
“We were having drinks and talking with John about outdoor art shows,” Johnson, who now lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, says during a recent phone call. “I mentioned to John that most outdoor art shows are held in very uninteresting places. I said Mount Gretna would be a fabulous place to have an art show because of the atmosphere and the trees. It’s a perfect backdrop for an event like that. And with Mount Gretna being a Chautauqua and having a lot of culture — an art show belonged in Mount Gretna.”
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The idyllic, woodsy vibe and the area’s artistic heritage are two big reasons that the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show has thrived for half a century. The other? Sales.
“Reed and I were both artists, and one of the goals of having this art show was to have artists come and sell their work,” Johnson says. “So our main goal was to have a really wonderful venue for them to display their work and sell it. And that happened from the very first year. The show was a success from day one. It brought a lot of people to Mount Gretna. And part of its success is because the people of Mount Gretel really enjoyed having it there.”
Johnson, who still paints watercolors and does pen and ink drawings, displayed and sold his work in the show in previous years. But, because of a prior commitment, aside from participating in a seminar at Gretna Cultural Center for the Arts on the Wednesday evening before the show, he won’t be attending this year’s show.
The Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show features dozens of artists from around the country, as well as live music and an array of food and drink offerings. It’s been ranked in the top 200 best nationwide art shows by Sunshine Artist magazine. And on Aug. 17, the festival will return for its 50th year.
“I’m very proud of the fact that the art show has been going on this long,” Johnson says. “People have done a good job keeping it going and keeping the quality of the show high. So I’m just very proud of it. And, to this day, I love Mount Gretna.”
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Mount Gretna has long been associated with the arts. The resort town, which was once only reachable by train, became a part of the Chautauqua movement — a nonprofit institution promoting arts and culture — in the late 19th century.
“Mount Gretna is a Chautauqua, so we have a mission to support and promote the arts,” says Kerry Royer, director of the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show. “So having the art show really contributes to the sense of place. There’s so many people who come together to make the art show happen. And having this nationally ranked show in our little town every year is just so exciting.”
The Chautauqua Community Building in Mount Gretna in a 2018 file photo.
During the show, artists — from across the country, as well as locally based creators — set up tents in the shade of the oak and evergreen trees to display a range of work. Mediums vary from watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings to metal sculptures, woodworking, weaving, photography and mixed-media pieces.
To honor the 50th year of the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show, the Lebanon County commissioners have designated 2024 as the Year of the Arts — a countywide celebration with art installations, concerts, theater and special events.
“As we celebrate the 50th year of the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show, so too are we celebrating the arts around the entire Lebanon Valley,” says Jennifer Kuzo, president of Visit Lebanon Valley. “Whether it’s dancing, painting, music or theater; professional or amateur, the arts serve as a heartbeat to our community and provide essential creativity and well-being to creators and appreciators alike. For the entirety of 2024, from the artist to the impact, we applaud the arts in the Lebanon Valley.”