Upcoming "Grassroots Green" at Great Lakes Folk Festival

Annually, Great Lakes Folk Festival -- held by Michigan State University Museum -- showcases the traditional cultural treasures of the nation's Upper Midwest and a sampling of the best of traditional artists from around the country and the world. This year, the unique fusion of arts fair, music festival, county fair, multi-ethnic festival, hands-on activity workshops and celebration of cultural heritage will be held Aug 13-15, 2010 in downtown East Lansing.

As part of summer celebration, I always look forward to this event, and has a great time enjoying the richness of music, dance, arts and culture from across America and around the world. But I am excited to learn that there is a new addition to the existing programs and activities of the festival. This year, the Michigan State University Museum will host a variety of tradition-bearers who carry on traditions that help restore, conserve and revitalize the planet.

Presentations, demonstrations and activities that feature citizen groups and individuals who engage in green occupations, environmental activism, organic gardening, recycled arts and folk wisdom—will share information, ideas and activities that will help us consider the environment in the ways we live. The Grassroots Green Program will offer an array of ways in which people are choosing the green life in several areas throughout the Great Lakes Folk Festival grounds.

Among those is Green Arts Marketplace -- the venue where craftspeople making functional and beautiful art and objects from recycled materials will be featured, the first of its kind in the area! Here are a few examples of arts that will be shown and sold at the event:

Artists
- Blue Moon Soap, Michelle K. Corbeil
- Broom Winder, Henry Tschetter
- Brown Joey Designs, Cori Thackery
- Cangles, Shannon Rose, Jewelry made from aluminum cans
- Carla Iansiti, bags from recycled food packaging
- Clamored, Jaclyn Dreyer
- Empty Nest, Lisa Portenga, typewriter ewelry
- Forest Concepts, Sara Jo Cash
- Jay Prosch-Jensen, metal sculpture
- The Little Craft Closet, Nichole Drysdale
- Mecca, Marcy Gruzien
- Recyclica: repurpose driven design, furniture from skiis
- Rewoven Designs
- Rico Oeste, recycled furniture
- Runaway Creations
- recycled wine bottles
- Rocknrecycle Purses, recycled album covers
- Sarah Roemer- Hand Made, recycled pop tab purses
- Second Life Studio, Kate Hetzel
- Shrunk Woolery, Jessica
- Smittens, Susan Cappon
- Sweet Plum Vintage, Cara and Karen
- Tin Aviary, Zabby Cox
- Too Cool T-shirt Quilts, Andrea Funk
- Weird Sisters Fine Arts Studio, Robert Fitzke

Other Green Vendors
-Pisat Solar-Smart Car
-Solar Circle
-Solar Works, LLC

See you there!

NOTE: All the information, as well as the logo artwork courtesy of MSU Museum web site. Republished with permission.