Ann Arbor Art Fair 'keeps getting bigger and better'

Samin Hassan | The Detroit News

Downtown Ann Arbor is set to host the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair, filling 30 blocks with nearly 1,000 artists' booths, musical stages and art demonstrations Thursday-Saturday.

The event draws close to 500,000 attendees to Ann Arbor each year for a transformed outdoor art gallery where artists, collectors and admirers can immerse themselves in a diverse showcase.

People walk along State Street during the Ann Arbor Art Fair on Friday, July 22, 2022. Max Ortiz, The Detroit News

“I’ve been with the Ann Arbor Art Fair for 18 years now and each year it just keeps getting bigger and better,” said Karen Delhey, executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. “Every summer we take these three days in July to celebrate art and artists from across the country and invite everyone into the downtown to take it all in. I love every second of it.”

The Ann Arbor Art Fair is the nation's largest juried art fair, consistently ranking as one of the top juried fine arts fairs in the country. This year, guests can visit the booths of nearly 1,000 participating juried artists that come from across the U.S.

Artist Helen Agius-Andreae is just one of the fair's many participants.

"We've been doing fuse glass since 2007, but we started doing the art shows full-time last year," said Agius-Andreae, artist of "Fire and Fused," along with her husband, Frank Andreae, in Farmington Hills. "I think my favorite thing about the Ann Arbor Art Show is the people. They want to learn about the art and we love to talk about the process. We like hands-on teaching and we met a lot of fabulous people from all over the place."

Read more here.

Your guide to the 2022 Ann Arbor Art Fair

ANN ARBOR, MI -- The annual Ann Arbor Art Fair opens downtown at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 21-22, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 23.

Since its conception in 1960, the fair has grown into a combination of three fairs that are collaborative but separately organized events: The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original; Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair; and Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair.

This is the fair’s second year back after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 event.

Although the Art Fair is keeping its shortened, three-day format, it will see a return of its live entertainment stages.

Here is a list of everything you need to know about Art Fair this year.

WEATHER

Ann Arbor is set to see afternoon highs between 88 degrees and 92 degrees all three days of Art Fair, along with high humidity that will push the feels-like temperature to around 95 degrees.

Fairgoers will most likely stay dry this year, though, with only a slim chance of rain late Saturday.

Six water stations are scattered throughout downtown to help fairgoers beat the heat. See an information booth for a map with water stations marked.

How to get around

Downtown parking structures and lots will be available for $18 for a full day or for $9 after 5 p.m. Free parking is also available at Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Road, and Briarwood Mall, 100 Briarwood Circle, with shuttle services available from both locations.

Shuttles cost $5 for a round trip, although children 5 and younger ride for free.

May Mobility will also provide its free autonomous shuttle service, Art-Go-Round, from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

With dozens of restaurants, bars and food trucks around the Art Fair, there are plenty of options for everything from a quick bite to a full meal.

Food truck options include Annie’s, Bao Boys, Bearclaw Coffee, Cinnabon, Kona Ice and Poke Ur Way, among others.

What’s new?

The Ann Arbor Art Fair is keeping its three-day format, which it originally implemented in 2021, due to budget issues and ongoing artist requests to shorten the fair.

The fair is bringing back its live entertainment stages, which saw a hiatus due the coronavirus pandemic. Three stages will be scattered around the fair, all featuring different types of performance groups.

What you’ll see

More than 700 artists will be spread across downtown Ann Arbor, selling a variety of different pottery, paintings and more.

One of the artists is Ann Arbor’s own Monica Rickhoff Wilson, who is joining the fair for the third year. Her work focuses on a type of sculpture she calls “clusters,” a rounded starburst form inspired by the artificial grapes from her childhood home.

“I was just fascinated by stuff like these artificial fruits, and I just have this visceral memory of where I would go and pop them off and put them in my mouth, and they kind of suction your cheek a little bit,” Rickhoff Wilson said.

