Finlandia's Fusion Fest to offer art, music, family fun Mar. 20

During the 2009 Fusion Fest, Finlandia art and design student Lana Bosak, left, now a Finlandia senior, and Kelly Suvanto, now a senior at Houghton High School, enjoy oil painting, one of the free activities available to community visitors as well as students during the festival. This year's third annual Fusion Fest will also have live music and dancing lessons, food and children's activities, in addition to an artists' market (Keweenaw Now 2009 file photos).

HANCOCK , MI – Finlandia University ’s International School of Art and Design will host its third annual Fusion Fest art and music festival from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, at the university’s Jutila Center campus. Admission is free and all are welcome.

During last year's Fusion Fest at Finlandia's Jutila Center, Juice DeMers, a student of fiber arts in Finlandia's International School of Art and Design, demonstrates how to spin yarn.

Featured at the festival are art demonstrations, live music, an art scavenger hunt, group painting, raku pottery demonstrations, tie dyeing, children’s activities, food, free dancing lessons from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., an artist’s market with work from students and local artists, and more.

Cynthia Coté, Copper Country Community Arts Center executive director, participates in the 2009 Fusion Fest. Admiring her art display are Noah Aschauer and Anne Haywood.

Attendees can purchase a Fusion Fest t-shirt and tie dye it for free, or bring a 100-percent-cotton garment from home to tie dye for a small fee.

New to Fusion Fest this year is a "Cookies as Your Canvas," an artful cookies baking contest. For official rules, please call 487-7225 and come to the bake sale to cast your vote for a people’s choice award!

Sarah Anderson, now a senior art and design student at Finlandia, displays some of her art work during the 2009 Fusion Fest.

Proceeds from Fusion Fest help fund an annual student trip to the Self Employment in Arts conference in Chicago. At the conference, Finlandia Art and Design students learn about business opportunities in the arts, receive one-on-one career coaching, network with art students and professionals, and learn from successful artists working around the country.

Finlandia’s Jutila Center campus (former hospital) is located at 200 Michigan Avenue, Hancock. For more information, call 906-487-7225 or e-mail fusion.fest@finlandia.edu.