In addition to the headlining performers listed in Friday’s edition of the Dowagiac Daily News, there’s plenty more artists visiting Dowagiac during — and before — the 2016 Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, which takes place from May 5-15.

Pre-Festival

Twenty-fifth anniversary gala

6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30

Southwestern Michigan College Mathews Library/Conference Center

Tickets: $25

The Dogwood Festival will celebrate its silver anniversary in style with a pre-festival celebration at Southwestern Michigan College April 30. People are encouraged to come out with fellow art lovers to enjoy an evening of Michigan wines and locally made sweet and savory hors d’oeuvres. Live music will be featured during the gala, and area artists will be on hand to demonstrate their craft. Several items will be up for grabs in a silent auction that night as well.

 

Dogwood Gallery Opening — Bob Gottlieb

5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday, May 2

Dogwood Festival Headquarters (Dowagiac Huntington Bank Building)

Free and open to the public

The festival welcomes the public to the opening of its newest temporary art gallery, featuring the works of area artist Bob Gottlieb. Gottlieb uses a pallet of brilliant pastels in creating his impressionistic works. His style is bold and his palette is bright with many pastels and his favorite, cobalt blue. Visitors will see paintings of local beach scenes, children playing, beautiful landscapes and water, all through Bob’s paintbrush.

 

Festival events

Up Front Art Walk

24/7 during the festival, May 5-15

Participating downtown storefronts

Free

Visitors to downtown during the festival will have a chance to see various pieces of art placed inside local businesses at their own convenience.

The works will be on display 24/7 in downtown Dowagiac merchant windows on and adjacent to Front Street.  Original works from southwest Michigan and northern Indiana area artists are featured, who are vying for cash awards and a solo gallery show. People can participate in a public vote as well. A ballot guide is available at the festival office as well as host businesses.

 

Emerging Playwright Awards

7:30 p.m., Monday, May 9

Beckwith Theatre Company

Free

People will have the chance to experience a stage reading of the winning manuscript in the 2016 Emerging Playwright Awards on Monday, May 9. This unique award recognizes emerging playwrights, ages 18-30, living or studying in Michigan and northern Indiana. More than $2,700 in cash awards will be presented to the top three finishers in this competition. The winner’s play receives a staged reading by the Beckwith Theatre Company and a cash prize.

 

Framed — Identification, Presentation and Preservation of Art

7 p.m. reception, 7:30 p.m. event, Tuesday, May 10

Dogwood Festival Headquarters (Dowagiac Huntington Bank Building)

Free and open to public

Dave Makielski, owner of the former Makielski Art Shop, will be giving a free lecture on identification of works of art inside people’s homes on Tuesday, May 10. Makielski’s presentation will address the elements of design, presentation and preservation. Attendees will learn about proper art preservation, as well how to recognize and identify art they may own at home.

 

Fine Arts Night

6 p.m., Thursday, May 12

Dowagiac Union High School

Free

This celebration of young artists showcases elementary, middle, and high school student artwork and musical talents.

Attendees can tour a gallery of student-made artwork and enjoy performances from the schools’ bands and choirs.

 

Michigan State Professors of Jazz

7:30 p.m., Friday, May 13

Southwestern Michigan College Dale A. Lyons Building theater

Tickets: $20 

Keeping with this year’s Michigan flavor, the Michigan State University Professors of Jazz will be the featured musician of the 2016 festival. The MSU Professors of Jazz are members of the jazz faculty in the Michigan State University College of Music.

Established in 2000, the seven-member band has completed residencies at the Detroit Symphony Hall, the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, and the Arts League of Michigan Jazz at the Center, performing alongside several international jazz musicians in the process.

The group will be performing a number of original and jazz classics during a concert Friday, May 13, at SMC. The group will also be offering a free educational concert for children that same day at 1 p.m. at Dowagiac Middle School; preregistration is required.