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ART FAIRS
Friday, July 24, 1987 The Michigan Daily
N Jury system selects artists
By DAHLIA DEAN
The 28th Annual Ann Arbor Street Art Fair - re-
puted to be the most competitive among the city's
three art fairs - is Ann Arbor's original juried fair.
Depending on the thorough two-part judging system
that involves slide and on-street jurying, applicants to
this fair may wait as long as six years before they are
accepted to display their work.
The fair's jury system rotates around a schedule that
re-evaluates a category once every four years. Out of
the approximately 11 categories, this year glass and fi-
bre were re-juried.
All glass and fibre artists had to re-apply by sending
in slides of their work - regardless of whether they
have appeared in a previous art fair. Although this may
be a cumbersome process for the jurors, most artists
appear to approve of the system.
"I appreciate the strict requirements that are main-
tained in this show because it keeps everyone on their
toes, and improves overall quality and integrity," said
Karen Sepanski, a glass artist from Detroit.
The slide juries consist of acceptance committee
members proficient in a particular medium and outside
jurors who are practicing professional artists - often
including art instructors from local colleges and
universities. Jurors judge works only from their own
field.
Annette Morris, a printmaker from Austin, Texas,
thinks the jurying helps preserve the fair's artistic
quality. "It gives you a great feeling to know that once
you are in you can't stay forever," she said.
"Re-jurying in different categories has caused
returning artists to change and develop their work," said
Jill Damon, co-chair of the acceptance committee.
The State Street Area Art Fair also uses, a similar
jury process, although the Summer Arts Festival does
not implement one.
Glass and fibre artists and all new artists had to
submit five color slides showing samples of their art-
work to the acceptance committee. Each artist's five
slides are projected simultaneously so that jurors can
get a better feel for the entire work.
"When the five slides are projected simultaneously,4
jurors can tell right away if the artist's work is consis-
tent," said one member of the acceptance committee.
According to Damon, both slide jurors and on-street
jurors judge the applicant on the basis of four areas -
"craftsmanship/technique, design, color/textures and
originality/inventiveness."
'I appreciate the strict requirements that
are maintained in this show because it
keeps everyone on their toes and
improves overall quality and integrity.'
- Karen Sepanski, Detroit glass artist
4
The work of every artist in the fair is evaluated by
each acceptance committee member and two fair partic- 4
ipants in the artists' field for the on-street jury process.
During the fair each artist's work is evaluated and
scored independently by each juror.
In the fall, the committee discusses the results of
the on-street jurying and decides who to invite back to
next year's fair.
Art, food, and sidewalk sales draw thousands of people to State Street this
week.
Sidewalk sales, tempting food distract buffs
coninued fromPage1) accordian player, and the three girls food court. "Look, honey, that man's "It's art I come for so I try to get4
becomes hard to remember what on State Street paid to yell "Get And for many visitors a trip to carrying - a real bag ofice!" here early," Doyle said, purchase in
street you're on, let alone which of- your real Italian Ices" every ten the Art Fairs means not only "Omigod. ..a breeze." hand. "I try to avoid the crowds,"
the three fairs you started at and seconds. contracting the syndrome, but "I hate the art fair already." (At she added wryly.
where you parked the car. Madness even interferes with the sharing it with others through plenty 9:05 Wednesday morning.) Even though she sees the
The fairs do something to the olfactory nerves as you inhale an of loud - and opinionated - verbal "Can we come back tomorrow?" merchandise as "no bargain," Grosse
ears, too ,- as if there's anywhere acrid combination of smoking exchanges. After all, the crowd is "Uh, is this where I buy a Ile's Linda Parrill - a connoisseur
else to hear a mixture of the kielbasa and sweat but continue to packed close enough to develop watercolor?" (At the Children's of Michigan art fairs - has a
Chenille Sisters, a streetside breathe deeply and head towards the rather close acquaintanceships with Activities Booth.) madness for Ann Arbor's annual
the people following you from Of course, the emphasis of each event. "I'm definitely here to buy
booth to booth. They're happy to fair, like the name says, is on the art," Parrill said during a break for a
DEPARTMENT STORE BUYOUTS AT offer some thoughts: art. And it's madness for the art two dollar fruit juice at the Tropical4
TA9"Some people get strange ideas itself that brought Kathleen Doyle Cafe. "These Art Fairs have some
TO90% OFF forart,don'tthey?" from Dearborn to Ann Arbor artists of real quality and
ORIGINAL PRICES. YOU HAVE TO SEE "Wait 'til you see the friggin' Wednesday for her third annual Art originality."
prices!" Fairs visit. Then there are those consumers
THE SAVINGS TO BELIEVE IT! like 15-year-old Jenny Paul and
College students' fine quality 215 S. STATE Tanya Harrison of Ann Arbor, who
sotw rsaiga $.0ANA OM stood in front of Benetton and looked
sportswear starting at $6.00. ~ANN ARBOR, MI blankly towards the art booths when
GERI'S Men's designer clothes and 313-663-7403 asked why they came to the fairs.
-women's summer dresses JAPANESE RESTAURANT "Mostly just to shop for clothes
starting at $10.00. - the stores all have a lot of sales,"
Designer labels also on blankets, APPETIZERS QUICK LUNCHES Paul laughed.
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