Wichita Festival of the Arts

SKATE AND ART FESTIVAL

 A Division Of Community Arts Fest inc.

Help keep our community free event going!

 

Arts Fest Now Has Music And Art Festivals In Many Towns

Photo courtesy of Choices For Youth Program

We have created a program that will give away free blank skateboards to youth 8-17 and if they choose, they can paint their boards and enter them in our skate and art event for cash and prizes.

We will be in Planeview July 13 to talk about this program starting in the Planeview community.

 

 We have incorporated Skate And Art Event

 

This venue will be apart of the all ages downhill competition longboard event and street art challenge, plus our art and craft vendors that wish to attend the Festival Of The Arts event.

Registration for Skaters and Artists begins soon!

 

100 vendors and food trucks plus camping area. Cash prizes for the competitions.

 

About The SK8 & Art Project

The director and founder of Festival of the Arts, William A. Stofer has been a long time skater. Starting in California in the 70s William was a downhill competitor using Sims skateboards. Since moving to Wichita has tried to keep the culture alive including promoting skate art. After pushing for local skate parks the idea came to him by adding both to a public event.

William is doing just that, working with the city to help create a dual event in south Wichita. The event will merge with WFOTA and Skate & Art. Open to all ages competition with money and prizes, the plan is to roll out (Pun intended) by fall of 2024.

(Fun Fact) William Stofer is one of the oldest long boarders still rolling along) More info on Youtube

https://youtu.be/gKDvg-uSIV4?si=6Mr7EZmOZPhTjG2V

 

Enjoy being outside or inside while walking around visiting the many local vendor booths that will be on-site to showcase our community's talents in arts and entertainment. Enjoy the music, take in a performance, enjoy local films, or peruse the booths at this bi-annual festival.

Photographer Chris Stark

 Festival of the Arts is accepting gracious donations from admirers of the event!

History

After moving to Wichita in the late 70's, William Stofer pondered if he could build an art community in Wichita. Having realized there was not a big annual event in the area, like where he grew up (Southern California). William kept trying to replicate a big artist collective in this area of the county, but life got in the way. 

William along with his artistic family continued to make their art and tried to sell it however they could. Many years later he revisited the idea of a bi-annual event that would rival OKC, Denver, Lawrence, and Kansas City.

Enter Robbie Maxwell and a couple supporting artists, Mike Fallier and Tony S. Christenson. Together they brain stormed ways in which this development could happen. The first big event took place at a renovated school that served as a gallery and artists work space, this was named Studio School.

The first Wichita Festival of the Arts event was planned in 2020 but the pandemic stalled all hopes of hosting an event, but as we progressed into the spring of 2021 all was a go! Wichita Park & Recreation helped William get the ball rolling in creating what is planned as a growing arts and cultural event. History has begun!

What We Are Today

WFOTA has grown to over 200 artists involved with our events, and we are the largest collective in Kansas. We encourage folks to join us in events, board members, volunteers and staff. (Membership is free) By working together we have power in numbers to fulfill our dream of creating a destination for visitors to come see what we are about. We are the biggest free to attend free to vend gathering in the country, and our ethos is to help artists present their talent, from music to visual to performers.

We create large biannual events to first and final Fridays, to mini events throughout the season. We have a magazine to showcase talent, workshops, benefits and so much more. As of 2021 we have merged with local special event creators to expand our Starship of talent events, including TallGrass Films. We are in the process of creating a huge three day event at a local lake with awesome sound, food, art, and fun. The final plan is to have a full time location with small buildings for the artists, and to have a dedicated location for tourists to come see us (Think Sawdust Festival in California) kind of an art and entertainment destination

We now create events in other communities as well, call us to see if we can have one in your town 316-992-7765.

Organic Publishing's Festival Logo

The aptly named Wichipelli was created by William A. Stofer in 2018 as a creative alternative to the over used Keeper image. The Wichipelli represents Wichita's arts and entertainment scene, to stylize it and make it different than most images of Kokopelli. Wichipelli is only depicted as a front on view. Wichipelli wears a stylized Wichita flag as a toga, plays a green flute, and in many drawings it is pictured with a Hogan tattoo. The Sun Hogan image is an extension of the flag's sun image created by Charles McAllister who created the city's flag. This is also the image that Wichipelli has tattooed on his arm. (William's Grandfather was Hopi, and taught him the significance of the iconic  Kokopelli image)

Art By William A. Stofer

Welcome Cosplay

Please help us welcome BadAsh cosplay, and average Asian cosplay to festival of the arts. Both groups are well known for their amazing work and excellent cosplay skills throughout the community. We are so very excited to have them join us! Let them be a grand example of what it means to find something you love and excel! Be sure to read Stephanie L. Nash's article on Cosplay in the next Festival magazine.

Sponsors

Scheduled Films

Film and Food is now part of the festival, featuring local independent film makers and the youth film makers

Artist Support Group                              

Organic Publishing  

TallGrass Film Association                

                                                                                                          

Questions? Contact Us

Email: wichitaartfest@gmail.com

Phone: 316.992.7765

William A. Stofer  Event Founder 

Skate information and Art competition event

Coming Soon!

What is this Baron Von Stofer sticker about?

First off the image was created by Fred Gonzalez a Wichita artist for William Stofer (Another Style was done as well) but the name the Baron was from an early skit William did on Facebook. The Baron sometimes called The Wizard became associated with the artist and his festivals. Now it is also apart of products created by the artist and is a product logo along with Art By Stofer. Get one today and not only support the festivals but show the world that by working together the Baron ethos is alive and strong.

(Plus It's cool!)