Half a million people will crowd into 30 city blocks from July 16 to 18, should the Ann Arbor Art Fair’s predictions come true. Nearly 1,000 white tents will line the streets, each one housing a different art or artists picked through a competitive jury system. You can find artists hailing from every corner of the planet, offering every single medium and style of art that you can possibly think of, and even a few that you have never encountered before.
“The Ann Arbor Art Fair is so large, but there are so many artists that are truly different. Not one booth is the same and it’s really full of a community of people who support each other, and want each other to do well,” Katie McKernan, a Toledo based artist said. “I was in corporate finance for about eight years and just went full time as an artist this past year. The encouragement of other artists to pursue taking this leap has been pretty amazing. And the community that Ann Arbor has built for this art fair is something that’s really special to Ann Arbor.”
Organizers are also good at getting a good mix of artists throughout. This encourages exploration because if you’re into, say, ceramics there isn’t just one single ceramics area. They’re spread out and intermixed with all other artistic styles.
The Ann Arbor Art Fair is in fact three separate fairs happening right next to each other simultaneously. The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original will take place in and around North U, the Guild’s Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair will be set up on Main Street, with the Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair connecting them together seamlessly.
There will even be more artists in general at the fair. The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original has done some clever rearranging of its layout to add a number of 10×20 foot tents on the sidewalks along the southern side of North University, according to Kline.
“It can be your biggest show of the year. It can be incredibly important if you’re positioned well and can take advantage of the crowds and of the atmosphere and everything,” Jesse Richards, a local copper plate etching artist and member of the Guild of Artists and Artisans said. Since he has to travel to a lot of art shows, Richards said he really enjoys getting into “the hometown show.” Richards added that compared to other art shows “it’s one of the busiest and one of the most consistently busy. It’s also one of the most diverse in terms of patrons. You have everything from young families, to young professionals, seasoned art buyers and collectors. You have a little bit of everything where other shows tend to be a narrower band.”
Free samples from Zingerman’s
Zingerman’s will be offering gourmet food samples from across its constituent businesses at the Ingalls Mall for a Culinary Arts Fair.
“Eight of their businesses will be there; and not only will eight of their businesses be there… but also, Zingerman’s is going to be giving away free samples – breakfast lunch and dinner – from the stage right across from them,” Angella Kline, executive director of the Original Art Fair, explains. “They’ll do a quick presentation of five or ten minutes from the stage – and they always do great demonstrations of Zingerman’s food and cuisine – and they’ll give away free samples.”
Zingerman’s was at last year’s Art Fair with Miss Kim’s and with ice cream. This year will be even larger and broken into two segments. They will have food from Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Miss Kim and Little Kim at the base of Burton Tower. Paige Biskaduros, Marketing Director at Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, said they will also be doing “fun and delicious tastings, demos, and presentations” at the Fountain Stage at 11am, 2pm and 5pm, each festival day where you can “Learn about bread, kimchi, olive oil, and more! Each presentation will last 10 minutes, between musical acts in the performance stage tent. The full schedule will be released in July.”
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“The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses is looking forward to another great year at the Original Culinary Arts Gallery. This summer’s menu features delicious entrées, unique side dishes, freshly made baked goods, and custom sodas and mocktails. There’s something for everyone,” said Biskaduros.
Will artists be able to make money in this economy?
It is also no secret that the American economy is going through a huge amount of stress right now. Last winter, Food Gatherer’s was forced over the holiday season to attempt a 50% increase in the number of meals it had to plan for in order to meet the local demand. The current 2.94953% inflation rate is hardly as high as the 8.00280% peak of 2022, but we are still living in a world where more and more people are having an increasingly difficult time affording the basics, never mind having anything left for art.
“Yes, that is a worry,” McKernan said. “But right now, people are yearning for a sense of community, and to see artists create traditional art work. When you actually see an artist who’s putting the time in. Me for instance, I’m a linoleum print maker – so carving, rolling ink, ink and print making each one by hand. I think that’s the type of art that people want to buy right now.”
When this reality was brought up to Kline she said that artists have reported “amazing shows” and high sales. Interestingly, Karen Bauer, executive director of the Guild’s Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair , has heard reports from artists saying that “the higher end pieces are going really well, and lower-priced things, but the mid-range is struggling this year.” Bauer is hopeful that the economy will improve by July.
“We have something for everyone,” Kline said. “If your art budget is $25, we’ve got you covered. If your art budget is $50,000, we’ve got you covered.”
Music will be heard from every corner!
Music is deeply intertwined with the Ann Art Fair. The lineup will be announced soon on their website: theannarborartfair.com/music.
The Art Fair is truly interactive and accessible
Food trucks and vendors will be serving food.
Other performance events will be held, including a live painting from Jonah Ballard. “Jonah has been in our fair for a few years. He always draws a large crowd and you can usually find him at his booth doing a live painting,” Nick Lemmer, executive director of the State Street Fair, said. Jonah “is a young artist who has been in the industry since he was 15 years old. He’s transitioning into portraits as you can see. But our poster has his trademark … cactus inspired by his upbringing in Arizona.”
For parking, guests can take advantage of bus transportation from parking at Huron High School, Briarwood Mall for $8 round trip. Wrist bands need to be purchased in order to access shuttles intended for guests with mobility needs. Fair goers with disabilities can expect easy accommodation to and from the Art Fair.
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
