Music, Art Dockside To Be Sunday at Hessel
By Amy Polk

The Fourth Annual Music and Art Dockside in Hessel will be bigger and better this year, with more artists and new work, in addition to a variety of music and treats.

Cancelled because of stormy weather last summer, the event returns with new enthusiasm Sunday, July 15, at 10:30 a.m. in the Hessel Marina park area. The art show, musical performances, and children's craft area are all free and open to the public.

In the event of inclement weather, the show will move to a large E.J. Mertaugh Boat Works storage garage in Hessel. The business volunteered the space to ensure the event takes place this year, said Janet Sitz, chair of the 2007 event. Mrs. Sitz is a charter member of the Les Cheneaux Area Artisan Cooperative, which has hosted Music and Art Dockside for the past four years.

This year's featured artists and their media include: Frank Aben - photography, David Altmaier - stained glass, Randy Dunn - metal work/sculpture, Roxanne Eberts - fiber art, Elizabeth Fels - photography, Brent Heerspink and Julie Porter - pottery, Jan Houghtaling - jewelry, Roberta Mills - fiber art, Kate Windsor-Otstot - painting and jewelry, Ronald Paquin - natural baskets and birch bark canoes, Norine Rudd - watercolors, Linda Sattler - jewelry, photography, and mixed media, Alice Schnyders - fiber art, Rick Shapero - handblown glass, Janet Sitz - porcelain dolls, Julie Smith - photography, Nancy Stuhler - watercolors, Arlene Thompson - watercolor and oil painting, Yoshiko Van Voorhies - jewelry, fine art, Moira Wilson - author, fiber art.

Food and refreshments will be provided by U.P. in Smoke Barbecue and Great Turtle Cake Company, both Cedarville-based businesses.

A free children's craft area will be supervised by Wendy Wagoner.

Music will be performed throughout the day, and will include two solo artists and two bands. Marty Feldhake, a Pickford area resident, will perform folk music. Griz Prusick, a Les Cheneaux Islands seasonal resident, will play folk and original music in the style of Gordon Lightfoot. North Country Band, comprised of Cedarville and Hessel residents, will perform Southern rock. Oddfellow, a Cedarville rock band, will play contemporary rock.

There will be a silent auction of donated artists' work throughout the event. The deadline for silent auction bids will be posted. Proceeds will help offset the cost of Music and Art Dockside.

The organization's policy of keeping the event free to the public stems from support from residents, visitors, and businesses. Attendance at the event keeps growing every year, and donations continue to come from businesses in the Les Cheneaux and Pickford areas, Mrs. Sitz said. The Les Cheneaux Community Foundation has also provided grants to underwrite costs. This year the foundation's Youth Advisory Committee provided a grant to pay for the performance of Oddfellow.

"It's our way of saying thanks to the community and businesses for supporting the artists," Mrs. Sitz said of the free admission. "That's primarily how we're able to keep this free, and we're very grateful for that. It shows they have an interest in promoting the arts."

Music and Art Dockside, and the group's sister show, Art in the Park on Labor Day weekend in Cedarville, are sales opportunities for the artists and showcase the diverse artisan community in the Les Cheneaux, DeTour, and Pickford areas. Cooperative members are invited to exhibit in the two annual events.

"It's an opportunity for people to become aware of the artists in the area and what they are doing, and we're an organization that's devoted to promoting the products of working artists," Mrs. Sitz said, adding the group's emphasis on youth outreach. "We have been involved in promoting art as a career to youth through mentoring, because we want to encourage young people to think about using their talents in an art career."

The two events have different purposes, Mrs. Sitz said.

"Music and Art Dockside is mainly a marketing event for the membership, with the main focus being on local and Michiganbased musical talent," she added. "Art in the Park is an event that highlights artists demonstrating their crafts."

The Les Cheneaux Area Artisan Cooperative was established in March 2001 to help members do just that: promote and enhance the diverse, creative talent that exists in the area, Mrs. Sitz said, and support the pursuit of art as a career in both established and young artists. The cooperative also works to expand the market for items its 43 members create, develop and implement marketing tools, and develop educational opportunities to further members' creativity and professionalism. Both visual and performing artists are welcome in the cooperative.

Anyone who wants to join the cooperative can write to P.O. Box 135, Cedarville, Michigan 49719, or call Rick Shapero, board president, at (906) 484-2415.