Take a walk

For Owosso residents looking for an artistic way to spend Friday evening — or Greater Lansing residents looking for an excuse to get out of town for the weekend — the annual Artwalk Owosso is look to fill the streets and storefronts of downtown Owosso with art, food and music.

Downtown Owosso businesses will be transformed into galleries for the night, and visitors can enjoy the works of local artists and crafters while they partake in Friday night shopping and dining. Over 40 artists will display their work in shops, boutiques, cafes and other establishments.

The event, hosted by The Owosso Mainstreet/DDA and the Shiawassee County Convention & Visitors Bureau, also features live music by musicians stationed throughout downtown. Ten local performers will fill the street with the sounds of jazz, bluegrass, rock, and more.

In the spirit of community involvement, attendees are invited to make some art of their own. Sidewalk chalk art will take place at the Main Street Plaza and anyone is welcome to grab a stick of their favorite color and get drawing.

Another way that ArtWalk is inspiring collaborative creation is through ArtBike, an art competition that invited community members to turn bicycles into art pieces. The bikes, which will be placed all over downtown, will remain on display through the month of September. Judges will select the best entries at Friday’s ArtWalk and award $400 in prizes to the most creative bicycles.

Josh Adams, executive director of Owosso Main Street/DDA called the project “a first-year experiment” that he hopes to build on in the years to come. He cited Owosso´s numerous biking trails and the size of the biking community as a reason for the project´s success, which so far has received just under 20 transformed bikes. The works are located throughout the downtown area.

ArtWalk draws heavily on local talent of all varieties, including some unique performers. Students from Corunna High School make a yearly appearance as “living statues,” painting themselves and their clothing into convincing imitations of cement, bronze and even shiny chrome.

“They´re great at it,” Adams said. “It really scares some people,” he added, noting that the many ArtWalk participants don´t realize the living statues are, in fact, alive until they smile or wave.

Other evening highlights include First Congregational Church’s “Homemade Chicken Van Gogh Dinner” and a free photo booth offered by Michael Paine Photography. The Shiawassee Arts Center will display and sell the work of 39 mid-Michigan artists. Its Frederick Frieske Gallery, featuring originals and prints by Owosso-born impressionist painter Fredercik Frieske, will be open during the event.

ArtWalk aims to celebrate all forms of art, with spaces devoted to diverse mediums like jewelry, metal working, textile art, and even balloon artists.

“We want to create a good night of community and get people out there to share their art,” said Adams.

ArtWalk Owosso

4-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11 FREE Downtown Owosso (989) 723-1199, shiawassee.org