A Few Words From Debbie
Community Collaboration–This is Arts Night Out
One of the primary goals of the Arts Council encompasses collaboration. We have committed ourselves to form partnerships and collaborative relationships that position arts and culture as integral to developing creative communities. When we work collectively, we can impact our community on a deeper and richer level.
For over two years, we’ve been putting time, effort and planning into a new project that we are thrilled to unveil next month. The kickoff of the Arts Council’s new program, Arts Night Out, will take place on May 6, 2016 in Old Town from 5 – 8 p.m., and we hope you are planning to experience this collaborative and creative mash-up of art, business and community.
Picture this…
It’s Friday night and people are looking for something local and new to do. They’re looking for the perfect mix of creative people and ideas––street art, pop-up theatre, local music, distinctive exhibits, performances, dance and so much more––and they’re looking for it to happen in their own neighborhoods, at their favorite places, at the same time. They want to wander and gather in small shops, galleries, offices, alleyways, parking lots, bars and museums, dense with diverse people, culture and design.
This is ARTS NIGHT OUT.
Arts Night Out is a monthly event series that invites people to visit four different Lansing neighborhoods to experience urban space and creativity in unexpected ways. Following a monthly rotation between neighborhoods, Arts Night Out will turn our streets into mini-galleries and pop-up experiences. And the best part – the neighborhoods we’ve chosen are all walkable and the event is free to attend.
Picture this…
A local yoga studio is filled with pottery wheels and clay throwers. The corner hardware store turns into a scrap art exhibit and the neighborhood pub is re-vamped into an intimate spoken word speakeasy. Imagine people sitting around a parklet and watching a flash mob of break dancers outside their accountant’s office or a favorite art gallery partnering with a coffee house to showcase the swirling deliciousness of coffee foam artwork. What’s more? The sidewalks will be crowded, businesses will be full, and the overall ambiance, lively and spirited.
We wanted to give our residents and visitors something exciting, cooperative and boundless to participate in. We wanted something that would draw them into new places and highlight those they walk by every day.
We wanted to give our area artists a chance to showcase their art and expose their talents whether they are poets, musicians, actors, visual artists, organizations, dancers or storytellers.
We wanted our retailers and merchants to find profitable value and community connections in networking with arts and culture. Arts Night Out has been created to do exactly all that.
This is ARTS NIGHT OUT.
Mark your calendars…pencil us in…join us on May 6, 2016 for the kickoff of Lansing’s new Friday nights!
Deborah E. Mikula
Executive Director