The Meijer Kids Art Zone offers hands-on art projects, mural photo ops, face painting and bounce houses; plus, artists give live demonstrations in glass-blowing, wheel-throwing and more at the Creation Station

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com; Alana Stultz, Community Engagement Coordinator, Paint Creek Center for the Arts; 248.651.4110; alana@pccart.org

Rochester, Mich.—August 10, 2022—Budding artists and young art patrons are invited to join in the celebration and be inspired by art at 56th annual Art & Apples Festival® sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, September 9–11. Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) has lined up a host of creative and fun activities at the Meijer Kids Arts Zone and the Creation Station for families to participate and discover.

Both the Meijer Kids Arts Zone and Creation Station will be located within the festival grounds at the northwest end of Rochester Municipal Park. Featured highlights of the weekend include:

Meijer Kids Art Zone

  • Monet’s Garden Mural – Photo-Op: Take your photo in front of an iconic garden. The 12-foot by 8-foot printed hanging mural will be set up for all three festival days.
  • Mixed Media Faux Stained Glass Art Project: New this year is an art-making project that transforms tissue paper and other crafting materials into a faux stained-glass panel. Kids may add their finished works to Monet’s Garden and contribute to a piece of temporary public art—or take their masterpieces with them.
  • Free Face-Painting: Available Saturday and Sunday only, face painting will be provided by Lyn Chin of Face Painting MI, courtesy of Paint Creek Center for the Arts.
  • Bounce Houses: Provided by Oakland County Parks and Recreation via their Recreation Assistance Partnership Program (RAPP) grant, bounce houses are open 3 p.m.–7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The Creation Station
Creation Station demonstrations are observation only and include:

  • Glassblowing sponsored by Park West Gallery: Demonstrations, shown by the father-son duo of Chris and Danny Ervin, run Friday through Sunday. Chris first trained in the art of glassblowing and then got his dad involved, too. The two recently opened their own glassblowing studio, Ervin Glassworks, in Almont and Shelby Township.
  • Wheel-throwing pottery: PCCA faculty members Corinne MacInnes and Paige Neils will alternate demonstrations of this method on all three days of the festival, creating original ceramic pieces.
  • Additional PCCA Faculty Demos: The media will be determined by the presenting PCCA faculty member; art projects may include plein air painting using oil, acrylic, or watercolor.

“Art & Apples offers a welcoming way for families to see community art come alive,” PCCA Executive Director Shaun Hayes explained. “Paint Creek Center for the Arts is grateful to the generous support of Meijer for the Kids Art Zone which provides numerous opportunities for youngsters to explore, create and appreciate the role that art plays in bringing people together.”

The Art & Apples Festival is ranked ninth on the list of 200 Best Fine Art and Design Shows for the decade of 2010–2020 by Sunshine Artist magazine. Approximately 55% of PCCAs’ yearly operating budget is obtained through the Art & Apples Festival, which serves as PCCA’s signature fundraiser to help support the nonprofit organization’s art classes for kids and adults, free art exhibitions, the Art Market exclusively featuring local Michigan artists’ work, summer camps, and community outreach through its Art Anywhere program. A suggested $5 donation per person will be accepted at each of the festival’s entrances, and in turn, PCCA shares a portion of these donations with the other area nonprofits and community ‘gate groups’ greeting festival-goers.

Art & Apples, with the generous support of presenting sponsor Genisys Credit Union, will be open on Friday, September 9 from 2 p.m.–7:30 p.m. in Rochester Municipal Park and continue on Saturday, September 10 from 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 11 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Besides vendors showcasing their art pieces for purchase, food trucks and snack stands will be available throughout the park, in addition to ongoing, free entertainment. More information about the festival can be found on the website at https://www.pccart.org/festival/.

About Paint Creek Center for the Arts
Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) is a regional nonprofit art center located in Downtown Rochester.  PCCA is supported, in part, by contributions from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.  PCCA’s overall mission is to support creativity by providing opportunities for all to learn, create, experience, and appreciate the arts. Learn more at pccart.org.

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