Thousands of art-lovers gathered in East Lansing yesterday to visit the East Lansing Art Festival and Michigan State University Arts and Crafts Show. With more than 150 artists and vendors, the events featured diverse artists and works from a variety of mediums.
Artist and vendor booths were placed on M.A.C. and Albert Avenue in downtown East Lansing 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Oil paint artist Eva Antebi-Lerman said this was her second time at East Lansing Art Festival. She said she loved the event because it was an opportunity to conect with people and sell her work for them to enjoy.
“The people who come here are really always very interested in chatting with me and learning about my work, learning about my process," Antebi-Lerman said. "There's always just a lot of excitement about people coming out to see it."
Antebi-Lerman’s booth was full of abstract oil paintings on canvas that explored movement, color, energy and the “transitory elements of nature.”
Textile artist Kristin Gereau also used color as a source of inspiration for her work. Her booth featured unique scarves that she knitted and hand-dyed.
Gereau first showed her art at the festival a decade ago. After winning the "Best in Fiber" award at last year's art festival, she was invited back for this year.
What made the festival particularly special, Gereau said, was the East Lansing community. She said she was excited to explore the city later and enjoy the weekend’s nice weather.
At the MSU Arts and Crafts Show on Abbott Road, vendor Merri Bayard sold scented candles. Bayard said the show was a great opportunity for artists to meet people from diverse backgrounds and interact with different types of art.
“It's a great variety, and it's a lot of vendors, so there's something for everybody for everything,” Bayard said. “It's really been a wonderful market. We do a lot of smaller markets too, and this is just nice because it's busy and there's so many people.”
Visual artist Inty Muemala brought paintings, sculptures and handmade pipes that he said focused on animals and symbols sacred to different Native American cultures. Like Bayard, Muemala said he looked forward to not only showcasing his own art, but also appreciating the other artists and their works at the festival.
“I love the people,” Muemala said. “I love the space. Also I love meeting with different artists. It’s a nice place to start the summer with different art shows.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
