The Dragon Art Fair is sponsored by the Dragon Arts Group, a 501c3 non-profit organization which raises funds for arts program scholarships by coordinating arts related events throughout the year. An exciting side benefit of these events is that they provide an opportunity to showcase what the DeForest/Windsor area, “Dane County’s North Star”, has to offer. Our goal is to make this fair the one everyone, artists, guests and volunteers are proud to say they were part of.
The Dragon Arts Group was organized in May 2004 specifically to coordinate an annual art fair and other similar events in downtown DeForest with the hope of raising funds to provide scholarships to DeForest High School students looking to pursue an arts education. A silent auction is held to benefit the Dragon Arts Group scholarship fund. The scholarship program is a primary component to the organization. Since 2008 we have provided 2-3 students per school year scholarships which have allowed them to pursue an arts related education. A secondary goal of the organization is to showcase what the DeForest area, “The North Star of Dane County”, has to offer and promote tourism to the area.
The Dragon Art Fair was named in honor of the Norwegian dragons located on top of the DeForest Area Public Library. Since the Library was built in 2002, area community groups have tossed around the idea of a festival inspired by the area’s Norwegian heritage. Maintaining that heritage, but differentiating it from other area communities' festivals and events, led us to draw on the Norwegian dragons. Official legend has it that in medieval Norway, these stylized dragons were placed on the peaks of the eaves of buildings to ward off evil spirits and guard the treasure within.
