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THE SAUSALITO ART FESTIVAL RANKED #1 IN THE NATION
Latest Award Crowns a Year of National Acclaim
SAUSALITO, California, January 30, 2004 — The highly acclaimed Sausalito Art Festival (SAF) was recently named the #1 Festival in the nation by the prestigious Art Fair SourceBook 2004, following a year of international accolades as one of the top fine art festivals in the country. "The quality of art exhibited at the Sausalito Art Festival is top notch," stated Greg Lawler, publisher of Art Fair SourceBook. "They bring in a highly qualified audience of buying patrons by the tens of thousands, and their treatment of the artists is exemplary. The directors pay attention to every detail, constantly improving an already spectacular event."
Art Fair SourceBook, the national industry leader in research, which provides listings for over 600 art shows and craft fairs, featuring reviews, rating information and critiques, as well as sales and attendance, named SAF #1 again in their 2004 edition. The Festival was previously #1 in editions of 2001 & 2003, and ranked #2 in 2002. "We are truly delighted to begin 2004 with this honor, especially after last year brought us so much national and international attention," explained Festival Executive Director, Joseph Lillis. "The Festival was recognized not just for the quality of the event and the ambiance, but also for the extraordinary amount of art which is sold, estimated at $4,000,000 annually."
SAF received other national and international accolades for its role as one of the top fine art festivals in the country. Organizations that recognized the Festival include the Harris List, The National Association of Independent Artists, Sunshine Artist Magazine, and the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA). The National Association of Independent Artists (NAIA) cited SAF in 2003 in three categories: Outstanding Overall Quality, for Best Hospitality, and Outstanding Security. The Harris List, an independent organization which polls artists and collectors nationally, recognized SAF for Best Art Festival in the West for the fifth year in a row, and placed it in the Top Five overall event nationally (2001-2003). Sunshine Artist, the leading industry publication, surveys nationally and cites SAF every year; out of a field of thousands, it names the top 200 festivals each fall. SAF won the Best Art Festival in America, 1998, and since then has been included annually in the Top Five Art Festivals in America, and the Best in the West. The IFEA, The International Festivals and Events Association, is an organization of over 3,000 events worldwide, from the Rose Bowl to the Netherlands Board of Tourism, the Kentucky Derby to the Galway Arts Festival. In their 2003 competition for excellence in marketing, the Sausalito Art Festival received prizes for Best Printed Material and Best Poster Design. In 2002, the Festival received first place for Best Poster and Best T-Shirt Designs, and third for Best Commemorative Pin Design.
The Sausalito Art Festival is held each year over the Labor Day Weekend (September 4th thru 6th, 2004) in the beautiful art enclave of Sausalito, California – just a few minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. This year marks the 52nd anniversary of the world renowned Festival. SAF is an open-air event featuring beautiful sculpture and fine art, great food and premium beverages, with big name entertainment on three stages. It is held at Marinship Park with the idyllic setting of the Sausalito Waterfront as the backdrop. More than 1200 highly acclaimed artists from around the world vie for the 260 juried positions available at the Festival. The Festival raises and donates more than $200,000 for local organizations and charities each year and is presented by the not-for-profit Sausalito Cultural Arts Foundation.
For more information visit www.sausalitoartfestival.org.
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PRESS CONTACT:
Jon Finck & Brenda Hughes, Encore Communications
415.438.9933 or mail@encore-sf.com
30 January 2004