Lakeshore Art Festival: Pure Michigan Award, Call for Artists and Grant Recipient
MUSKEGON, MI –
Pure Michigan Award
The Lakeshore Art Festival (LAF) was honored at the recent Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism as the recipient of the 2021 Pure Award. The Pure Award is intended to recognize Michigan tourism entities that have pioneered the incorporation of innovative and exemplary best practices in natural, cultural, and/or heritage stewardship into their daily operations. This year’s Pure Award went to Lakeshore Art Festival (LAF) an event of the City of Muskegon working in collaboration with the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Visit Muskegon (Convention and Visitors Bureau), the Muskegon Museum of Art and many local businesses.
LAF is centered around positive social, economic, and environmental impacts that complement the revitalization of Muskegon as a tourist attraction and a great place to live, work and play. This collaboration was a conscious effort to help revitalize downtown Muskegon through investment, environmental stewardship, supporting the arts and tourism. Before the pandemic, the festival brought in 50,000 visitors, diverting 10,289 pounds of material from landfills while providing more than $7 million dollars in economic impact.
Call for Artists
Applications to be a fine art or handcrafted exhibitor are now open for the award-winning Lakeshore Art Festival. LAF is a juried show, professional artists and fine art/craft coordinators serve on the jury and review each exhibitor application before they are accepted into the show. No buy-sell items are allowed. The event will take place in downtown Muskegon, Michigan on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Applications are accepted online only and can be accessed through Zapplications to or via lakeshoreartfestival.org.
Local and national artists are encouraged to apply. Exhibitor amenities include: $3,000 in Fine Art/Fine Craft awards and Craft Market People’s Choice Awards. Extensive marketing and publicity using online/print media, magazine, social media, industry trade publications, posters, postcards, radio advertising, television and billboards. Vehicle access near booth site for easy set up and teardown. Private security patrolling park and streets overnight Friday and Saturday. Exhibitor hospitality which includes morning coffee, juice, water and baked goods. Friendly Lakeshore Art Festival Committee Member booth sitters for exhibitor breaks.
Grant Recipient
The Lakeshore Art Festival has been awarded a grant of $17,500 from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 594 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2022 funding.
Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Local support of the project included DTE Foundation, Howmet, Nichols, Mart Dock, PADNOS, Blended Furniture Market and many more. LAF also receives significant volunteer support from the community with help from the United Way of the Lakeshore, local schools, and residents.
“These dollars are vital to the maintenance and growth of the Lakeshore Art Festival. The funds will help with event production and in turn add economic vibrancy to our community as we welcome thousands of exhibitors and guests to the Muskegon Lakeshore area next summer,” commented Carla Flanders, Lakeshore Art Festival Director.
More about the Lakeshore Art Festival:
The 2022 dates are June 25 and 26. The annual art festival brings thousands of guests, hundreds of fine art and craft exhibitors, a multitude of food vendors, children’s activities, street performers and interactive art installations to Downtown Muskegon. The festival ranks as one of the Top 200 Best in the Country by Sunshine Artist Magazine, has been recognized as People’s Choice Award: #1 Art Festival in West Michigan and as one of the Best Art Fairs in America by ArtFairCalendar.com. Since 2014, the Lakeshore Art Festival has brought in over $7.5 million dollars to the Muskegon Lakeshore area and supported a number of local non-profits. If you are interested in getting involved as a volunteer or local business sponsor, please contact Carla Flanders at director@lakeshoreartfestival.org or visit lakeshoreartfestival.org for more information.