Holland, Mich. resident Laura Lurin, left, shares a moment with her sister East Lansing resident Linda Grua as they were shopping for art on May 19, 2013, at the East Lansing Art Festival. This was the 50th anniversary of the festival, with 170 artists participating in the two-day event. Justin Wan/The State News
As live eclectic music blared in the streets of East Lansing, spectators gathered to view a variety of fine arts, crafts and music from artists and musicians — locally based and from across the nation.
Musicians such as Flatfoot, Big Willy and Kelsey Rottiers and The Rising Tide took the stage as the East Lansing Art Festival, or ELAF, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.
The ELAF kicked off the summer festival season this past weekend as Mid-Michigan’s first major art show of the year.
MSU alumnus Tom Stanton, who has lived in the area since 1975, has attended the ELAF more than 20 times.
“We come every year, and we always know exactly what to expect year upon year,” Stanton said.
“My wife’s birthday is always around the art festival, so we make it a habit to come out and find her a birthday present somewhere along the way.”
50 years of artistic expression
The two-day outdoor celebration first began in the 1960s, and it now is ranked as one of the top-100 fine art festivals in the nation, according to Sunshine Artist Magazine.
To carry on the success from past years, East Lansing Community Events assistant Michelle Carlson said not much of the festival has been altered this year.
“We have expanded our children’s area this year by creating more hands-on art and activities,” Carlson said. “But generally the festival is the same, with great art and great local music.”
Carlson said the Emerging Artist Program has expanded as well, as approximately 500 artists applied for inclusion. The program, which began in 2003, aims to support new artists as they begin their careers.
This year, only 170 emerging artists made the cut.
“It’s a juried event, so the artists apply and they go through a jury process, and the jury selects them and then we invite them to come,” Carlson said.
The festival is a nonprofit community event and is funded through the financial support of the community and businesses.
With the support of the community, the festival saw a traditionally large turnout — attracting art lovers from East Lansing, across the region and beyond.
Emerging artists
Peg Black, an featured artist who had her work displayed in the festival, said there is a lot of time and planning that goes into preparing for an art festival such as this one.
“To do my mosaics, it takes about a week-and-a-half to two (weeks) for each piece,” Black said. “And for my husband’s projects … some take several days, so we have to prepare in advance.”
Black and her husband, Gordon, of Wellington, Ohio, make stained glass, mosaic and copper garden art. Most of their work is made from recycled glass and metal pieces.
“We wanted to start saving the landfills, so we got this great idea to use recycled glass bottles, and it turned out that there were so many great things we could do with them,” Black said.
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James Becia, a photographer who featured his work in the festival for the second time, said he is the last of a dying breed. Becia uses film for his photos, as opposed to digital photography, which he said allows his images to be sharper and more colorful.
“I take all of my pictures myself,” Becia said. “A lot of the work comes before the festival, going out and photographing and making sure you have the necessary inventory and supplies for the festival.”
Joseph Ferris, a second-year artist from Boca Raton, Fla., said there’s a lot of work that goes into getting his inventory ready.
“You have most of your work done (before the festival), but you always need to be adding to it and creating new things,” said Ferris, who creates high-density abstract paintings on metal using automotive-based paints.
With music ranging from blues with grit to pop with twang, and art ranging from unique handmade instruments to beautiful mosaic garden decor, the festival had something to offer art lovers of all sorts as the kickoff of a lively downtown summer festival scene.
