The following has been written on behalf of the entire Dogwood Fine Arts Festival Board of Directors.

The 2017 edition of the Dowagiac Dogwood Fine Arts Festival recently come to a close.

The response from our patrons has been outstanding.

Everyone enjoyed the smooth piano sounds of Jean Prosper. We definitely will remember his spontaneous composition of the “Dogwood Festival Blues.”

Storyteller Sam Payne gave us more than his evening performance. He performed for all of our students in grade school and middle school.  Did your second grader tell you about the teachers dancing on stage?

Author Renee Rosen took us down the byways she traveled while researching her latest historical novel, ”Windy City Blues.”

The Merchants Art Stroll brought a wide variety of artistic creations to our downtown, adding just a little something special for our merchants and shoppers to enjoy.

And you definitely cannot forget our youth with the grade school Funky Junk sculpture gardens and the Youth Fine Arts Night.

None of this was possible without our many sponsors.

Many of them support other programs in Dowagiac throughout the year. They are the fuel that keeps all of our programs energized.

So, please indulge us as we list each of them and once again say “thank you:”

• St. Denys Foundation

• Huntington Bank

• Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital

• Dave and Beth Mahar

• Dowagiac Union Schools

• Lyons Industries

• Parrett Company

• Securit Metal Products

• Southwestern Michigan College

• Starks Family Funeral Homes

• The Looking Glass

• Chemical Bank

• Hardings Market

• Preferred Printing

• The Rotary Foundation of Dowagiac

• Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union

• Front Street Crossing

• Judd Lumber Company

• Midwest Energy

Jim Benedix

President, Dogwood Fine Arts Festival