ART FAIRS
The Michigan Daily Friday, July 22, 1988 Page 5
The (aded) eye of the beholder
BY LISA MAGNINO every booth, but I began to notice that the
I guess you could call me an art fair vet- same art that had impressed me so much the
eran. I've experienced three of these hellish year before was not so great. I still thought the
mob scenes within as many years and lived, art on South and East U. was good, but the
But don't dismiss me as yet another of the State Street artists reminded me of the artists
"Bah Humbug" faction that either leaves town that could be found at any small town fair.
or stays but whines about the crowds and the And the Main Street artists? Forget it. All I
heat. There are things about the art fair I do could think of was the paint by number kits
like, but with each year I've become more that I had when I was a kid.
disenchanted. So what if the art left me less than en-
Two years ago I was an art fair newcomer. thused? I moved on to the sales. Imagine -
I loved it, I walked around in the crowds in shoes for $10 and t-shirts for $5. No matter
every spae moment. I looked at every booth that I would never buy or let alone touch any
from Main Street to South University at least of them. It was still fun to look.
twice. Believe it or not, I really looked at the Last year was also the year I discovered the
} art; I even bought a (small) painting. street musicians. Forget the organized stages.
But beyond the art, I loved the spectacle - The music on the streets was much better.
all the sights and sounds, and yes, even the There was Mr. B and his blues at South U.,
crowds of people. I can remember sitting on the gangly guy playing (or trying to play) the
the lawn of the Union, listening to whatever trombone, and the Hare Krishna that played
group was playing on the Eclipse Jazz Stage, his guitar while trying to sell me a vegetarian
and thinking the art fair was the greatest in- cookbook.
vention ever. And what about all the political or-
LAST YEAR I approached the art fair ganizations at the corner of East and South
with the same enthusiasm. Again I looked at U.? Where else can you, within a block, talk
'Listen to the free mus
to Right to Lifers, the Sierra Club, Amnesty artists has moved across the street, from next
International, and the L. Ron Hubbard Fan to Ulrich's to next to Red Hot Lovers, so it's
Club? I went home that year, not with art, but become much more congested. I haven't
bothered to look.
My love of last year, the political groups,
are now on North University. That's still
pretty accessible, but I haven't been there yet.
I guess I'm now one of those I have, however, walked past their old
location several times, and I mourn their
people who complains and move (or curse whoever made them move)
whines for four days at the end of every time.
July. It's not fair that it's not art, Last night I did take the time to listen to
the guy playing the hammer dulcimer and
but I still wouldn't miss it. caught some of a makeshift brass ensemble on
State Street. And I still looked at the sales.
And I still didn't buy anything.
As for the people? Yesterday a woman ran
with tons of pamphlets, buttons, and ideolo- over my foot with a baby stroller, and a man
gies. asked me where the campus was. I was less
AND THIS YEAR? I really haven't had than thrilled.
the time to look, but, on the other hand, I I guess I'm now one of those people who
haven't made the time either. The same artists complains and whines for four days at the end
are here with some of what I swear are the of July. It's not fair that it's not art, but I still
exact same works. My favorite section of wouldn't miss it.
avoid expensive art fares
BY JIM PONIEWOZIK entertainers have hit the streets of commitment to the humanities.
Fitting, isn't it, that in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor. A similarly-varied program
the lone artistic mole gracing the Thanks to the Washtenaw Coun- awaits those willing to make the trek
pocked cultural epidermis of Michi- cil for the Arts, three different stages west to Main Street to visit the
gan, we should set aside four days to set up around the downtown and aptly-named Main Stage, which fea-
celebrate - not some silly boat campus area - at Liberty Plaza, the tures - in addition to the live debut
race, not a tractor pull - but art. Engin Arch, and on Main Street - of kings of the beatbox and the Xe-
The tangible expression of the in- will host a variety of bands and local rox machine Maroon - comedy and
tangible soul. The creation by sen- entertainers. theatre performances.
tient beings of order from chaos. The Graceful Arch Stage (neither But if the planned-out schedules
Yeah, like hell. in the Arch nor particularly graceful- of these venues offend the little an-
Wise up, pal. The only artworks looking this year thanks to construc- archist in you, take heart. It's easy Xi
the art fairs actually honor are por- Lion) runs the gamut from the rock enough to stumble across a number
traits of famous dead Americans - excavations of the Folkminers to the of free-lance performers right on the P
preferably Benjamin Franklin. From exotic choreography of Malini's sidewalks you dutifully trudge every
the $900 watercolor on E. University Dances of India. The Arch's prox- morning. There's even a chance for
to the $3 "authentic Polish" cabbage imity to campus, stores, and bars you to treat your soul as well as your
roll on State Street, each medium usually ensures a good turnout. In ears by checking out the Hare Krsna
bears the same message: Give us fact, touring South U. Wednesday, I band - complete with electronic X
your money. witnessed University Crown Prince keyboards and Synsonics drums -
But fortunately, not all the art on James "The Dude" Duderstadt and at the corner of State and North U. KAREN HANDELMAN/Dody
display around town is price-tag- family taking a gander at the Ann The Casio Krsnas combine karma SIRAB, a six-woman Middle Eastern dance troupe affliliated
gable. Along with the host of out-of- Arbor Civic Band there - thus with the Chelsea Community Education Program, perform
towners, a wide variety of FREE dispelling any doubts about his See Free, Page 8 Wednesday on the Main stage at W. Liberty and Main.
Partier-police clash doubtful
BY NANCY LIPIN
Local merchants and police say they don't expect a located in front of Rick's in previous years will no
repeat of last year's mayhem between police and longer be there.
crowds of young art fair-goers, as fair organizers have "Part of the problem was that things went until too
taken steps to alleviate congestion in the Church Street late in the evening," said Susan Froelich, coordinator
area. of the Ann Arbor Street Fair which runs along South
Last year, two students filed police brutality charges University. She said organizers thought "by not having
after police tried to clear late night revelers, mostly the bandstand in front of Rick's... then there would be
college and high school students, from the streets. no need to disperse crowds later on."
Several students were arrested for drinking in public Ann Arbor Police Capt. Robert Conn said last
and fighting. year's disturbances did not prompt the police to im-
Most of the activity took place on Church Street plement any new crowd-control policies.
near Rick's American Cafe. This year, Church won't "If problems occur, decisions... will be determined
be closed to. traffic after ;0- p.m,, and n d as the timne as they occur," Conn said.
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