Wednesday, July 21, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Three Ann Arbor Art Fair '76 South University changes its tune By JAY LEVIN It happens every summer. Just when the July sun begins to beat rudely down on the uncrowded streets and the roses burst into flame, South University turns its tidy little storefront facade into a menagerie of color, shape and sound. BY NOW WE all know it could only be Art Fair Time. Starting today, as in the past 16 Ann Arbor Julys, the booths will pop up under a white canopy and the artists will flock to the part of South University girded by East 'U' and Washtenaw for the Street Art Fair, a four day extravaganza highlighted by displays and demonstrations of anything from acrylics to enamels. And if watching some of the nation's most talented artists perform their livelihoods before your very eyes isn't enough, you can always cash in on some of South 'U's choicest sidewalk sales or just sip an Orange Julius while watching the summer crowds pass by. Today, some 500 artists-potters, painters and glassblowers among them-will flaunt their wares before summer strollers, hoping to impress the crowds enough for i. sale. AND THE CITY will obligingly close the festival section of South 'U' to traffic, so as not to interfere with the village of ten by ten foot booths and the throngs of folks who make the fair a yearly habit. According to Richard Brunvand, Street Art Fair coordinator, "all of the various art mediums are considered" during the fair. The Ann Arbor Potters Guild, Senior Citizens Guild and student groups from Pioneer and Huron High Schools will join individual craftspeople in displaying original creations. And while you wander about staring agog at the products of people's hands,there's always music and dance totitillate your visual and aural senses. There will also be a presentation in the stage area each evening as well as a slide show depicting life in this carnival community. THE STREET Art Fair was originally developed by the South University Businessmen's Association to coincide with Ann Arbor's summer bargain days. It is still partly funded by the street's merchants, who stand to reap some green bouquets when the thousands of fans flock to the fair. As in previous years, South 'U's fair is a juried show, which helps to insure top-quality exhibits. "People submit their slides and materials to the juries and the juries look at the materials and decide who can join," says Brunvand. "The juries lend a professional nature to the show, and are how we maintain a high aspect of art." THE 17 INDIVIDUALS who plan to demonstrate the manipu- lation of the tools of their trade further enhance the aura of professionalism fair-goers will enjoy. Carl Wesenberg of Ann Arbor, a woodcarver, has demonstrated his craft in every Street Art Fair since its inception in 1959. Wesenberg, who shapes fragrant sugar pine wood into dainty animal figurines and weather instruments, says he limits his work to "nineteenth century folk art style." Most of the people who purchase his creations, he says, are either antique buffs or folks just interested in securing a good sample of wood carving. HIS FIGURINES usually take from "five to one hundred hours" to create, depending on the size of the job. See SOUTH, Page 18 Daily Photo by KEN FINK Hand-painted portraits will be just one of the many items featured at the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair. The fair begins today and will run through Saturday. State's choice af- air While Ann Arbor bustles with activity this week, the State Street Area Art Fair will be vying for its share of the attention. The State Street event is one of three inde- pendent art fairs held concurrently each July. Collectively they make up the "Ann Arbor Art Fair," one of the largest and most re- nowned events of its kind. This week, over 200,000 people are expected to flood the city's streets, in search of art treasures and bar- gains. NOW GOING into its ninth year, the State Street fair is small, but highly selective. Each of the 132 participants has been winnowed out of a much larger pool of applicants. Some two months ago, a group of judges began the painstaking process of reviewing slides of the artists' work in order to select only the most interesting and qualified craftspeople. Geographically, the fair is spread out over three campus-area streets-Maynard, North University, and Liberty. Under the big top on Maynard, fairgoers will be able to peruse and purchase almost every kind of artwork imag- inable. For pewcomers to the Ann Arbor area who get lost in the confusion of the fair, an infor- mation booth on the corner of Liberty and Maynard will offer assistance. After admiring the painting, photography, macrame, and other artwork being displayed, you may want to check out some of the side- walk bargains being offered by the State Street area merchants. The fair was originally designed to coincide with the merchants' an- nual summer sale. Today, the businessmen and artists each contribute to the planning of the fair. Festival seeks originality, By BARBARA ZAHS The Festival was started in 1971 as an sponsored fairs, members adopted a set Suddenly Ann Arbor is awakened from alternative to the more stringently-regu- of rules to govern the work which is its quiet slumber. The city comes alive lated Street Art Fair, in order to give exhibited. as people, portraits, and pottery fill the students and other local craftspeople a For example, most machine-made ob- streets. The signs are unmistakable- chance to show and sell their works. jects and commercially - manufactured the Summer Arts Festival has begun. A GROUP OF. the participants later pieces are not allowed. The rules state Today through Saturday, more than helped form the University's Artists and that "It must be clear to Guild members 700 artists will display their wares in Craftsmen Guild which now boasts over and to the public that the design of a rows of booths planted along East Uni- 600 members and sponsors four art fairs work is the artist's original conception versity and Main Street. every.year.;- and design." Because space is limited, participation The Guild stresses an interest in pro- THIS YEAR'S 500 booths are bound to in the Summer Arts Festival is restricted duction, not just merchandising of ob- offer something for almost everyone. to Guild members and University stu- jects. Bread dough art, sculpture, leaded glass, dents. Unlike the older Street Art Fair, "WE ARE REALLY looking for hand- and lacework are among the scores of the Festival is not juried. crafted work that people have done different crafts being featured. "The whole question of aesthetics is themselves and that they care for," Roth Daily demonstrations of arts and crafts left up to the individual," explained said, adding, "We've had some really techniques are scheduled. A children's assistant coordinator Ann Roth. impressive works." activity area and food concessions will BUT IN ORDER to maintain a high The people who participate "come also be available. level of quality and originality at Guild- from all walks of life," Roth said. Not quality all are professional artists. "Some have a lot to learn and a long ways to go, but they're given a chance to come and see what they can do." PARTICIPANTS this year will travel from all across the United States, since many of the Guild's members have moved but return to Ann Arbor each summer just to exhibit their works. More than 200 artists came to the first "Free Arts Festival" on East University five years ago. Since that time, the festival has changed its name and ex- panded to include part of the downtown business district on Main Street. Although space in the 300 booths on East University is sometimes considered more desirable, many artists actually prefer the Main Street location because it is less congested.