Dogwood Fine Arts Festival will put spring in Dowagiac’s step with a 2012 lineup that includes Pulitzer Prize-winning “Wonder Boys” author Michael Chabon, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason, the American Culinary Federation U.S. Olympic team, storyteller Angela Lloyd and visual artist Hank Feeley.
Mason, who co-founded Traffic and was briefly a member of Fleetwood Mac in the mid-1990s, played and recorded with George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson.
Traffic recorded his best-known song, “Feelin’ Alright,” in 1968. Joe Cocker also performed it.
Later Mason hits include “Only You Know and I Know” and “We Just Disagree.”
Since 2005, he has supported Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and lessons to children in public schools throughout the United States.
Tickets for Mason, who performs at 7:30 p.m. May 19 at the middle school Performing Arts Center, cost $40 for premium seating, $30 for main floor and $20 for upper level. His appearance is sponsored by Wolverine Mutual Insurance Co.

Chabon
Chabon leads off the festival May 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the DMS PAC.
He published his first novel, “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” at 25 in 1988.
“Wonder Boys” followed in 1995. Both became movies. The Coen Brothers optioned his 2007 alternate history/mystery novel, “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.”
Chabon tickets cost $60 main floor with reception, $25 for main floor and $20 for upper level. K&M Machine-Fabricating is sponsoring the author.
“Wonder Boys,” directed by Academy Award-winner Chris Hanson, features Oscar winners Michael Douglas and Frances McDormand, along with Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes and Tobey Maguire.
It will be screened May 12 at Beckwith Theatre in collaboration with Dogwood and Dowagiac District Library as the finale to April One Book One Community activities. Reservations are required for this free event.

Culinary team
The ACF has been the largest professional culinarian group in America for more than 80 years. ACF is home to the national and international culinary competition, ACF Culinary Team USA.
U.S. representation is comprised of a national team, a regional team, a military team and a youth team. Each will represent the United States at the Lochkunest Ausstellung (IKA) International Culinary Exhibition, also known as the Culinary Olympics, in Erfurt, Germany.
This live demonstration sponsored by Harding’s May 18 at the DMS PAC will be one of the last presentations before international competition.
Tickets cost $50 for main floor and reception, $25 for main floor and $20 for upper level.

Lloyd
Lloyd, a virtuoso on washboard, has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. Her performances have been described as “whimsical braids of stories and poetry, accompanied by autoharp, tenor guitar, spoon and bell.”
Lloyd, performing for families for $6 at 7:30 May 16 at Southwestern Michigan College sponsored by Securit and conducting a $10 master class on May 15 at Dogwood headquarters in Huntington Bank, was an artist in residence at The Walden School in Pasadena, Calif., in 2002-03.
The school continued to fund the project independently through 2007.
The free Lyons Industries visual arts presentation May 14 at SMC features Feeley, a paradox who is a graduate of both Harvard Business School and of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
His paintings combine expressionism and fantasy.