ENTERTAINMENT
Fairly Artsy
An artist in her own right,
Audree Levy knows how to pick
`ern to exhibit in her art fairs
Audree Levy
returns to Michigan
twice yearly to
conduct the Ann
Arbor spring and
winter art fairs.
HEIDI PRESS
News Editor
Ifir hen it comes to art,
Audree Levy knows
whereof she speaks. A
painter since age 10,
who today dabbles in
weaving, fiber art and paper
sculpture, Levy has a lot of knowledge
when it comes to the fine arts — and
crafts. So much so, that she has
become the doyenne of art fairs.
The fruits of her expertise will be
seen this weekend at the 14th annual
Ann Arbor Winter Art Fair at the
University of Michigan Track and
Tennis Building. Hours for the indoor
fair are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Works in a
variety of media will be exhibited, in-
cluding paintings, jewelry, sculpture,
glass and more.
The fair, organized and coor-
dinated by Levy, is not just an or-
dinary arts and crafts fair. What
makes it special, according to Levy, is
that quality is Priority One. "We have
the quality art. I use my name adver-
tising the show so they (patrons) know
the quality of the show when they
come in. That separates me from the
other shows?'
How does she separate the quali-
ty from the stuff that's not up to
snuff? Levy uses the "jury" process.
She invites artists to send in slides
and resumes. If the artists' pieces are
judged to be of high quality, they earn
invitations to her art fairs. If the work
is lacking, no invitation is forthcom-
ing. After an artist appears in one
show, he/she is invited to return. If
he/she returns, the artist can come to
a subsequent show. However, if the ar-
tist does not return, he/she will have
to start from scratch, sending a
resume and slides all over again.
Levy said she tries to keep her
shows fresh. Often about 20-25 per-
cent of the exhibitors drop out, but
that gives her an opportunity to
display new talent. Organizer of both
the spring and winter art fairs in Ann
Arbor, Levy said she tries not to
duplicate the artists in both shows.
What separates her shows from
others is that she has added music. A
special music area was created in the
center of the building, where patrons
could sit and relax and listen to a
violin quartet, horns, a guitarist or
combo.
A former Detroiter and Ann Ar-
bor resident, Levy began her artistic
activities in elementary school. She
took art lessons at the Jewish Com-
munity Center and later studied at
the Society of Arts and Crafts (now
Center for Creative Studies) in
Detroit, following graduation from
Central High School. After marrying
and moving to Ann Arbor, she began
to travel to sell her paintings, but an
injury caused her to stop and set up
her own gallery. She also was involv-
ed in planning art fairs in Ann Arbor,
and helped set up the now popular
State Street Art Fair held each July.
But the undependability of the
weather proved to be too much, and
she put her efforts into an indoor
event. About 1974, the U-M Track
and Tennis Building was constructed,
and she inquired about setting up
shop there. As the story goes, the
building was completed on a Wednes-
day and she moved in on Thursday. In
its first three years, the show did
$500,000 in business.
Although she depends on the
shows for her livelihood (her salary is
obtained through door admissions),
Levy also is on the side of the artists
and craftsmen. "Artistic people are
not business people. I teach them how
to market their work. I insist that
displays are of the same high quality
as their work. They accept the rules
and regulations — that something is
going to be better for them." Levy has
made many friends throughout the
years, and she admits it comes from
taking care of the people who exhibit
for her.
"If I do a good job of advertising and
promoting, they (the artists and craft-
smen) do well and so do I. They don't
feel I'm competing with them?'
But, Levy is already a winner. She
has displayed her works in juried art
shows throughout Michigan and has
won several awards: honorable men-
tion and most popular painting award
at Detroit's International Freedom
Festival; first place, Howell Art Fair;
and first place, Flint Art Fair. She
also has two commissions to her
credit. In 1972, Cong. Shaarey Zedek,
of whose Hebrew school she is a
graduate, commissioned her to do a
portrait of Cantor Jacob Sonenklar
and Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Ar-
bor called on her to do a portrait of its
rabbi, Bruce Warshal, that same year.
She also has done a portrait of the
late Rabbi Morris Adler who served
as spiritual leader of Shaarey Zedek.
Even some of her exhibitors are
I
GOING PLACES
WEEK OF
NOV. 6-NOV. 12
SPECIAL EVENTS
DYNAMIC ENERGIE, INC.
1610 S. Woodward, Birmingham,
Shape up for Cystic Fibrosis, 9
a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, free, 258-9350.
HARBINGER DANCE
COMPANY
Joe Louis Garage, Detroit, "City
Lights-Moving Sights," dinner and
dance peformance, admission, to
benefit dance troupe, 477-7014.
MUSIC
MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE
Fisher Theatre, Detroit, Man of
La Mancha, 8 p.m. now through
Nov. 14, admission, 874-SING.
FOLKTOWN
Southfield Civic Center, Parks and
Recreation Building, 26000
Evergreen, Loreena McKennitt, 8
p.m. Saturday, admission,
855-9848.
DETROIT SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
Pontiac Central High School
Auditorium, Pontiac, concert, 8
p.m. today; Trenton High School
Auditorium, 8 p.m. Saturday,
admission, 567-9000 ext. 63.
LYRIC CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
First Center Office Plaza, 26913
Northwestern, Southfield, Concert-
in- the-Garden, noon, Sunday,
admission, 357-1111.
BRUNCH WITH BACH
Detroit Institute of Arts, violin
and harp concert, 10 and 11:30
a.m. Sunday, admission, 832-2730.
MICHIGAN DUO SOCIETY
FOR THE ARTS
Orchestra Hall, Detroit, flute and
piano concert, 3 p.m. sunday,
admission, 626-9705.
DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY
Downtown branch, 121 Gratiot,
Oriana, concert, 12:15 p.m.
Tuesday, free, 224-0580.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL
SOCIETY
University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, Hill Auditorium, Oslo
Philharmonic Orchestra, 8 p.m.
Sunday; Rackham Auditorium,
Vienna String Trio, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, admission, 764-2538.
BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE
28611 W. 12 Mile, Farmington
Hills, Lafayette String Quartet,
7:30 p.m. Sunday, admission,
288-3953.
YOUNG VARIETY CLUB OF
DETROIT
Radisson Plaza Hotel/Prudential
Town Center, Southfield, Music on
the Town, 7 p.m. Sunday,
admission, 533-7188.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
69