The 2016 Dogwood Fine Arts Festival takes place May 5-15. For information or tickets, people can contact the festival office at (866) 490-2847.

 

All week:

Up Front Artwalk

Downtown

Free

People can enjoy this juried art show throughout the festival. Art created by area creators will be on display 24/7 at select downtown merchant windows in and around Front Street. People can vote on which work they like most, using ballots located inside the festival office and participating locations. Winning artists will receive cash prizes.

 

Funky Junk Art

Free

Patrick Hamilton and Kincheloe elementary schools

A display of sculptures — crafted by local elementary school students from recycled materials — will be on display throughout the festival.

 

Friday, May 6

Starfish Circus

7 p.m.

Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center

Adults $10, students $5

Dowagiac students will be showing off an assortment of acrobatic stunts, taught to them by performers with Kalamazoo’s Aerial Angels, during this special pair of performances.

 

Saturday, May 7

Authors Mardi Jo Link and James Lenfestey

7 p.m.

Southwestern Michigan College Dale A. Lyons Building

Lecture $25, booking signing/reception $15

Novelist Mardi Jo Link and poet James Lenfestey will share a single stage, as they discuss their respective careers and the writing process and field questions from the audience.

 

Monday, May 9

Dogwood/Beckwith Emerging Playwright Awards

7:30 p.m.

Beckwith Theatre Company

Free

Actors with the local community theater will perform a stage reading of the winning script of the 2016 Emerging Playwright competition, University of Michigan student Graham Techler’s play, “The Kid Cult Cosmology T.J. Started at School.”

 

Tuesday, May 10

Framed — Art Identification, Presentation and Preservation

7 p.m.

Dogwood Festival Headquarters, Huntington Bank Building

Free

Area framing expert Dave Makielski will share advice for area artists and art collectors on how to protect and preserve paintings for years to come.

 

Wednesday, May 11

Storyteller Michael Reno Harrell

7:30 p.m.

Southwestern Michigan College Dale A. Lyons Building

$6

Appalachian Mountains area native Michael Reno Harrell will tell stories — and sing songs — about his experiences growing up in America’s south.

 

Thursday, May 12

Youth Fine Arts Night

6 p.m.

Dowagiac Union High School

Free

Artwork from high school artists will be on display and student band and choirs will perform for audiences.

 

Friday, May 13

MSU Professors of Jazz

7:30 p.m.

Southwestern Michigan College Dale A. Lyons Building

$20

Faculty with Michigan State University’s department of jazz will perform some classics and original compositions for audiences.

 

Saturday, May 14

Artist Rick Herter

7 p.m.

Dowagiac Area History Museum

Free

Dowagiac-native Rick Herter will show off some of his renowned aviation art and discuss his career during this free gallery opening. Art will be on display at the museum through May 31.