Find Rickhoff Wilson at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original in booth WA815.

The fair will also feature Mark Lincoln Braun, a boogie-woogie pianist who goes by the name Mr. B, as well as the We Bear Exhibit, which features art from 31 artists isolated in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Prison Creative Arts Project, which is based at the University of Michigan, is a partner in the project.

Fairgoers will also have the chance to try their own hand at art at Chalk the Walk, featuring Ann Arbor chalk artist David Zinn.

Zinn will work live 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday and Saturday near the corner of Liberty Street and Fifth Avenue.

Read more here.

Here are the 4 artists performing at The Ark stages during Ann Arbor Art Fair

Nadim Azzam. (Nadim Azzam)

ANN ARBOR – The Ark, in partnership with the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, will be presenting four artists on two stages during the fair.

Presented by DTE, the Summer Sounds stages will be set up at the corner of South State and South University and at the corner of Main and Liberty streets.

Here’s the lineup:

State Street Stage

• London Beck: Thursday, July 15 at 3 p.m.

• RFD Boys: Friday, July 16 at 3 p.m.

• Jill Jack: Saturday, July 17 at 2 p.m.

Main Street Stage

• RFD Boys: Thursday, July 15 at 6 p.m.

• Jill Jack: Friday, July 16 at 6 p.m.

• Nadim Azzam: Saturday, July 17 at 4 p.m.

Up-and-comer London Beck is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who has been headlining at local venues like the Blind Pig and Ypsi Pride. Their music draws influence from across the musical spectrum, including soul, jazz, pop and hip hop.

Local favorites the RFD Boys have been performing together since 1969, when they were still students at the University of Michigan. They’ve been the house bluegrass band at The Ark for the last 30 years and their performances have taken them as far as Germany, France and Australia. Get ready for some toe tappin’ fun.

Huntington Woods native Jill Jack has played music for decades and has performed to sold out crowds and opened for world-renowned acts with her band numerous times. Jack calls her sound Americana, which encompasses rock, pop, country, blues and folk.

The RFD Boys perform at The Ark in 2019. (Andy Rogers)

Ann Arborite Nadim Azzam rose to fame quickly with his high-energy hip hop and jazz fusion sets. In 2016, he toured college campuses promoting coexistence with Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu.

The Ann Arbor Art Fair will take place July 15-17 and will span 30 blocks in the downtown area.

Read more here: www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2021/07/09/here-are-the-4-artists-performing-at-the-ark-stages-during-ann-arbor-art-fair/

Street artist David Zinn to ‘hide’ drawings throughout Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair

Visitors will be given clues to find Zinn’s characters

ANN ARBOR – Ann Arbor’s very own David Zinn will be making an appearance at the Ann Arbor Art Fair -- well, sort of.

The world famous artist, who is known for incorporating his whimsical chalk characters into natural and city scenes in plain sight, has been commissioned to hide three of his drawings throughout the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.

The fair will take place July 15-17.

This year, the Summer Art Fair, run by the Guild of Artists and Artisans, will take over the South University area fair, nearly doubling its footprint.

Zinn’s drawings will be hidden in the areas marked in red on the map below.

Map of the 2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair.

Locals stop to take pictures of Zinn while WDIV's Kila Peeples films him working on Washington St. on Oct. 3, 2018 (Photo: Meredith Bruckner)

With so much action and so much to see, how will you spot his creations? The Art Fair will be releasing hints on its social media pages to help visitors locate his temporary drawings.

Check the Summer Art Fair’s Facebook page and the Ann Arbor Art Fair Facebook page for updates.

The Chalk Art Scavenger Hunt with David Zinn is Presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union.

One of David Zinn's drawings outside The Cupcake Station in downtown Ann Arbor. (David Zinn)

Read more here: www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2021/07/07/street-artist-david-zinn-to-hide-drawings-throughout-ann-arbor-summer-art-fair/

Your guide to the 2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair

ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor Art Fair is making a return after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.

