Art Fair returns with Townie Party, more for kids—and all that art

It may look like the same old Ann Arbor Art Fairs—same crowds, same rows of artists' booths, same blazing July sun.

But this year's fair will be different, according to organizers.

A striking addition to the 2005 Ann Arbor Art Fairs is the Townie Street Party from 5-9 p.m. July 18. It will happen under oversized tents on Washington Street between Thayer and Fletcher, next to Ingalls Mall on Central Campus.

Dolls like this one by Carlye Crisler are among thousands of items for sale by Art Fair vendors. (Photo courtesy Ann Arbor South University Art Fair)

The free family event will include live performances by popular local groups including the Chenille Sisters and RFD Boys, and comedy from Improv Inferno. Several local food establishments, including Busch's and Domino's Pizza, will offer tastes of Ann Arbor, for a fee. There also will be street performers, a caricaturist and face painters to entertain children and parents.

And that's not all that's new.

"The new thing every year is the art, because it changes every year," says Max Clayton. She is executive director of the Michigan Guild of Artists and Artisans, which runs the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, centered on State and Liberty streets. It's one of four concurrent art fairs presented July 20-23.

Also at the Townie Street Party, moms, dads and kids will be able to check out hands-on art activities at the new family-oriented Imagination Station. The stations will be open throughout the fair at all four fair locations—up from three spots last year.

At the Imagination Stations staff will dress in railroad worker garb to follow the "station" theme and create a fun atmosphere. Activities at the areas will include the making of "outrageous paper bag hats and fluttering butterfly wings," says Maggie Ladd, executive director of the South University Area Association, which puts on the South University Art Fair. She has been involved with the fairs for 15 years.

Those who head the separate fairs agree that a key art fair trend is more cooperation among the group of four, as demonstrated in this first shared presentation of the Imagination Station. "More and more we're working together on things," Ladd says. "It still takes four organizations to run it smoothly because it's a huge undertaking but as far as the audience is concerned it's the (one) Ann Arbor Art Fair.

"The more we can work together the healthier it will be."

Another family project in each of the four fair areas will be the building of a light-reflective sculpture made up of used CDs and DVDs.

The art fairs attract more than 500,000 people annually to the streets of Ann Arbor. (Photo by Dan Kier)

Shari Brown, executive director of the original Ann Arbor Street Art Fair centered around the Burton Memorial Tower, says usable ceramics, particularly vessels, have been popular with buyers in recent years. Ladd agrees: "Last year was a huge year for ceramics—who knows what it will be this year?"

"Out on the circuit we've had some good reports that more expensive pieces are selling; we'll see if that translates to Michigan."

"Art talks to people—whatever piece calls your name is the one you're going to buy," Clayton says.

Backers say a key benefit of the art fairs is the ability for the public to talk to the artists. "They'll talk about their inspiration and their technique," Clayton explains. "When do you get a chance to talk to the person who made that artwork you're looking at? There always is somebody doing something new. That to me is always the most exciting part."

Brown says, "A lot of my cherished memories are with the artist—if you purchase a piece, you know who made it and how they made it."

To accommodate the erection of artists' booths, affected city and campus streets will close at 7 a.m. July 19, the day before the festival opens.

The award-winning fairs draw 500,000 people annually to the city each summer, to view works from more than 1,200 artists.

Ann Arbor Art Fairs

When: July 20-23
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday

Fair locations

The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair will surround Ingalls Mall. Ann Arbor's South University Art Fair will extend along both South and East University. The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair will continue along Main and State streets, while the State Street Art Fair returns to the East Liberty area.

Street closures

Several streets that run through or next to campus will be closed beginning the morning of July 19:

• East Washington from State to Fletcher (closed at 9 a.m. July 18)

• South State from Washington to Monroe

• South Thayer

• North University from State to Fletcher

• South University from State to Washtenaw

• East University from South University to Willard

• Church from south of the Church Street parking structure (525 Church St.) to Willard

• East Liberty from Main to State

• Maynard from East Liberty to south of William

• South Thompson—half-block south from East Liberty

• South Main from Huron to William

Although Thayer will be closed to through traffic, access for emergency vehicles and deliveries to Kraus will be maintained along the west side of Thayer. Fletcher Street will remain open.

Parking structure/lot access

The Thayer Street parking structure will remain open to University permit holders via the Thayer Street entrances. Two surface parking lots will not be available for normal parking—lot W18 (Thompson Street surface lot) and lot C10 (the small surface parking lot near West Hall).

During the art fair days, all University parking structures will remain gated to allow only vehicles with appropriate University permits to enter. After 3:30 p.m. weekdays and all day Saturday, special event parking permits will be sold at the structures where adequate vacancies occur.

Mail delivery

Campus mail deliveries to many Central Campus locations will be maintained, though reduced to once a day. Mail deliveries for occupants of the 715 N. University and the Modern Languages Building will be consolidated at the Frieze Building. Burton Tower will be consolidated at the University Productions office in the Michigan League. The Cashier's Office will have two deliveries daily.

Transportation

For the second year, Parking and Transportation Services will provide the M-Art Line, a shuttle service from the Glazier Way/Huron Parkway parking lot (NC51). U-M permit holders will continue to have regular access to the lot.

During daytime fair hours, the bus service will be provided via the regular Commuter route. From 7:30-10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, when the summer Commuter route normally does not operate, the M-Art Line buses will provide 15-minute service around the northern portion of the Commuter route—from Glazier Way to the stops at Washington/Fletcher and C.C. Little. Visit http://www.transportation.umich.edu for details.

M-Art Line riders will pay $5 per vehicle to park.

U-M transit bus schedules will follow traditional art fair routes, which include relocating the State Street stop west to Division and the South University stops to Hill. Alternate route maps can be viewed at http://www.transportation.umich.edu.

DPS

Department of Public Safety officers will be prepared to assist Art Fair staff with traffic and access at the intersections of Washington and Thayer, as well as Thayer and North University.

For more information

Questions or comments about service issues should be directed to the appropriate department. General questions about issues pertaining to the art fairs can be directed to Jim Kosteva at (734) 763-5554 or jkosteva@umich.edu.