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More than 15,000 attendees are estimated to have attended the township’s first such event in September 2007.

“Last year’s festival was a smashing success. We had 150 artists, fine restaurants, family events, historical events, music, theatrical performances - and everyone seemed to have such a nice time. This year, we are building on the successes of last year,” said festival committee chairwoman Mary Ann Hosey, who is also Clinton Township’s administrative aide.

Dennis Valimont, Clinton Township resident, businessman and art festival originator, said the Clinton Township festival is unique because he and other key festival organizers are artists and crafts persons themselves, who approached artists at shows in which they participated and personally invited them, as opposed to seeing their work in pictures.

“I wanted the show in Clinton Township because I live in Clinton Township,” Valimont said. “This show was the only thing we were lacking here, because we have everything else. We needed a quality cultural event here in our community and the art festival fits the bill perfectly.”

Added Sue Forbes, another volunteer committee member, and owner of Heart and Soul jewelry: “We had a totally different caliber of artists whom we invited to our show. We were able to find these artists who do fine art, who don’t normally do shows and they came to Clinton Township’s Festival of the Senses.”

Artists who do not normally display their work in shows are also encouraged to participate. They will be accommodated in a tent with other such artists.

Maxwell Heiderer, an artist, author and illustrator, and member of the art festival committee, has created the promotional artwork for the festival again this year.

“This year’s art is based on the theme of ŒFaces.’ This year’s logo for the festival is very abstract, cubist.”

Organizers plan a silent auction this year with each participating artist being asked to donate an item in their medium with the festival theme of “Faces.”

Festival sponsorships are being sought at donation levels ranging from $100 to $5,000. The festival committee uses these funds, along with artist booth fees, for expenses and donates approximately 70 percent of the proceeds to a chosen charity.

Last year’s charities included the cancer care wings of local hospitals.

This year’s charity is also based in Clinton Township. It is the Clinton Valley Little League Challengers Division, a program for mentally and physically handicapped children who play baseball. The group is building a baseball diamond at Neil Reid Park in the township for special needs athletes.

Returning this year, bringing a lineup of entertainment to the stage including the Macomb Symphony Orchestra, is Clintondale Community Theater Director Todd Swanboro. The township Historical Commission will conduct guided tours of the township’s historical buildings during the festival, along with demonstrations and children’s events. The Parks and Recreation Department, under the direction of Linda Walter, will again this year offer a multitude of children’s art activities in keeping with the festival theme.

New to the committee this year is Tracey Moro of Studio Communications, who has assisted with marketing of the festival. Shanon Rupkus is also new to the committee and is coordinating the multitude of volunteers needed for the festival. Anyone interested in volunteering for any aspect of the festival should call the Trustees Office at 286-9366.

Also available will be numerous comfort stations - tents where people can sit down and relax to take a break from this year’s additional features, including more artists, more parks and recreation and historical events geared for all ages, more entertainment, more food vendors, and more involvement opportunities for school-age and college students.

Restaurants will be encouraged to decorate their booths and perform demonstrations about food preparation. Also, there will be involvement from Resurrection Cemetery, which is providing space for children’s art on huge canvasses, to be displayed on the fence along Romeo Plank Road, between Clinton River and Canal roads.

More information and application forms are available at the 2008 Clinton Township Festival of the Senses Web site, www.ctfestivalofthesenses.com