The creativity of artists in the Les Cheneaux community will be displayed in restaurants, private yards, and township properties this summer as part of the inaugural Art Hop public exhibition and competition to be held July 1 to August 7. This event is modeled after the Art Prize competition that has taken place in Grand Rapids the past three years, which allows the public to view and vote on artistic creations dispersed throughout the city.

Personalizing a similar contest on a smaller scale for the Les Cheneaux area, which prides itself on its artisans and craftspeople, was an idea of the Les Cheneaux Area Artisan Cooperative (LCAAC). This group is perpetually looking for new ways to promote the creation and enjoyment of locally produced art. Displaying art throughout the community for all to see is an exciting way to do that, said LCAAC president Rick Shapero.

The contest is open to any perma- nent or seasonal resident of the area who resides west of the Beavertail Peninsula, south of Rockview Road, and east of St. Martin’s Point. Residents of the local islands are all included within the boundaries.

All media may be entered into the competition.

“The definition of art is very broad. Art throughout history has been meant to open and challenge minds,” Mr. Shapero said. “We think we can do a neat thing to get people walking through our community, talking and thinking about what they see.”

This contest will be divided into two divisions, one for those 15 years old or younger and another for all others. In each category, $200 will be awarded for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. The prizes for both categories are identical, Mr. Shapero said, because the cooperative strives to encourage young artists to build a lasting relationship with the arts.

Katie Eberts, the youngest member of the cooperative, will take this message to Les Cheneaux Community Schools when she speaks to art classes in coming weeks. She is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and majored in art and design.

“I want to introduce students to the idea of a public exhibition for their art,” she said, “and I want to talk to them about how art doesn’t have to be what you traditionally think of us as art.”

Entries may range from macaroni art to scenes chalked on a sidewalk, for example. Performance art such as dancing, acting, and singing will also be accepted.

“Participants can open their imagination, using any idea, material, or medium,” Ms. Eberts said. “That we’re bringing this really big idea to a small community is exciting. I can’t wait to see what people come up with.”

Cooperative member Roxanne Eberts echoed her daughter’s enthusiasm for the creative process.

“There are people in the community who may not consider themselves artists, but who are very creative,” she said. “We want to encourage them to share that.”

The cooperative is attempting to gauge interest in the event, so they know how many indoor and outdoor venues must be secured. Township approval to use township property was unanimously granted at the board’s Thursday, January 19, meeting. Mr. Shapero will now approach local businesses, hoping they follow suit.

Interest forms will be available at the Les Cheneaux Community Library in Cedarville, the main office of Les Cheneaux Community Schools, Woolderness Fiber Arts Studio, the Les Cheneaux Welcome Center, Hessel Grocery, Cedarville Foods, and Cedar Pantry. These forms must be returned by March 1.

Those who return the form will receive a registration packet shortly after the cooperative has tallied all of the responses. Returning an interest form does not commit an individual to enter the contest.

The deadline for registration is April 20. There will be no entry fee and only one original submission will be allowed per person.

Anyone may vote. Mr. Shapero hopes Art Hop will appeal to residents and visitors alike.

“In these times when everyone is worried about jobs and the economy, art is something that can be celebrated as something that has enduring value,” he said.

It is more an exhibition than a competition but, even so, Mr. Shapero said he would be interested to see which entries capture the public’s interest. In an endeavor such as this, each community will have different tastes, he said.

“The same thing that won in Grand Rapids may not win in Lansing, the same thing that wins in Cedarville and Hessel may not be the same thing that would win in St. Ignace or Sault Ste. Marie.”