Page 12 /July 24, 1984 Get set for entertainment galore at art By RICK MAGDER ART FAIR regulars know that crising the streets of Ann Arborduring the four-day fair is not a trip through a museum but rather a journey into a world in which macrame can be found next to oil paintings and where jugglers perform beside glass blowers. The diversity of music and street per- formers is part of this atmosphere at the fair. Most forms of music will be performed somewhere outdoors during the four days. Some yet unrecognized forms will be presented as well, like the stick or ihe simmons drum which Herb David describes as "space-age folk in- struments," making their debut in Ann Arbor at Herb David's Guitar Studio on the corner of 5th Avenue and Liberty. Country-rockabilly, funk-dance, and folk will also be featured on the converted porch-roof stage, open only on Satur- day. "It doesn't bring in a heck of a lot of revenues," said David, "it's just fun to do." The stage with the widest range of ac- ts and the longest hours is the Graceful Arch on East University; presentations there include theatre, dance, mime and music ranging from folk to jazz. The stage is made out of sail cloth and aluminum supporting rods and its design is the result of a competition among University architecture studen- ts in 1978. "It's the place where at any time of the day you can bring your family," said Kathleen Slater, executive director of the Washtenaw Council for the Arts, which schedules, auditions, and books acts for the Graceful Arch. "I feel like a cultural ambassador," said popular Graceful Arch dancer Malini Srirama, whose students from her Dances of India School will be per- forming this year. "It's not the at- mosphere of a formal concert," she continued - "anybody walking by can see the act. There is more one to one in- teraction because people can ask me questions." Across the diag in front of the Union the Eclipse stage offers an alternative with its jazz format. Even here, The pur By PETE WILLIAMS L EATHER, WOOD, canvas, metal. Photography, jewelry, music and food. The diversity of the Ann Arbor Art Fair is best exemplified in the various media of expression on display. Joan Susskind, an Ann Arbor resident and a long-standing art fair spectator, said although there is a wide selection of purchaseable art, she is more in- terested in the crafts than the paintings and classic art. "I tend to pay more attention to the crafts," she said. "I look at it as a super-duper craft fair." She said the kinds of things that interest her most are "not art per se," but that "the art is within the craftsmanship." Of course, what is available from year to year is subject to the trends and attitudes of the buyers. No art show is immune to the laws of supply and demand. "You have to stay away from the things ... that look like you could buy fair '84 however, different kinds of jazz will be presented each day, beginning with folk and soft jazz on Wednesday, main- stream jazz on Thursday and Saturday, and louder more "rowdy" jazz on Friday. This year the stage will be on the grass in front of the union instead of in the street "so people can bring blankets sit on the grass, and listen to the music," said Jeremy Loeb of Eclipse Jazz. Unlike some of the other stages around town, Loeb points out "our stage is a more sit down and relax kind of thing; it's not oriented toward dan- cing." If you want to dance, then the stages run by Rick's American Cafe on Church Street in front of Morellis (formerly Pizza Bob's Midtown Cafe) and Joe's Star Lounge on Main Street are the places to be. Crowds are large at these locations as favorite local and out-of-town rock 'n roll bands play for free. Even with the sometimes sultry conditions and the partying, a manager at Rick's said there 'never has been a problem with security due to the light atmosphere of the fair along with the extra patrolling of Ann Arbor police. The police don't bother the street per- formers during the art :feir, said Al Stranger a member of The Jugglers of Ann Arbor and The U.M. Juggling Club, and there will be more jugglers at this fair than ever before "because the word is getting around that this is a good place to come." Most of the popular juggling acts, such as The First Church of Fun, Stranger's group, The Schlepper Triplets, and unicycling juggler Milo Max should all be there. The abundance of jugglers, however, should not be a problem "because the acts are dif- ferent enough that people don't just pass by the other jugglers," says Stranger. One street performer who won't be there because of other commitments and who usually occupies the corner of East University and South University near the bank is popular musician Jeff Wawrzaszek. Because he is on the road often with his act, "It's the little 0 0 0 Jugglers and mimes are among the many street performers who will be providing entertainment at the fair. Of course, there will be all sorts of musical groups performing as well. reunions with old friends" that makes the Art Fair special. It's also exhilerating, he said "to start with any empty corner and within ten minutes have 50 to 100 people surrounding you. It's the interaction with the people, seeing the smiles on suit of 'good art' in Ann Diverse media provide something for everyone them at a gas station," Susskind said. though the offerings of these plywood "Where everythng is so much the same. establishments are so rare or different. It is derivative art - there is no It is again the supply-demand syn- originality to it. drome. Art fairs build appetites. Susskind gave another example of And with several kinds of food to trendy art: basketweaving. "Five choose from in an outdoor atmosphere years ago there just weren't people conducive to eating, these weekend doing that," she said. "Now everybody chefs can't avoid success-assuming wants that stuff so basketmakers are their product resembles something everywhere." commonly fed to human beings. The art fair offers a great deal more If you are looking for a bargain, take than visual art. Musicians, enter- a walk down State Street after lunch. tainers, and food booths are also among The State Street area merchants, the frequented attractions. Jugglers, famous for their diversity, hit the pianists, vocalists, and dramatists are streets with sidewalk sales on mer- among those who will perform to the chandise arguably not considered art. open streets. And, of course, no If you need anything from a new donation will be refused. waterpipe to a cheap pair of tight And then there's the food. Susskind designer jeans to a maize and blue bow puts it, "There are all those different tie emblazened with 'M's, this is the place food booths all sitting out in one place - for you. It gives the storekeepers a now that's fun." And it is fun. Not as much needed chance both to show off their faces, that makes it worthwhile." From the artist booths to the stages and the street performers, the Art Fair crowds enjoy a multitude of art forms. The fair is special because it's diverse, interactive, and free. Arbor their wares and clear out their stock- piles into the hands of the 600,000 eager customers. You only have four days to fight off the crowds, the heat, and the somewhat over zealous artists and merchants to bring home an original metal sculpture, a velvet, black-light impression of Elvis, or whatever else fits your description of art, and more importan- tly, suits your pocket book. "Take the first day of the art fair off work," Susskind advises. "Get there just as everyone is setting up their booths. Look everything over fresh, when people haven't sold as much." Spend the rest of the four days figuring out what you want. For with the diversity 600,000 people inherently possess, the Ann Arbor artists' com- munity is safe in assuming that the variety they offer is enough to suit each individual purchaser. In fact, you bet- ter bring a couple friends - there is a lot to see and more to sell.