Dozens roamed the streets of downtown Dowagiac during the town’s first Art Stroll Thursday.

The Dowagiac Fine Arts Festival kicked off with Art Stroll in downtown from 4 to 7 p.m. May 11, as part of the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, which takes place May 11 to 20. The event featured the work of artists from Dowagiac, Cass County and surrounding areas, which was displayed in downtown businesses. Twenty-one local businesses participated in the Art Stroll.

The board of the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival asked organizer Sharron Ott to organize the Art Stroll based on a similar monthly event that takes place in Kalamazoo called Art Hop. As Ott has participated in Art Hop as an artist before, she felt prepared to organize the Art Stroll for Dowagiac.

“I just went around to all the different shops in town to see who wanted to be involved, and I had a list of artists to contact,” Ott said. “We found just fabulous, fabulous artists.”

The Art Stroll is a great way for people to get out and into the community, said painter Daniel Smith, whose work was showcased at Who kNew consignment shop. Though Smith has never lived in Dowagiac, he served as the principal of Kincheloe Elementary School, 25121 Gage Road, for many years.

“I feel a real connection to Dowagiac. I’ve spent my entire career here,” Smith said. “I wanted to continue to be involved.”

In previous years, Dowagiac has hosted an event called Art Walk. Art Stroll differs in that the local business are more highlighted by requiring visitors to go into local business to see the art on display rather than just looking into a store’s windows to see the art.

“The Art Walk never drew anybody into the businesses, which were sponsoring their windows, but this way, people come in, people see the art, and they see merchants they may never have seen before,” said painter Alli Farkas, whose work was featured in yarn shop Yarn on the Front, “It’s a win-win. This way, the artist wins and the business wins.”

Many downtown business owners agree that having the art placed inside their businesses is good for visibility.

Owner of Yarn on the Front June Phillips-Nemeth said the stroll has been particularly good for business.

“People have come in to see [Farkas’] work and didn’t know we had a yarn shop in Dowagiac,” Phillips-Nemeth said. “They’ve taken some cards, and I think some will be back.”

Many of those involved with the Art Stroll said they were pleased with the visitor turn-out and expressed interest in participating in a similar event during next year’s Dogwood Fine Arts Festival. Some even said they were already planning what projects they could display next year.

“I think it would be good to do this again next year,” Ott said. “Ultimately we would like a strong sense of artistry in Dowagiac, and we would like to increase the awareness of shops in downtown and how fun it is to shop in Dowagiac.”