Art Festival to offer classic feel, quality works

After spending almost an entire year planning this weekend’s East Lansing Art Festival, Corinn VanWyck is confident the only thing that could stand in the way of another successful show is bad weather.

But even dark clouds shouldn’t deter art lovers from attending, she said.

The East Lansing Art Festival is a fine arts showcase that features the work of artists from across the United States and Canada.

This weekend’s festival will take place between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday in Downtown East Lansing.

All performances and activities in the event are free, and will take on Albert Avenue betwen Abbot Road and M.A.C. Avenue.

“When you have something that’s been a success for 45 years, you don’t want to do too much to change it,” said VanWyck, the event’s coordinator. “Any changes we make are just little tweaks that make it better next year.”

The spirit of consistency and tradition keeps artists, festival volunteers and patrons returning to the festival each year.

“Our volunteers are a very dedicated group,” VanWyck said. “Some have volunteered for 20, 30, 35 years.”

The event is such a hit, festival coordinators are often forced to turn down artists who want to showcase their work.

More than 400 applications are received every year, but only 230 of those artists are allowed to enter their work.

“Our highly selective process is what makes the festival more renowned,” VanWyck said. “Only a small number of artists are invited.”

Published on Thursday, May 15, 2008