Art, Too, At The Maize 'N' Blue
s
Below left: More than 500,000 visitors
brave the Ann Arbor heat each year to
attend three art fairs in one.
has selected over 200 artists from
36 states who will exhibit their
works in a variety of media. At
this fair site on South and East
University avenues and Church
Street, visitors can also enjoy
demonstrations by visual artists,
performances, sidewalk sales and
a supervised children's art activ-
ities area run by the Michigan
Art Education Association.
Over on Maynard, Liberty,
William and North University
streets is the State Street Area
Art Fair. This fair, sponsored by
the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild,
features over 200 nationally
prominent artists showcasing
painting, ceramics, photography,
fiber, glass, jewelry and more.
The State Street area also hosts
a variety of restaurants in its
shopping district.
The Slimmer Art Fair, spon-
sored by the Michigan Guild of
Artists and Artisans, is located
on State Street from South Uni-
versity to Williams, Liberty
Street from Ashley to Fifth, and
Main Street from Williams to
Huron. Home to 560 artists from
40 states, this is the largest of the
three fairs. It features fine arts
and American crafts, ranging
from traditional baskets to gold
and gemstone jewelry.
The Summer Art Fair also
boasts the Imagination Station,
a hands-on art area free for chil-
dren and their parents. Pasta
necklaces and sun visors are
some of the projects waiting to be
created.
The Ann Arbor Junior Theatre
Strolling Players and the Ann Ar-
bor Suzuki Institute of Music will
entertain at the Imagination Sta-
tion.
Art goers will be shopping with
a spring in their step thanks to
the jazz and blues musicians per-
forming at eight separate locales
throughout the fairs. The stages,
featuring amplified music, jug-
glers, dancers and acoustic mu-
sicians, include the likes of Slack
Rope Walker Will Soto, the
Dance Gallery Dancers and the
Close Harmony Quartet Musical
Moments.
Cohen, an artist based in
Walled Lake, specializes in craft-
ing "activity figures" like dancers
and runners, designed specifi-
cally to her customers' tastes. She
will have both a jewelry and
painting booth at the Summer
Art Fair.
'There's so much going on at
the art fair," says Cohen. "It's got
a great energy and is the real
happening place to be." ❑
— Mara Reinstein
e The Ann Arbor Art Fair
hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m
Wednesday, July 24-26, and
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July
27. The Imagination Station
is located at the Post Office
Plaza on the corner of Lib-
erty Street and 5th Avenue.
Hours are 10 a.m-6 p.m.
Wednesday through Friday
and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
Visitors are encouraged to
park their cars at Briarwood
Mall or Pioneer High School,
where there is free parking.
Shuttle buses to the fair are
$1 each way for adults, Chil-
dren 7-and-under free. Trol-
ley is free to shuttle bus
passengers and 50 cents for
others. Call (313) 995-7281.
PHOTO BY KYLE JOSEPH MOO RE
Below right: Shari Cohen's jewelry and
painting will be featured at Booth No.
269 on State Street.
hari Cohen remembers
when the Ann Arbor Art
Fair was just a casual get-
together of local artists dis-
playing their goods to Ann Arbor
passersby.
"We just set up by the trees in
our little compartments and
hoped for the best," says Cohen,
who first participated in the fair
in 1976.
Twenty years later, the Ann
Arbor Art Fair has become the
summer answer to the 500,000-
plus visitors who annually ask
for a place to go, people to see and
things to do.
The juried art fair is actually
comprised of three distinct art
fairs sponsored by individual lo-
cal nonprofit organizations.
Now in its 37th year, the Ann
Arbor Street Art Fair is spon-
sored by the Arm Arbor Potters
Guild. This original juried fair
iry
CS=
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