EAST LANSING, Mich. — The 52nd Annual East Lansing Art Festival (ELAF) will bring 175 artists and tens of thousands of visitors to downtown East Lansing on the weekend of May 16-17. The festival will take place from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, May 17.
There will also be a NEW kick-off concert this year on Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in Ann Street Plaza featuring Triple Lindy.
ArtJuried fine art and craft exhibitors from across North America will make their way to the City of East Lansing to showcase and sell various types of artwork during the festival. Visitors will find everything from ceramics to paintings, mixed-media, drawings, fibers, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, sculpture, wood, photography and more. Of the 175 artists in attendance, there will be 24 invitational artists (who have received awards at one or more of the past three festivals), 124 returning artists, 45 new artists and six emerging artists. View a list of all of the exhibiting artists at www.elartfest.com/artists. Emerging artists are up-and-coming talents who have never exhibited at a juried festival.
MusicIn addition to the art, there will be an outdoor music stage in Ann Street Plaza featuring a lineup of talented musicians. Rodney Whitaker and Soul-R-Energy will headline the music stage on Saturday, May 16 from 3-4 p.m. James Harman with Mr. Harrison will headline the music stage on Sunday, May 17 from 1:15-2:30 p.m. Other performers throughout the weekend will include An Dro, Lights and Caves, Lincoln County Press, the East Lansing High School Jazz Band, Jonestown Crows, Heartland Klezmorim and The Wilson Brothers. Ann Street Plaza is located at the corner of Albert and M.A.C. avenues.
In addition to the main stage, there will be a busking stage in the park at the corner of Albert Avenue and Abbot Road. Performers will include Ryan Shadbolt, Bottle Rocket Cabaret, Betty Baxter and Doug Fritch, John Latini , Deacon Earl and the Congregation, The 89th Key, Siusan O’Rourke and Zig Zeitler, Catbird Seat and DJ Clarinet.
There will also be a NEW kick-off concert on Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in Ann Street Plaza featuring Triple Lindy.
Visit www.elartfest.com/performers to view the ELAF live music schedule and to learn more about the performers.
NEW! City Hall Studio and Poetry AttackPatrons are invited to visit the new City Hall Studio, an artist demonstration area in the East Lansing City Hall north parking lot, 410 Abbot Road. Visitors can watch artists at work and ask them questions. Featured artists will include members of the Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild and the Mid-Michigan Art Guild as well as other local and regional artists.
Poetry Attack; an event created by the Poetry Action Network, the East Lansing Street Art Commission and the East Lansing Art Festival; features an array of activities that will take place on Saturday, May 16 at the new City Hall Studio. Poetry chalking will begin at 1 p.m. and a poetry reading featuring Jay Alan, Anita Skeen, Dennis Hinrichsen, Leonora Smith, Joyce Benvenuto, Ruelaine Stokes and Brian Gilmore will begin at 2 p.m. A book suggestion basket will be present at the reading and the East Lansing Street Art Commission will adorn the area with poems as they have done outside of the East Lansing Public Library for National Poetry Month.
Children’s Activities & FoodThe children’s activities area will feature fun activities for all ages, from toddlers to teens, offered by Broad Art Museum, the East Lansing Public Library, Ele’s Place, Happendance, Holt Community Arts, Impression 5 Science Center, Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing Jaycees, Michigan Children’s Theatre, REACH Studio Art Center, Red Cedar Wood Carvers and WKAR. There will also be stage performances by the MSU Suzuki Program, L’Ron Williams, Amazing Clark, Tim the Music Man, Mid-Michigan Family Theatre, the MSU Break Dance Club, Reeds and Rhythm and The Pretty Shaky String Band. Additionally, the Matt Epling Creative Arts Competition will celebrate its 10th anniversary, featuring artwork by local middle school students.
The food court will feature a variety of unique onsite food vendors, including the East Lansing Meridian Lions Club, Foods for Living, Grand Grillin’, Melting Moments, Nuts Galore, Red Wood Grill, Swagath Indian Cuisine and Woody’s Oasis.
TransportationBike valet parking will be provided free of charge by the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council.
The CATA Art Festival Bus Route will also be available, with buses running approximately every 10-15 minutes all weekend long between MSU’s Parking Lot #91 and the MSU Union. On Saturday, May 16 buses will run from 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, May 17 buses will run from 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Parking is free at Lot #91, located at Service Road and Hagadorn Road. Ride for just 50 cents round trip (exact change only) or use your CATA fixed-route pass.
Visit www.elartfest.com for additional information.
The 52nd Annual East Lansing Art Festival is supported by grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, Ingham County Hotel/Motel Funds for Arts & Tourism and the East Lansing Arts Commission. Major sponsors include McLaren – Greater Lansing, Jackson National Life Insurance, Ciesa Design, the City of East Lansing, the East Lansing Marriott at University Place, Delphi Glass, the Downtown Management Board, the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum, Lake Trust Credit Union, Physicians Health Plan of Mid-Michigan, Willingham & Cote and WKAR.