East Lansing Art Festival to Feature More Than 160 Artists, Performances and ‘Joy Stations’

Tens of thousands of visitors will pack downtown East Lansing this weekend as the 63rd annual East Lansing Art Festival transforms the city into a sprawling outdoor gallery featuring artists from across the U.S. and Canada, live entertainment and hands-on activities. 

The event will coincide with the MSU Spring Arts and Craft Show on the grounds of the Michigan State University Union, across Grand River Avenue on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

East Lansing Art Festival and Arts Initiative Coordinator Heather Majano organizes the annual art festival, which began as an art sidewalk sale for downtown businesses. Today, it’s one of the area’s most well-attended events. 

The event, which has been voted as one of the top 200 fine art festivals in the country, typically brings 40,000 people to the area. With the removal of the downtown Albert El Fresco area, this year’s festival footprint is a bit different than last year, and more spread out from Grove Street to Bailey Street, up M.A.C. Avenue to Grand River Avenue. 

“This year we had 315 applications and we have 166 confirmed artists coming from all over – Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Florida, Michigan and Canada,” Majano said. “We are a fine art festival which means the artist needs to have art that is museum or gallery-quality, so that next-level-up kind of art. The jury looks for cohesive applications that have a body of work that makes sense together and booths that are clean, organized, and set up to be a mobile gallery kind of scenario in a more inviting and welcoming space.”

New this year will be “joy stations,” which Majano said allow attendees to experience happiness, silliness and a bit of whimsy. 

“I think there needs to be more joy in this world,” Majano said. “The main joy station is Sara Pulver’s painting station, but there will also be others including a rock paper scissors tournament, hopscotch, a karaoke station and some more little things that sort of take you out of the ordinary.”

Lansing resident Sara Pulver is an illustrator, muralist, and owner of Dear Ollie & Co., a stationery and gift shop located inside A Novel Concept in Downtown Lansing. Pulver has long participated in the East Lansing Art Festival, and said she was honored to design the 2022 festival’s poster and branding. 

For this year’s event, Pulver said she is thrilled to be doing a community painting project. 

“I will be set up by the Emerging Artist tent with three 4×6 foot panels that will be set up similar to a paint-by-number,” she said. “Anyone who would like to make their mark is welcome to contribute and paint part of the panels. Each panel will depict a different species from the Michigan Threatened & Endangered Species list paired with some native plants and wildflowers. For kiddos or those who would like to take home their own piece of art, we will also have coloring pages of the panels available.”

Following the festival, the panels will be installed at the Hannah Community Center. 

While Pulver’s go-to medium is paint, she also enjoys collage, scanning, zine-making, air dry clay and paper mache. She hopes this community project can be an entry point for people who may not see themselves as “art people,” inviting them into the process, welcoming unexpected conversations and connections. 

“Watching an artist work or contributing to a shared piece de-mystifies the creative process, builds appreciation for the skill involved, and fosters a deeper, more personal connection to the work,” she said. “They also shift the experience from passive viewing to active participation, which is especially powerful in a community setting. My hope is this project and its subject matter can spark conversation, education, and a sense of collective care.

“Also, the tiny moments of ownership for those who participate are so magical,” Pulver added. “People come back later and point, ‘I painted that leaf!’ There’s something really tender about shared making, even in small contributions.”

A quieter, sensory-friendly space will also return to this year’s event. The space has been well-received by artists and attendees since it was introduced two years ago, said Majano. 

“Festival spaces can get really overwhelming for a lot of people, and having a space that folks can go to to cool down or be a little quieter allows people to take a breath and get out of the elements,” she said. 

There will be a variety of hands-on activities held throughout the festival, including assemblage art, woodturning, bead making, rug tufting, pottery, crafts and a typewriter poetry booth.  

The main stage at the Ann Street Plaza will feature performances throughout the weekend. The lineup on Saturday includes the East Lansing High School Jazz Band, the Eagle Medicine Dancers, Kuungana Drum & Dance Co., Jordan Hamilton Trio and the Kritya Dance Ensemble. Sunday’s lineup includes Eugene Clark, Elisabeth Pixley-Fink, All of the Above Hip Hop Academy, The Renaissance Singers and Hail Your Highness. 

The full entertainment schedule is available online here. 

Majano is excited to see attendees experience the new additions to this year’s event. 

“I work hard to make this event a welcoming, safe space and still be exciting,” Majano said. “One of my arts commissioners likes to say, ‘surprises and delights around every corner.’ I think that’s kind of the philosophy I’ve taken on for the art festival as well.”