The event, now in its 62nd year, will feature three fairs in one across 30 city blocks in downtown Ann Arbor from July 15-17. The three juried art fairs are the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original; the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair; and the Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair

While the footprint of the event will remain the same as in years past, added safety protocols will be in place including extra space between booths. The event is the largest juried art fair in the country and typically attracts nearly half a million visitors.

Nearly 1,000 artists will be selling their work from virtually every medium. Visitors can expect to browse handcrafted ceramics, jewelry, leather and metalworks, painting, photography, sculpture, wood, photography and more.

To see the complete list of artists and where their booths will be located, click here.

Map of the 2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair.

“We are excited to again be able to host artists and visitors to the Ann Arbor Art Fair, executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair Karen Delhey said in a release. “While there will be some changes to this year’s fair, everyone can expect to see inspiring and amazing art in line with what they have come to expect year after year.”

Hours:

• Thursday, July 15: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

• Friday, July 16: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

• Saturday, July 17: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

“Supporting the artists is more important than ever this year,” executive director of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original Maureen Riley said in a release. “Like many others, their livelihoods were severely impacted by the pandemic. All three fairs are proud to select some of the best artists from around the country to come to Ann Arbor to participate in the event.”

Executive director of the Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair, Frances Todoro-Hargreaves, said that local business owners also took a hit during the pandemic due to canceled events that typically bring tourists into town.

“In addition to all the fine art and handmade crafts, the Ann Arbor Art Fair allows visitors to explore and experience the fabulous restaurants and retail shops in downtown Ann Arbor,” Todoro-Hargreaves said in a release.

“Similar to past fairs, there will be incredible dining and sidewalk sales as local businesses are excited to welcome AAAF visitors back as part of the beloved ‘Ann Arbor experience.’”

Getting there

Whether you choose to come by foot, bike, car or shuttle, you’ll have plenty of options.

A popular option is to park for free at Briarwood Mall or Huron High School and take shuttles that drop you right at the entrance to the fairs every 10-15 minutes. Roundtrip tickets are $5 and children under the age of five ride free.

Several parking structures will be offering daily parking for $18 or $9 parking after 5 p.m.

Entertainment

In true Art Fair fashion, live music will be making a comeback at this year’s event. Sponsored by DTE Energy, local folk music venue The Ark will present two daily musical performances at the corner of Main and Liberty streets and at the corner of State Street and South University.

Another stage presented by the Ann Arbor Civic Theater will be located at Maynard and William.

For the full schedule of performances, click here.

Read more here: www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2021/07/07/your-guide-to-the-2021-ann-arbor-art-fair

Ann Arbor Art Fair returns next weekend after one-year hiatus

Photo by: WXYZ

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Ann Arbor Art Fair is returning in 2021 after a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organizers say the fair, spanning 30 city blocks of downtown Ann Arbor, draws artists from across the country. This year's fair will run from July 15 through July 17.

The fair features art from virtually every medium, including ceramics, digital art, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, 2D and 3D mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and wood.

“We are excited to again be able to host artists and visitors to the Ann Arbor Art Fair,” said Karen Delhey, executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, in a press release. "While there will be some changes to this year’s fair, everyone can expect to see inspiring and amazing art in line with what they have come to expect year after year."

The AAAF encompasses three independently juried, nonprofit art fairs that run consecutively: Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original; Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair; and Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair. This year’s fair hours are:

Thursday, July 15: 10 AM - 9 PM
Friday, July 16: 10 AM - 9 PM
Saturday, July 17: 10 AM - 7 PM

According to Maureen Riley, executive director of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, “Supporting the artists is more important than ever this year,” she said in a press release. “Like many others, their livelihoods were severely impacted by the pandemic. All three fairs are proud to select some of the best artists from around the country to come to Ann Arbor to participate in the event.”

