Whimsical chalk artist at Muskegon Lakeshore Art Fest adding permanent piece

MUSKEGON, MI – Sidewalk chalk art will be elevated at this year’s Lakeshore Art Festival, with a well-known street artist and everyone else invited to add their marks.

The art festival, which features fine art as well as crafty art, will be June 25-26 in downtown Muskegon.

This year, artist David Zinn will create eight to 10 chalk and charcoal street drawings – the type that he has been making around Ann Arbor for 35 years, drawing international attention to his whimsical 3-D style.

While his art typically is temporary, Zinn will create one permanent piece that will add to the numerous commissioned pieces in and around downtown Muskegon.

Related: Ann Arbor’s favorite chalk artist explores art abroad and close to home in fifth book

“David Zinn is known for his unique perspective on seeing art in the most unusual places,” Lakeshore Art Festival Director Carla Flanders said in a prepared statement. “Where others might see a crack in the sidewalk, David sees a colorful and playful creature just waiting to be designed.”

In Zinn’s world, a tuft of grass in a sidewalk crack becomes a gentleman’s mustache, or an overturned flowerpot becomes a lamp shade for a tiny mouse reading a book.

Zinn will drop his characters throughout downtown, inviting art festival visitors to hunt them down, scavenger style.

To add to the street art vibe, the public is invited to grab a free bag of chalk and add their own drawings along Western Avenue during the Padnos Public Art Project from 4-6 p.m. June 25.

The art project “allows everyone to explore their artistic side,” Flanders said.

The art festival will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 25, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 26.

Juried fine art will be in Hackley Park while craft exhibitors, an artisan food market and street performers primarily will be along Western Avenue.

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