Loving Lansing

Lansing-based rapper Ozay Moore performs Sunday for the second annual Love Lansing Party.

Courtesy Photo

Marcus Cottom and Paul Vetne wear their love of Lansing on their sleeves. Well, on their chests, actually.

The duo are the creative minds behind JiveOne5even, a local art and design company. The company’s Lansing-themed shirts feature logos from Adidas, Disney and Danzig, but reworked to include Lansing icons like the Capitol dome, the Boji Tower and the three smokestacks of the Otto E. Eckert Station.

Now the duo is using its connections to give back to the community. Cottom and Vetne have assembled a diverse team of musicians, artists and entrepreneurs for the second annual Love Lansing Party, a fundraising event at the Green Door Bar & Grill that supports Lansing Public Schools’ elementary art programs. Proceeds from the event go toward providing art supplies, scholarships and other opportunities for young artists.

“Marcus and I are both artists; we both see the importance of exposure to art, because we came into appreciating art and doing art at a very young age,” said Vetne, who is also a tattoo artist at the Tattoo Shop.

Sunday’s slate of performers features indie rockers Fade to Black, rapper Ozay Moore and bluesy rockers Off the Ledge. DJ Atlas spins records in between performances, and the Shahira Dancers present a belly-dance performance. There will also be door prizes and other giveaways.

A live art auction, which starts at 5:15 p.m., features Michigan silhouettes that have been painted or decorated by local artists like Kimberly Lavon and Julian Van Dyke. Potential bidders can get a sneak peek at the pieces at the Keys to Creativity Community Gallery in the Lansing Mall. Some artists will be creating pieces at the Green Door Sunday that will also be up for auction.

“The arts programs raise money to purchase supplies that students wouldn’t normally get to have during the year,” said Amy Jo Miros, an art specialist for Lansing schools. “We are completely appreciative of JiveOne5even and the Keys to Creativity Community Gallery for displaying everything. Its great to have that exposure to art in the community.”

Last year, the fundraiser netted $3,600 for school art programs. This year, the organizers are hoping to hit $5000. Funds raised last year helped art specialists for Lansing schools purchase art supplies and provided scholarships for students to take art classes through REACH Studio Art Center and MSU’s Saturday Morning Art program.

“People need to be aware that these programs do exist and need help,” Vetne said. “Creativity and art open up a whole realm of things to a child, and at the very least, a child has a little more appreciation for the beauty of the world through art.”

Love Lansing Party 2016

1-8 p.m. Sunday, Mar. 6 $10 The Green Door Bar & Grill 2005 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing (517) 482-6376, greendoorlive.com