July 24, 1984/Pqge 3
EVENT TO BEGIN ITS 25TH YEAR
Welcome to the art fair
DOUG McMAHON./Doily
The art fair crowds may be hard to handle, and the parking may be impossible, but that's no reason to stay home July 25-28.
E VERY JULY, Ann Arbor is to William on State Street and Association, is locate
transformed into a festival that at- along Main Street from William to Guild's artists on State
tracts over 500,000 people from all Huron; as along some
around the country. The fair has grown " The Ann Arbor Street Art the Guild's artists on
from its humble beginnings when there Fair, sponsored by the South University well as along some str
was only one fair set up between a few Merchants Association, is located along the ty, Maynard, and Willia
parking meters to its present form of South University business district,
three fairs that end up blocking several from East University to Washtenaw But not only can you
streets. ,on South University, and of artists, you can also li
" The Summer Arts Festival, spon- on East University; various performers in
sored by the Artists and Craftsmen " The State Street Area Fair, spon- the stage during the
Guild, is located from South University sored by the State Street Area Plus, if you need a new
Sales were catalyst
By MARIA GERMINARIO answer questions in order to educate fairgoers.
WENTY-FIVE years ago, 99 artists huddled close Demonstrations in different medias take place to
T together between parking meters to display give spectators an awareness and appreciation of the
gethei r brksinthefirstAnng mr eet t d i works that are presented.
their works in the first Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. The second oldest fair, the State Street Art Fair,
Today, three art fairs with nearly 1,000 artists com- was organized for Summer Bargain Days promotion
bined dominate the art scene and participate in Ann as well. In 1968, merchants on State Street decided to
Arbor's annual art extravaganza, take advantage of the crowds provided by the
Since the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has grown, the fair and thus the second fair arose.
number of artists has been limited toAt first, the State Street Art Fair was limited by
Art Fair was started in i9~o ~by South University only representing Michigan artists and selling and
merchants in order to draw crowds to their Summer exhibitng antiques. At times this caused difficulties
Bargain Days. Paper Japanese kites which were in distinguishing artists' ware from commercially
donated by one of the merchants at the first fair have manufactured products. However, rules have recen-
The main goal of the fair's volunteers has been to tly been developed and are being enforced in order to
create consistency and raise the quality of the work
develop a public awareness of art. Longtime volun- displayed. On site jurying was instituted in 1979, for
teers use the fair as a learning experience and try to all fair exhibitors. New rules also state that almost
expose art to people who do not normally visit all items must be handcrafted and reproductions
museums and galleries. For this reason, artists have must be identified.
been required to stay in their booths during the fair to
d north of the
e Street, as well
stretches of
State Street, as
etches of Liber-
am.
visit the booths
sten to and watch
the street or on
four-day event.
pair of sneakers
or a maize and blue sweater, almost all
of the merchants in Ann Arbor hold
some kind of sidewalk sale.
Ann Arbor is not only famous for the
art fair but also, of course, the Univer-
sity. If this is your first visit to Ann Ar-
bor, after you visit some of the booths,
be sure to look around the University's
campus. The law quad, the graduate
library, and the art museum are good
places to start if you have a limited
amount of time.
for art fair
The Summer Arts Festival, unofficially established
in 1971 by University of Michigan art students, did not
have the benefit of parking meters to section off
booths, but it did have the cooperation of University
officials.
Prior to 1971, artists who did not participate in the
other two fairs set up informal booths on the Diag and
adjoining streets. Professional artists who were
displaying in the other two fairs nicknamed the
Summer Arts Festival the "hippie fair" because of
the many amateuristic displays. University art
students began their first fair because of efforts by
the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair to limit informal
booths on the outskirts of its fair areas.
The Summer Arts Festival started without any fees
or jurying and through the fair the University Artists
and Craftsmen Guild was formed. The Guild is a non-
profit organization which is associated with the
University of Michigan Office of Student develop-
See BARGAIN, Page 6