Read more here: www.wxyz.com/news/ann-arbor-art-fair-returns-next-weekend-after-one-year-hiatus

Road Trip July 2021

July 6, 2021 — Looking for a quick change of scenery and a taste of something different? Visit toledocitypaper.com, or check out our sister publication, Current Magazine (covering Ann Arbor), at ecurrent.com, to explore film, art, music and more.

It’s official: The Ann Arbor Art Fair is back! The directors of the fair announced that a truncated version of the event would take place from Thursday, July 15 through Saturday, July 17. The Art Fair is traditionally a four day event, but given the late announcement and limited resources, the directors decided that there would not be a show on Sunday this year. Despite the lifting of restrictions on outdoor events, the 2021 edition of the Art Fair will still be held with safety in mind, with additional space between booths, mask wearing encouraged with hand sanitizing stations provided throughout the fair.

Read more here: www.toledocitypaper.com/tcp-columns/road-trip-july-2021/

Michigan Matters: Will Tourism Rebound as the Pandemic’s Grip Lessens?

Southfield (CBS Detroit) – As the July 4th holiday weekend kicks off the critical summer season, leaders involved in travel, conventions and events appear on CBS 62’s “Michigan Matters” 7:30 am Sunday to discuss its path to recovery as the pandemic slows down.

Claude Molinari, President and CEO of the Metro Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau, Karen Delhey, Director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, and Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan, appear with Carol Cain, Senior Producer/Host, to discuss how the industry is trying to rebound.

Michigan Matters Host Carol Cain, with Karen Delhey, Director of Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair

Delhey, who announced in late May they would hold the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair on July 15-17, discussed how it has been modified. It will be held Thursday through Saturday and there will be more space between exhibits to allow for health protocols.

The event will feature 600 artists including Jeff Thamert, an artist and photographer who lives in Titusville, Fla. While his studio was shut down, he decided to travel the country with his wife and took many amazing photos.

Jeff Thamert, one of the 600 artists taking part in this year’s Ann Arbor Art Fair (Credit: Jeff Thamert)

“We had to close the gallery down for a month and a half and all of our art shows were also cancelled,” Thamert said. “We used that time to travel. We went cross country, visited 22 states and drove nearly 9000 miles to visit national parks White Sands, NM, Zion and Bryce Canyons, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, the Badlands, the Black Hills, the Ozarks and Pictured Rocks.”

You can see his photos and the work of 600 other artists from across the nation at the Ann Arbor Art Fair July 15-17.

Read more here: www.detroit.cbslocal.com/2021/07/02/michigan-matters-will-tourism-rebound-as-the-pandemics-grip-lessens/

2021 ANN ARBOR ART FAIR

The nation’s largest juried art fair

ANN ARBOR, MI (May 27, 2021) - It is with great excitement and after serious consideration, the directors of the: Ann Arbor Street Fair, The Original; the Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair; and the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair - the three fairs that comprise the Ann Arbor Art Fair - jointly announce the decision to move forward with producing this year’s 2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair.

In light of the recent announcement lifting the restrictions on outdoor events, the Fair Directors met with city officials, and the local health department and decided that a safe and successful event could be achieved after all. This year's event will be three days rather than its originally planned four, running Thursday July 15 - Saturday July 17. Given the timing of this decision and with more limited resources, the directors felt it best to limit the event to three days and not have the show on Sunday.

Additionally this year's event will include more space between booths to allow for social distancing, masks will be encouraged, and hand sanitizing stations will be throughout the fair. Fair staff will also continue working closely with the health department to ensure the safety of the artists, fairgoers, staff, and everyone involved.

The three directors worked very hard to find a way to make this event happen and are thrilled to be able to bring this time honored tradition back to the streets of Ann Arbor.

