Art at Your Feet street art festival returns Saturday in Blissfield
BLISSFIELD — For 13 years, artists of all ages, from all backgrounds and skillsets have produced works of pastel art right on the asphalt streets of downtown Blissfield.
This coming weekend, artists young and old will be able to return to downtown Blissfield for the 14th annual edition of Art at Your Feet, where artwork literally comes “out of your mind” and “onto the street.”
The annual public street art event will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, along South Lane Street in Blissfield’s business district. Art at Your Feet is a presentation of the Schultz-Holmes Memorial Library and is sponsored by Blissfield Family Dentistry and Chris Mallow, D.D.S., and Transcend Physical Therapy with support from the village of Blissfield and Borchardt Brothers Market.
Artists of all abilities will be able to fill a 5-by-5 street canvas square with whatever their mind can think of, using a set of free chalk pastels provided by the library. Registration is required to participate and to reserve a set of pastels and a square. To register, contact the library by phone at 517-486-2858, email artatyourfeet@blissfieldlibrary.org or find Art at Your Feet on Facebook.
To prepare South Lane Street for its transformation into an outdoor art studio, the first block of South Lane Street will be closed to motorists at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. Volunteers, who can still sign up by contacting the library, will individually paint the 5-by-5 squares onto South Lane Street during Friday’s preparations.
In addition to the registered street artists on Saturday, vendors, crafters and lost arts demonstrators will line the downtown sidewalks. Local businesses will also have special promotions and activities, as well, a news release from the library, said.
Merchandise and gift certificates will be offered in prize drawings throughout the day, the release said. All event-goers can enter prize drawings at the red registration tent near the downtown Blissfield minipark. Winners must be present to claim prizes from the drawings.
There will also be a kids’ art area, which does not require registration. The Blissfield High School varsity cheerleading team will do face painting on a donation basis. A free souvenir photo booth will also be on site, the release said.
Art at Your Feet concludes with cash prizes of $50, $30 and $20 awarded to the top three best chalk artists as selected by event officials.
JTE Acoustic Band will provide live music from 1 to 3 p.m.
If you go
What: 14th annual Art at Your Feet street art festival in Blissfield
Where: Downtown Blissfield, along South Lane Street in the business district
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20
How to Register: Call 517-486-2858, email artatyourfeet@blissfieldlibrary.org or find Art at Your Feet on Facebook
Costs: No cost to reserve a space to do artwork. All Schultz-Holmes Memorial Library-sponsored programs are free to the public.
Who can participate: Artists of all ages, abilities, skill levels and backgrounds. No previous artwork experience is needed.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Art at Your Feet marks 14 years this weekend in Blissfield
