Head down to the block of Liberty Street between Ashley and Main on the afternoon of September 11 and you’ll find the annual Street Art Encounter. Main Street Ann Arbor is gathering 16 artists to turn the block in front of the Ann Arbor Art Center into an “open air gallery” where you can chat with artists as you watch them create.
“The work I will create for this upcoming festival is the “Arbor Chimera”, a mural depicting a hybrid creature using different symbols relevant to Ann Arbor and Michigan. This creature will feature the face and body of a wolverine, the antlers of a moose, the wings of an American robin, and the tail of a squirrel. This piece will be completed using acrylic paint and brushes,” one of the artists, Sam Turner told said. This will be his first time at this festival. “As an emerging muralist, it means the world to me to show my skills to the city where I live and have developed my craft. Professionally, working here shows that my artistic skills are valued in my very own community. This will be the largest panel I’ve ever been assigned for a mural festival. This indicates that the Street Art Encounter holds greater trust in its artists to work quickly and effectively compared to other festivals. Additionally, I am grateful that they provided support for the materials to complete my piece.”
As soon as it starts at noon, there will be live music, a chance to network “interactive experiences.” The full list of artists from the press release is:
- John Vasquez — Saginaw
- Kevin Burdick — Fenton
- Freddy Diaz — Detroit
- Zack Curtis — Detroit
- DeVaughn Collins — Saginaw
- Charlie Boike — Flint
- Alex Menzor — Kalamazoo
- Steve Wood — Vernon
- Cameron Jenkins — Farmington Hills
- Samuel Turner — Ann Arbor
- Selena Bender — Bay City
- Elizabeth Ann Darling — Ann Arbor
- Sierra Fancher & Benjamin Laman — Ypsilanti
- Bunny (Shannon Millane) — South Lyon
- Polina Poplavsky — Ann Arbor
“Street Art Encounter is about creating an experience that brings people together through art,” Ashley Schafer, executive director of the Main Street Area Association, said in the same press release. “After seeing the incredible response from our community last year, we’re excited to bring the event back and continue creating opportunities for artists to share their work while activating downtown in a unique and engaging way.”
One of the sponsors of this family friendly event is the Ann Arbor District Library.
“We loved being part of the first-ever Street Art Encounter, and we’re excited to be part of the event again this year,” AADL Communications and Marketing Manager Rich Retyi said in the press release. “It was a great chance to see so many talented people making art right in the street and witness the final creations on giant murals. We’re looking forward to seeing what the artists create this year.”
According to Main Street Ann Arbor, the windows that separate the A2AC’s ceramics studio from the sidewalk will be covered in a neutral color. On it, artists will create a brand new world.
“As a professional it is always reassuring to get invited to events like this. It makes you feel like your art is being seen and appreciated. Public street art can be scary in the sense that everyone is judging your work for better or for worse,” Kevin Burdick, an artist who is returning for a second year, emails. He calls his style “imaginative realism” mostly for wildlife pieces
“This festival is nice because it is just a one day project. You come in you finish a project and move on. The way of the Artist,” he added. “There’s a little pressure and it is always fun to network with other artists in the area that you may not have met before. Or for some of the more established artist, give advice and be a role model for the new and upcoming artists.”
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!
