Two artists are organizing Muskegon's first Lake Michigan Art Walk this summer

Sharon Hanks

Two Muskegon artists are trying to organize that city's first Lake Michigan Art Walk this summer that would lure art lovers, art buyers and artists to downtown, fueling efforts to recharge and liven up the area.

Bryan David Snuffer and Gary Packingham envision the Art Walk to be a regular event that would help artists exhibit and sell their works, while at the same time showcase venues downtown. They are hoping to organize the first Thursday/Friday event July 8-9 or July 15-16 at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts. Snuffer says 10 artists already have agreed to stay near their works from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the exhibit.

"Our goal is to make the Art Walk a destination for people to buy art work," says Snuffer. "We're very serious about this. It'll be a fun thing where people can walk around and see the art."

Snuffer says they are discussing plans to sponsor a similar two-day event in late August and in late September. Ultimately, the organizers hope to gain enough expertise this year to expand Art Walk to a one-evening-a-month event next year, probably running from late May through mid-September on a Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. when admission to the nearby Muskegon Museum of Art is free. They envision the Art Walk to expand to other venues to cross-promote the work of artists to downtown sites.

The Frauenthal Center's board unanimously agreed to host the indoor event this year at no charge. "Right away, they saw this as a good thing," says Snuffer, noting that if enough traffic builds at the Center, it could prompt the reopening of the City Café, a restaurant once located in the lower level at the Frauenthal Center.

Packingham, a water colors painter, and Snuffer, who specializes in prints and paints, expect the event to attract a wide variety of artists, including those with paintings, ceramics, sculpture and photography. There will be no cost for the artist to exhibit his or her work.

For more information, contact Snuffer at [email protected] or visit the Lake Michigan Art Walk blog.

Source: Bryan David Snuffer, Muskegon

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at [email protected]. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.