Attack of the arts

Festival season in Greater Lansing is still moving ahead at full tilt, with only a few more weekends of summer fun between now and the start of the school year. This week’s installment features the fifth annual Art Attack festival, which invades historic REO Town Saturday.

Art Attack is a celebration of local talent, featuring diverse work from local artists, live music, a food court and a beer tent. The event is organized by the REO Town Commercial Association in collaboration with REO Town’s own REACH Studio Art Center. Joy Baldwin, REACH Studio Art Center program director, hopes the event will be fun for people of all ages.

“The beer tents tend to drive people out, but we also have stuff for the kids,” she said. “This is an event made to entertain everyone.”

The art portion of this year’s event centers on a showdown competition where artists will decorate wooden picnic tables. Working either alone or in teams of up to six, the artists will have six hours to decorate the table — on site and in full view of the public. Cash prizes of $200, $100 and $50 will be awarded to the top three tables as selected by a panel of judges. Interested artists are encouraged to register for the competition by emailing register@ reotownartattack.com.

REACH Studio Art Center and O’Leary Paint will supply paints and other supplies, but competing artists are welcome to bring their own supplies. The only rule is that the finished product must still be usable as a table. All of the painted tables from the competition will be placed in different areas throughout REO Town.

“With the cash prizes on top of the REO Town restaurants having the painted tables on display, its a big win all around,” Baldwin said.

“It’s just a beautiful community event,” said Morgan Scallen, REACH Studio Art Center outreach coordinator.

The festival’s live music lineup will showcase artists from across the state, including the Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle, Off the Ledge, the Jonestown Crows, Bastards of Young, Light and Caves, and Vandalay.

Saturday looks to be another warm one, and festival patrons of legal drinking age are encouraged to cool off at the beer tent. Keeping the local focus, the festival’s beer tent will offer frothy cups of cold beer from Mason’s BAD Brewing Co. and Lansing’s Sleepwalker Spirits and Ales.

If you prefer to consume your calories in food form, local favorites like Mark’s Gourmet Dogs, Saddleback Barbecue and Good Truckin’ Food will be serving up tasty dishes in the food court.

Whether you’re looking for a great art piece for the home, or just want to take in some music and enjoy a pulled pork sandwich, Baldwin hopes that Art Attack can satisfy your appetite.

“It’s a wonderful event for art and music,” said Baldwin. “An entire day of family fun for everyone."

Art Attack 

Noon-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22  FREE REO Town, Lansing (517) 487-1910, reotownartattack.com