Organizers with the 2017 One Story program are once again asking people to roll up their sleeves and get their creative juices flowing in order to share their own story with the rest of the community.

From now through March 15, people can create works of 3D art — using locally found or made materials — and submit them to the organizers of the annual community-wide reading initiative. All submitted pieces will be displayed during the One Story Gwikwé ‘amen event, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at the Pokagon Band Community Center, located at 27043 Potawatomi Trail, Dowagiac.

Following in the theme of this year’s One Story program, “a sense of place,” the only two requirements of this year’s artwork are that the art has to be three-dimensional, i.e. must be able to stand on its own, and must be made primarily of materials from whatever community the artist lives in.

“The subject can be about anything,” said Kristie Bussler, head organizer of the One Story program. “The sky is the limit.”

Materials can range from just about anything, from scrap metal found in a nearby junkyard to pieces of moss from the local forest, Bussler said.

Anyone is welcome to submit art for the program, from young children to professional artists, Bussler said.

“I am just looking to see what kind of artwork people come up with,” Bussler said. “Whenever you give someone guidelines that are open ended like this, you often get some pretty clever pieces in response. It will be really cool to see.”

The March art show is hosted in conjunction with the 2017 One Story program, a collaboration between members of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, Southwestern Michigan College, the Dowagiac District Library and the Dowagiac Area History Museum. Started in 2014, the program hosts several events throughout the winter and early spring, which are loosely tied around themes from a particular book chosen by the One Story planning committee.

This year’s book is “Images of America: Dowagiac,” a collection of photo essays about the history of the city written by local museum Director Steve Arseneau and former director Ann Thompson. People can pick up a free copy of the book from any of One Story partners.

People are also invited to read famed Dowagiac journalist Webb Miller’s memoir, “I Found No Peace,” as part of this year’s program.

People wishing to submit art for the show can do so by contacting Bussler at (269) 462-4222 or at kristie.bussler@pokagonband-nsn.gov. Submitted pieces can be returned to the artist, by request.