Chair Affair to display art downtown, raise money for art programs
Colorful works of art will fill downtown Mount Pleasant in July as Art Reach of Mid-Michigan starts their annual Chair Affair fundraiser.
Nearly 50 downtown businesses will host 50 chairs and tables painted by local artists, said Sarah Rohn, marketing director for Art Reach. The pieces of art will be on display during regular business hours.
"The artists are free to (paint) whatever they want as long as it’s not copy-written," Rohn said. "We’ve had artists leave them as natural as possible with only a polyurethane coat, and we've had some artists get really creative with them, cutting them up."
Pieces of lumber donated by local businesses were constructed into patio chairs and side tables. The furniture was built by Central Michigan University engineering and technology students, West Intermediate World of Manufacturing class students and local carpenter Kevin Keating.
People can vote for their favorite chairs at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway Street. Rohn said this is an annual fundraiser as well, letting people bid on their favorite chairs to take home with them.
"It’s a fundraiser for us to be able to do programs to support children’s art and education," she said.
The chairs will be on display at the host businesses from July 1-23. The chairs will then move to Art Reach for bidding and voting from July 23-26.
The winners of the "People's Choice" award and "best juried chair" will be announced July 26.
For more information on the chairs and their locations, visit artreachcenter.org or call Art Reach at 989-773-3689.
