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> MC Arts Fest Makeover, Lubeznik Art & Artisan Festival Merger
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post Aug 20 2016, 12:56 PM
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Longtime Michigan City arts festival revamped in new location

Susan O’Leary Times Correspondent

MICHIGAN CITY — For the first time in 35 years, the Lubeznik Art and Artisan Festival is being hosted this weekend on the grounds of the Lubeznik Center for the Arts on the corner of West 2nd and Washington streets, rather than in Washington Park.

The organizers of the revamped festival, which began Friday evening and runs through Sunday, hope to better acquaint visitors with the art center and its programs.

“Every good idea needs to be refreshed,” said Erika Hanner, LCA executive director. “We wanted people to understand this was a Lubeznik Center for the Arts festival.”

Thirty-five artists from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois displayed their creations – including jewelry, pottery, and photography – while patrons enjoyed a wine reception, craft beer, and the High Jinks stilt dancers on Friday, a festival-preview fundraising evening.

Live art on tap for the weekend included mural painting, chalk sidewalk art, and free henna tattoos, as well as food trucks from Bartlett’s, Redamak’s, Yats, and Shoreline Brewery, to name a few. Rock, Americana, folk, Latin, salsa, and jazz were represented with live musical entertainment.

Edwin Shelton, who greeted visitors to his wife’s booth of acrylic collages, said Laurel Izard’s subjects are “fantasy characters in fantasy landscapes.”

“They’re whimsical,” said Shelter, of Michigan City. “She’s very prolific.”

Shelton, who teaches art at Marquette High School, said Izard once taught there as well.

“I asked her if she would retire so I could take her job,” said Shelton.

Linda Mickevicius displayed her beach glass jewelry, the glass for which she sources herself mostly on local beaches. She and her husband, Ben, also find rare red beach glass each year in Puerto Rico. Her work also features glass from Greece and Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California, where years ago residents “bulldozed” their garbage off a cliff on the Mendocino Coast.

Mickevicius, who owns Beach Bum Jewels on Franklin Street, said she has more than 100 jars and numerous plastic tubs of beach glass.

“I have glass all over the house,” said Mickevicius, of Michigan City. “Some pieces I found with my grandkids – I’ll never make jewelry out of those.”

Other artisans included Rachel Blane, who crafts jewelry from crystals and vintage brass chain; Jay Ostrander, who uses musical instruments, coffee urns, and glassware to create table and floor lamps; and Brian Sullivan, with his large-scale oil paintings that pay homage to old advertisements and Americana.

Shelton, formerly the program director at LCA, thinks having the festival on the center’s grounds is a good move.

“It’s a wonderful way to get the community better connected to the Lubeznik center,” said Shelton. “This is a resource you wouldn’t expect to find here. So now we have both Chicago weekend people and grassroots people all looking at art.”

http://pushcommunications.net/lakefront-art-festival

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