When the first East Lansing Art Festival was organized by Mike Bidwell, the MSU student and a couple of Grand River Avenue businesses funded, organized and ran the entire event.

Forty-one years later, the 2004 festival requires a year of planning, 150 volunteers and a 12-member board of directors to accommodate an estimated 70,000 attendees.

Third-year festival coordinator Leslie Donaldson said she believes the late Bidwell's dream has matured, in that the festival now features 21 musical performers and an international food court.

"The festival has really grown throughout the years," Donaldson said. "This year, we really wanted to take it to the next level by offering some new activities."

The 41st annual East Lansing Art Festival is set for Saturday and Sunday in downtown East Lansing.

It features the traditional bevy of artists from across the United States and Canada as well as new festival ventures, such as an Emerging Artists Program featuring local university artists and a children's interactive storyteller.

The first time Emerging Artists Program will feature 12 university students from across the state - including those from MSU, Lansing Community College and Central Michigan University.

Emerging artist and MSU alumna Mila Theroux said displaying her two-dimensional media collages in the festival allows her to give back to the downtown area.

"I've lived here and have been going to the festival all my life, and it's nice to know that I am contributing to my community," the May studio art graduate said.

Emerging artists were paired together into six groups of two to display their art.

Theroux's partner, studio art senior J.R. Mankoff, agreed that public display is a step into jump-starting an art career, adding he has worked on his black-and-white photography for about 100 hours this week in preparation for the East Lansing Art Festival.

"With the number of people who visit the festival passing by and seeing your work, it's a great opportunity to get your name out there," he said.

The children's story activity features Steveanna Roose, who has been professionally performing throughout Michigan since 2000.

Roose will act out folk tales this weekend that she hopes will engage children and adults in the activities of visual and performance art.

"A lot of times when children are told stories, it is passive and not interactive," Roose said. "With this, we hope to give more bang for your story buck, and get the kids engaged and involved."

Artists on display at the festival were subjected to a jury review before being invited to participate.

One-third of the 234 artists at the festival will be "invitational artists" who have participated in the festival in past years and who are asked to return. In addition, artists are coming from all across America and Canada.

The remaining artists submitted applications in January and were reviewed by a panel of university professors and other art scholars.

Donaldson said the strict process helps to generate high quality participants and added she hopes the additions to this year's festival will bring new art lovers to East Lansing.

"With the emerging artists and other new plans, we hope to increase our activities and partnerships with businesses and area residents," Donaldson said.

"We always want to improve on past years and make the festival even better."