Help Choose the Next MI Great Artist – Public Voting is Open!

Support local artists and cast your vote to help choose the next MI Great Artist! More than 200 submissions were entered in this year’s art competition. Click HERE to view the gallery of artworks and submit your vote online. Make sure your favorites move on to the semifinals by voting for them daily. Artworks include painting, photography, sculpture, glass, metal works, jewelry, and more. Take a look and see the fine talent submitted from artists across eight Michigan counties for this year’s competition.

Vote Now: 2018 MI Great Artist Competition!

Vote for your favorite artists daily from now until noon on Wednesday, September 5th. The 30 entries receiving the most votes will move on to become semi-finalists. A select panel of art professionals will then determine the four finalists, including the overall winner, who will share in a prize package worth more than $16,000. New this year is a “People’s Choice” award, the artist who receives the most votes during public voting will receive $750 in cash and automatically become one of the finalists.

With so many impressive entries to choose from, the public’s help is needed to single out the best of the best. The competition allows individuals to vote for as many artists as they wish each day, but they may only select a particular artist once per day. Use the Artist Promotion Guide for easy instructions on how to cast your vote, and if you’re an artist, how to promote your entry.

 

Take a look the fabulous works from past MI Great Artist Winners:

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Make Your Voice Heard! Vote Daily for MI Great Artist 2017

Support local artists, and cast your vote for the next MI Great Artist! With over 230 entries from across southeast Michigan, we need your help! Visit http://www.MIGreatArtist.com to peruse the hundreds of artworks and vote for your favorites. With art ranging from surrealist paintings, life-like graphite drawings, intricate sculptures, jewelry, photography, and more, you are sure to find a few pieces that speak to you!

Vote for your favorite artists every 24-hours from now until noon on August 28th. The 20 entries receiving the most votes will move on to become semi-finalists. A select panel of five jurors will then determine the five finalists, including the overall winner, who will share in a prize package worth more than $16,000. Continue reading

GOATS ON THE POLLY ANN TRAIL

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

The non-motorized Polly Ann Trail is a vital and increasingly popular segment of the growing network of trails and greenways in Southeast Michigan that enhance the quality of life, provide healthful outdoor recreation opportunities, and serve as windows to the world of nature. The easily accessible 14.2 mile long Oakland County section of the Polly Ann Trail begins in Orion Township and meanders north through the Village of Oxford, Addison Township, and the Village of Leonard. Woodlands, trailside wetlands, and farmlands dominate the Wilder Side of Oakland County trail landscape as it nears the Lapeer County line. On any spring day, hikers, joggers, walkers, and cyclists will hear the territorial songs of birds and courting frogs, and may see sunning turtles, soaring hawks and an abundance of small mammals and the occasional deer.

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Get Ready to Run Oakland County!

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Brooksie Way runners & walkers are lined up and ready!

Spring weather will be here soon and we know you can’t wait to ditch the treadmill. Our Spring Running Events page can help get your mind motivated and your body ready for the change in season. Check it out today and sign up for a race to walk or run. You’ll find events for every ability, including full marathons, mile walks, fun runs, and lots more. It’s almost time to lace up your shoes and head outside to enjoy the sights and sounds of spring.  Continue reading

Northern Border: A Year’s End Salute to Hiking

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

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Sixty-five! That’s how many times I set out on a trail within the boundaries of Oakland County this year. Most were short meanders of three or four miles that followed designated trails in our Oakland County Parks, the Huron Clinton Metroparks or wildlands managed by local units of government. Some hikes were adventuresome treks of ten or more miles in our State Recreation Areas and State Parks managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. All were pleasurable, even when mosquitos swarmed, thunder rumbled, the mercury plunged, or humidity glued my shirt to my chest. Song birds sang, snakes slithered, owls hooted, turkeys trotted, Sandhill cranes trumpeted, turtles sun bathed, and once at dusk a coyote yipped. On a snowy day, both a cardinal and a deer froze for photos as I meandered close by both of them. It was a good year and I met people who shared the passion of the wilder side of nature’s way. Continue reading