Amid the rain and excitement that came with Blue and White weekend, the Third Annual State College Window Shop Hop kicked off Saturday with more than 100 artists displaying their pieces of artwork in 50 downtown storefront windows.

Art Activists of Centre County aims to raise cultural awareness through the arts with this year's theme, Creative Expressions in Honor of the Earth, said Natalia Pilato, the event's creator, who started the project three years ago for independent study in the School of Visual Arts.

"I am committed to creating projects that use art as a means of community engagement," she said.

George Schettler, manager of Appalachian Ski & Outdoors, 123 S. Allen St., said the store participated in the event before, which will continue until May 5, and this year's live performance of belly dancers, yoga dancers and tai chi in the window front is interesting and interactive.

"It doesn't hurt business. ... It actually helps bring more people in the store," Schettler said.

Kerri Zelman, a resident outside of State College, attracted onlookers as she performed a "yoga prayer for the earth" yesterday in the storefront.

"I'm doing this as an offering to the Great Mother in honor of our lives that we receive from the earth to sustain us," she said.

Norma Dobrikow-O'Hep (graduate-theatre arts) was in charge of set design for the window and tried to incorporate "greenery for Earth Day."

"I wanted to create an ambience that would be conducive for the performers," Dobrikow-O'Hep said. "Since it is

a store, I wanted to create an intimate, soft and peaceful performance space."

She added that if the performers were received well this year, next year's artists would include mimes or puppeteers.

Mark Posteraro (junior-art) is one of three students involved in the creation of the mixed media piece that focuses on the cycle of life in a video presentation that hangs in the window of the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, 146 S. Allen St.

The presentation, which is accompanied by music, begins and ends with an image of a flower and goes through the destruction of landscape and the growth of buildings; it is most visually stunning at night, Posteraro said.

"It is a study of creation, destruction and recreation all carefully linked to time," he said.

Gary Pilkins, owner of 2000 Degrees, 202 W. College Ave., said because of the store's large window space, it could accommodate larger pieces. He added that the window display of a scarecrow figure with a cow skull draws attention to passers-by.

"It tends to stop people in their tracks," Pilkins said.

He added that the artist is responsible for putting up and tearing down the display, but said he does not mind it in the store's window for the next week.

"It's not offensive," Pilkins said. "It follows the basic theme of the event of found and organic things."

Pilato said the event has been successful thus far, and she is excited to begin organizing the Window Shop Hop again for its fourth year. She added that next year she would only use shops that would be willing to highlight the art.

"I'd like to apply for a grant and put something in place so it can go on without me after I graduate," she said.