So the weather forecast for Friday was for scattered thunderstorms, high winds and a heat index of 100 degrees, but who wouldn't want to be in Ann Arbor? This was my 32nd annual trip to view the art and see friends. I arrived at 10:30 am and left at 9 pm with much disappointment because I had run out of time to do both. Since my husband I no longer participate in art fairs this is my annual chance to see old friends and their new work and to be stopped in my tracks at the new artists who show up for this annual blockbuster of an art fair.
Was I alone on the streets? Hardly. It was not body to body as in some times past but the parking lots were full and the shuttles had full seats. A great place to start is at the intersection of North University and State Street, really the heart of the event. From there you can explore the State Street show and the Guild show on State as well head right to the Street Fair.
My mission:
- buy art
- see friends
- introduce Kristina Jones from the Great Lakes Art Fair to artists
- take photos for my websites and pass out cards for these sites
- Around 3 pm meet up with Jon Witz from Arts, Beats & Eats to visit even more artists
Too many jobs!
This famous painter from the Des Moines area finds other ways to get through the hot day
Mixed Media artist Rick Hall from Arkansas
My favorite story of the day: Michigan Jewelers Charlene and Helmut Goral were celebrating their 40th appearance at the show as well as their 40th wedding anniversary. In 1970 after making $800 in Ann Arbor they went back to E. Lansing with all their earnings and decided to use their colossal windfall to have a party to remember so they got married. They said many of their friends were barefoot and wore flowers in their hair.
Jon Hecker (who also had celebrated his first art fair by getting married, about 20 years ago) shows off a new body of work created by his partner, Patricia.
Joachim Knill (photographer/painter/mixed media) and winner of Best of Show at Cherry Creek this year exhibiting at the Street Fair. Joachim is just one of a bunch of artists at the show who have moved to Hannibal, MO, where property is cheap. He told me he just bought the jail for a new gallery.
And you know there were the happy shoppers, laden with goods!
Unfortunately a storm came through around 6 pm, effectively closing the show. I took shelter with my friend Larry Humphrey in his very tall and very strong Craft Hut whose legs had been drilled into the pavement. As we stood in the booth we could hear the blowing wind and the rain pounding the canopy outside you could hear crashing. After a while it got to be too much for me and I ran for an indoor shelter. Larry survived well but not his neighbors, the potters from the Yourist Gallery.
After an interval I knew I had to find Nels Johnson but his space was almost a mile away (it seemed) so I took a cab from South U. to Main Street and his booth was closed. I investigated at the fine restaurant behind the booth (I knew he would have made friends there) and they told he had stopped for a drink, grabbed his backpack and departed because of the subsequent tornado warnings. Luckily his booth helper (or what photographer Don Ament calls his "booth bitch") was nearby and was an old friend of mine from Detroit days, Sharon Pellar, so I had company for dinner.
Sadly I had to leave without accomplishing all my missions and have to wait another year for this most perfect rite of summer.
Hello again to all my old friends -- it was so great seeing you: David Bigelow, Jim Eaton, Ray Hartl, Shary Brown, Larry Oliverson, Mamie Joe, Bonnie Blandford, Jan Kaulins, Toni & Jay Mann, Berry Davis & Colette Fortin, Beth Crowder, Leslie Emery, Chia Haruta, Ron & Judy Lederer, Kathleen Weir-West, Candiss Cole, Lynn Corrie, Angelo Fico, Andy Shea, Howard Silverblatt, Skip & Linda Steinworth, Larry Hughes, Rishar Miranda, Skip Ennis, Scott Hartley and so many more. Sorry I missed you Kathy Eaton, let's get together, and Barry Bernstein, but I heard a strange story about you...misbehaving again!
Food report: lunch at Jamaican diner on Thayer near the Bell Tower; dinner at Chinese restaurant on Main...neither done at leisure, because honestly eating takes a back seat to the art fair -- I needed to be on the streets. Will I see you there next year?
Comments
The only disappointing thing at this years show is not seeing you. I did get to say hi to John, who stopped for 10 seconds on the way to meeting up with you.
Not a worry, Barry. Ann Arbor is probably the only city where they let the people walk down the streets when the artists are coming to load up. I will never understand that. I remember trying to leave Ann Arbor, on Liberty Street, some years ago in our big van and this woman just kept dawdling along purposely in front of us. In fact, she took our plate # and reported us to the police for reckless driving!
You may call something you heard second hand "missbehaving" but you'd be surprised at the number of artists who come up to me thanking me for expressing what they think but are afraid to express. However, for the sake of my reputation, I am going to become invisable at every show from now on. No comments, no waves, no nothing, all business.
I really had a fun night with Sensai Nels Johnson at the sushi bar. Nels gave me some really excellent advice that I plan to impliment at Arts, Beats, and Eats. I will have my best work ever.