Join us this summer for our 43rd Lubeznik Arts Festival (LAF)! LAF is one of the highlights of summer in Northwest Indiana! Taking place on LCA’s grounds, just steps away from Lake Michigan, LAF connects festival-goers to our dynamic programming and exhibitions. During this year’s festival, we’ll have 80+ artists, food vendors, indoor exhibitions, family activities and live demos. LCA's summer blockbuster exhibition, Women to the Front, will also be on display inside LCA.
Saturday Admission: $5
Free for LCA members, kids 16 and under, military and veterans
Sunday Admission: FREE Family day thanks to McDonald's of La Porte County
*No pets allowed*
Time: 10 AM-5 PM (Central)
September First Friday
First Friday
Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) is excited to partner with Dunes Summer Theatre for a special First Friday event on September 5, showcasing the vibrant voices of local playwrights. The event will feature concert-style readings — performed by actors at music stands — of excerpts from three selected full-length plays currently in progress. This is a unique opportunity for writers to hear their work brought to life in front of a live audience and connect with the local arts community.
On display in LCA's NIPSCO Art Education Studios will be exhibits by Area Artist Association member Patty Mershon-Schaeffer and Elaine Wilson. Mershon-Schaeffer taught art from first grade through twelfth grade for 32 years. Patty has a BA from Pennsylvania State University and art teacher certification from the University of New Mexico and a master’s degree from University of Notre Dame. She primarily works in acrylic, paper sculpture and print making, leaning toward designed realism.
Wilson has MFA in painting from Yale School of Art and her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis School of Art. Wilson’s direct, light-filled landscapes reveal the specific nature of a place through repeated encounters with a site. She values slow looking to discover what is going on there and to find its unexpected lyricism. She often chooses sites related to issues of displacement, disruption and inequity. Her Charting the Wolverine project chronicles what you see when you ride the Amtrak train from Ann Arbor, MI to Chicago.
Join us for a free evening of art and community and enjoy complimentary light bites and a cash bar!
Time: 5-8 PM (Central)
Free Family Day
Kids, bring your favorite grown-ups for a day of art with LCA! Enjoy a free day of artmaking at our new mobile art gallery! Snacks and artmaking are provided for visitors to enjoy. All are welcome! ¡Hablamos español! ¡Todos son bienvenidos! This program is supported by the Michigan City Community Enrichment Corporation (MCCEC).
Please join us for a special afternoon at the home of Anneke and Jan Dekker. Long time area residents, the Dekkers built a new home five years ago into the natural landscape at Tryon Farms. Using nature as their inspiration for both the architecture and the interior, their home is an elegant fusion of natural materials, colors and furnishings. The icing on the cake is their art collection, mostly from Africa where they lived for many years, and Anneke’s own magnificent artworks in many mediums.
Please RSVP to Nicole at nguenin@lubeznikcenter.org.
Time: Noon-2 PM or 2-4 PM (Central)
Zine Fest
Join us at Zine Fest and discover 40+ vendors, unique voices, handmade art and DIY culture. All are welcome!
Time: 11 AM-4PM (Central)
Dig the Dunes 2026 Calendar Contest & Party
Dig the Dunes' 2026 Calendar photo submissions are now OPEN! You can submit up to (3) photos. Deadline is October 15, 2026.
On December 4 all are invited to join us as we celebrate the photographers and release the calendar for sale. This is our TENTH year and we are so excited for it. There will be appetizers and a cash bar. This is a FREE event.As always, 10% of sales will go to Save the Dunes.
In our NIPSCO Educational Studios, local artists from around the region exhibit their artwork throughout the year. Each month, you can find different artists' work displayed in the studios. Click the button below to view the upcoming schedule!
Our free First Friday cultural programs take place on the first Friday of each month from 5-8 PM. The annual schedule includes everything from exhibition openings to live music to youth dance performances. All events feature free admission, free food and a cash bar. A typical First Friday sees between 150 and 400 visitors of all ages.
ArtBash Gala
Every June, join us for our annual ArtBash Gala and help support our mission of integrating art, education and community to provide access to compelling exhibitions and programs that explore contemporary ideas. Your support ensures everyone has access to the arts. The night includes an open bar, dinner, a silent auction, dancing and fun!
This popular festival held by Lubeznik Center for the Arts is one of the highlights of summer in Northwest Indiana. It takes place on LCA’s grounds to connect festival-goers to the our dynamic programming and exhibitions. Spend two fun-filled days in the summer with 70+ art vendors, a live mural invitational, indoor exhibitions, family activities, demos, local food vendors and beer and wine!
During the winter, hundreds of our Gallery Shop items spill into the lobby for our Holiday Artisan Market. Lubeznik Center for the Arts annual Holiday Artisan Market, held from late November to early January, is the place to find unique gifts crafted by local artisans including jewelry, ceramics and wearable art. Come celebrate the winter season and support local artists!
