An art show with bite — so to speak

Lansing Art Gallery hosts a reception for "Chomp! Chomp!" Friday
by Christina Strong

Photo from: lansingcitypulse.com

Food is great, and art is great — but nothing is better than food and art together in the same place. That is exactly what Lansing Art Gallery has in store for its community reception for the art exhibit titled “Chomp! Chomp!”

“Chomp! Chomp!” features three Detroit area artists — Lindsay Yeatts, Emily Pelton and John Azoni —presenting different approaches to painting the subject matter of food.

Yeatts, Pelton and Azoni’s work was chosen from a call for proposals for art exhibits to display at the gallery.

“We did a statewide call for proposals from artists, and these three artists submitted a proposal together,” said Catherine Babcock, Lansing Art Gallery executive director. “I then put it through a panel of jurors, and they were selected to exhibit. I placed them at this time of year because a lot of their images were hot dogs, chili dogs and ice cream — things that I think of as summer. It felt like a summer exhibit because of the images.”

The reception includes 55 pieces of art in various sizes, with some as big as four feet. The public will also be able to meet all three artists at a Friday evening reception, and yes, food will be served.

“It’s a great fun show,” Babcock said. “Everyone who has been coming into the gallery says it makes them hungry. We’ve found ourselves eating lunch earlier.”

"Chomp! Chomp! Reception
7-9 p.m. Friday, July 8
Lansing Art Gallery
119 N. Washington Square, Ste. 101, Lansing
Free
(517) 374-6400
lansingartgallery.org

Published on lansingcitypulse.com
 

Beyond hot dogs

PETA names Cooley Law School Stadium a top 10 vegetarian-friendly ballpark
by Christina Strong

Friday, May 20 — Eating hot dogs at a baseball game is about as common in American culture as eating turkey on Thanksgiving. Traditional? yes. Vegetarian-friendly? No.

The prevalence of vegetarian diets is growing and now ballparks across the country are accommodating fans who don’t eat meat. Some places are doing it better than others. Case in point: Cooley Law School Stadium, home of the Lansing Lugnuts.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals rated Cooley Law School Stadium in the top 10 “Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks” in minor league baseball.

“We are very excited to have Cooley Law School Stadium included in PETA’s top 10 vegetarian friendly ballparks this year. We try very hard to make sure that a variety of food options are offered at the ballpark so that we can accommodate as many fans as possible,” said Brett Telder, director of food and beverage at the stadium. “The fact that PETA recognized our efforts this year is a great compliment for us.”

This is the first time the ballpark made the list, which started 10 years ago in response to the growing demand for vegetarian food options, said Pulin Modi, PETA action team manager. PETA ranks the top 10 major and minor league ballparks throughout the country.

“I think one of the reasons we like it (the list) is because baseball is this all-American sport. The fact that so many athletes are looking to eat more vegetarian and the concern with the humane treatment of animals, all those things together seem like a great thing for fans and to commend ballparks,” Modi said.

Cooley concession stands offer a range of vegetarian options. Some items include a meatless burrito, a veggie burger, roasted corn on the cob, three varieties of hummus with pita chips, taco salad, vegetarian baked beans and a vegetable tray.

“The vegetarian options are not our most popular menu items, but the amount of fans ordering these items is definitely a growing segment,” Telder said. “Eating at the ballpark is a big part of the overall game experience, so it’s important for us to offer great choices for our vegetarian fans.”

Modi said making the list is fairly competitive. PETA compares and contrasts several major and minor league baseball stadiums before making a selection of what stadiums to include on the list. Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, has been in the top five of the major league list for the past two years.

Other stadiums on the minor league list include Hammond Stadium in Florida, home of the Fort Myers Miracle; Frontier Field in New York, home of the Rochester Red Wings; and Municipal Stadium in Maryland, home of the Hagerstown Suns.

Click here to see the full list of minor league ballparks.

Published on lansingcitypulse.com