LIFE & ARTS

Fall Into the Arts is a work in progress

Andy Fitzpatrick
Battle Creek Enquirer
Artist Ryan Roxbury talks about where various pieces of the collage got their inspiration throughout Michigan. He's one of the finalists for the Fall Into the Arts People's Choice Award.

Twice a year, downtown Battle Creek becomes ArtWalk, the canvas on which dozens of artists will express themselves. Like most artwork, the final result is going through revisions.

Fall Into the Arts runs from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and will feature the works of over 40 artists; Spring Into the Arts is a similar art walk event; both are put on by the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber Executive Director Kara Beer said Fall Into the Arts is responsive to what the artists and the public say about what they want out of such an event. That means listening to about 4,500 people, which Beer said was the average number of attendees.

The changes this year include:

No more electronic voting. Beer said some artists raised an issue about people declining to download the smartphone app that allowed the public to cast a ballot for the People's Choice Award.

"We will have in-person voting for the artists this year again," Beer said. Votes may be cast at the Chamber office at 34 W. Jackson Street in Riverwalk Center. Voters will write down the number assigned to an artist and drop their ballot it in a bucket.

The first place winner gets $3,000 and there's $2,000 for second place. The winners will be announced in November.

Ryan Roxbury of Grand Rapids, who was among the top four artists in Spring Into the Arts, said this was the only thing he could think of when asked what changes he'd like to see.

"I think that makes it more fair for everybody," Roxbury said.

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For Fall into the Arts in Battle Creek this year, Ryan Roxbury created a collage of realistic paintings made on canvas with acrylic paint

Adding more art.  That not only means more individual artists, but diversifying the kind of art, which this year will include graffiti art.

"We really focused our attention on broadening what we had to offer in regards to the art," Beer said.

Beer said there's diversity in who lives in the community, and that's reflected in the art on display.

"It brings out all different types of people from our community to come down and appreciate the art," Beer said.

Scarecrows can be winners. Scarecrow Row, the scarecrows made by local groups and individuals that line Michigan Avenue during the event, can also receive votes with the winner getting a cash prize; that's separate from the People's Choice Award.

"Scarecrow Row went over really well last year," Beer said. "We had over 30 entries and we are over that mark again this year."

Vanessa Irving and Kathy Rewalt with K Drive Greenhouse put the last finishing touches on Harvest Goddess, their all-natural scarecrow, Wednesday afternoon.

Locations are closer together. Beer said there's an effort to keep the venues grouped together; the farthest locations this year are RiversEdge Ice Cream and Popcorn at 33 North McCamly Street and McCamly Park near Washington Avenue and Michigan Avenue. There will also be free open ice skating at The Rink, 75 Houston St., Beer said.

When looking at what might work for Fall Into the Arts, Beer said she consulted with Chamber officials in other cities and talked to the organizers of ArtPrize.

"Also, we get phone calls from a number of different communities that are looking at we’re doing and how we do it, and how they’d want to model it," Beer said.

Roxbury's entry is an acrylic painting that he also entered in Grand Rapids' ArtPrize event this year. It's a collage of nature scenes separated by tree branches. The views are all based on photographs he took, and almost look like photographs themselves.

Roxbury had to work in more than two arts when creating the work, though. He also built the frame in which the work seems to float.

"You've got to be a carpenter, too," Roxbury said.

The images in the piece are all from Michigan, a place Roxbury knows well. He lives in Grand Rapids now, but lived in Battle Creek for five years and still owns a home here. He graduated high school in Paw Paw, where he said an art teacher gave him the inspiration to become an artist.

Roxbury said his placing in the public vote earlier this year was motivation to come back.

"My art kind of appeals more to just the average person," Roxbury said. "They can just look at it and it takes one second to see, 'wow, I really like that.' I feel like I have an edge that way."

He said the event's also about considering another layer to the works on display.

"It’s good just to see different types of art," Roxbury said. "There are people who like make statements with their art, so it’s good to think about different issues."

Contact Andy Fitzpatrick at 269-966-0697 or afitzpatrick@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @am_fitzpatrick. Hear him on "The Jump Page" and "The Best Podcast in the World" at soundcloud.com/enquirerpodcasting. 

If you go

  • WHAT: Fall Into the Arts.
  • WHERE: Downtown Battle Creek.
  • WHEN: 5-9 p.m. Friday.
  • COST: Free.
  • INFO: Find Fall Into the Arts - Artwalk on Facebook. Ryan Roxbury's art can be seen at Ryan Roxbury Fine Art on Facebook.

Bethany McDade, 25, event coordinator for Arcadia Brewing Co., builds their scarecrow Wednesday afternoon.
Scarecrows go up in downtown Battle Creek Wednesday afternoon.
A close up of Ryan Roxbury’s Fall Into the Arts arcrylic painting.
Artist Ryan Roxbury talks about what inspired him to become an artist.
Ryan Roxbury talks about why he began to make realistic art pieces.