“We were deeply discouraged when we had to cancel the event for a second year, but as soon as the outdoor event restrictions changed we came back to the drawing board to see if we could make it happen. We received a great amount of encouragement from the community over the past couple of weeks and are grateful for the overwhelming amount of support local businesses and community partners have shown.” — Karen Delhey, director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair

With the event a little over a month away, the directors are seeking support from the community in the form of volunteers, sponsors, and temporary staff to make this event a success. If you are interested in participating in this capacity please email the fairs directly. We hope you will join us as one of Michigan’s finest summer traditions and one of the largest art fairs in the nation transforms downtown into an art lovers paradise.

Read the full press release here: 2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair

The Ann Arbor Art Fair Visits Carol Cain's Michigan Matters

Ann Arbor Art Fair spokesperson Karen Delhey stopped by the Michigan Matters studio to chat about the 2017 fair with Carol Cain. Watch the complete interview below. 

Let people know you're attending the 2017 fair. RSVP here. 

Get more information on parking and shuttle services here. 

About the Ann Arbor Art Fair

For more than 50 years, artists with amazing talents and unsurpassed skills have returned each July to the streets of Ann Arbor, exhibiting at one of the largest art events in the country, the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Artists plan their entire season around this pivotal event where they display their latest work and engage the public by sharing their passion and process to hundreds of thousands of fairgoers. The varied parts of the Fair fit together to form an awesome impression as the atmosphere is filled with a myriad of color, texture and form combined with a tapestry of sounds. No matter what direction you take, no matter where you look, you will discover inspiration and sights that will energize and captivate. For more information, please visit, www.TheAnnArborArtFair.com.

58TH ANN ARBOR ART FAIR ANNUAL SUMMER TRADITION TAKES PLACE JULY 20 – 23, 2017

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The streets of Ann Arbor will transform into an art lover’s paradise Thursday, July 20 through July 23, 2017 for the 58th Annual Ann Arbor Art Fair, one of Michigan's finest summer traditions and largest outdoor art fairs in the nation. An estimated 400,000 people are expected over the free four-day event to experience and enjoy original works of art, artist demonstrations, street performances, culinary treats and a variety of shops and sidewalk sales.

Covering 29 city blocks in downtown Ann Arbor, more than 1,000 artists will showcase their work from a wide range of media including painting, drawing, glass, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry and more.

“One of the unique characteristics about artists is they are constantly evolving which is reflective in their work and what makes the Ann Arbor Art Fair special each year,” said Karen Delhey, Spokesperson for the Art Fair. “Whether you’re a seasoned art enthusiast or a novice collector, there’s so much to discover that the experience is inspiring and unparalleled.”

For more than 50 years, artists from all over the world have returned to the streets of Ann Arbor, exhibiting their creative talents to hundreds of thousands of people each year. The Ann Arbor Art Fair is comprised of four independently juried non-profit art fairs taking place simultaneously and contiguously throughout Ann Arbor which includes the Street Art Fair, the Original; State Street Art Fair; Summer Art Fair; and South University Area Art Fair.

A brand new event website, www.theannarborartfair.com, provides visitors with the most complete information on the featured artists, music and entertainment, maps as well as parking and shuttle details.

The 58th Annual Ann Arbor Art Fair runs Thurs., July 20 to Sat., July 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sun., July 23 from noon to 6:00 p.m.

About the Ann Arbor Art Fair

For more than 50 years, artists with amazing talents and unsurpassed skills have returned each July to the streets of Ann Arbor, exhibiting at one of the largest art events in the country, the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Artists plan their entire season around this pivotal event where they display their latest work and engage the public by sharing their passion and process to hundreds of thousands of fairgoers. The varied parts of the Fair fit together to form an awesome impression as the atmosphere is filled with a myriad of color, texture and form combined with a tapestry of sounds. No matter what direction you take, no matter where you look, you will discover inspiration and sights that will energize and captivate. For more information, please visit, www.TheAnnArborArtFair.com.

For more information contact: Jennifer Foster / Kamryn Lowler, Catalyst Media Factory 313.462.0808; jennifer@catalystmediafactory.com / kamryn@catalystmediafactory.com