Ann Arbor Art Fair: A perfect mix of returning favs and exciting newbies
After taking the year off in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic, the Ann Arbor Art Fair returned in 2021 with an “amazing” comeback that delighted vendors, visitors and of course the local community. And this year’s event promises to be even better.
“The Art Fair in 2021 was amazing,” says Frances Todoro-Hargreaves, executive director of the State Street District, which owns and operates the State Street Art Fair. “It was a really great year. We were coming back from not having an event and we were one of the first big events to happen after the governor opened things back up. The turnout was excellent.”
The Ann Arbor Art Fair will take place Thursday (July 21) through Saturday. For three days, nearly 1,000 artists will showcase their creative talents and sell their original art. Spanning 30 blocks in downtown Ann Arbor, it is the nation’s largest juried art fair.
“We will again be near 1,000 artists and of course our local businesses will be participating as always and other retailers from around the country,” says Todoro-Hargreaves. “We fill up pretty fast but we are still leaving a little bit of space with shorter rows. But we are full this year.”
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The goal of the fair each year is to bring in new and exciting artists from all over the world while bringing back longtime favorites that visitors search out each year. It can be a tricky balancing act sometimes.
“Covid, in a way, balanced it for us a little bit,” says Todoro-Hargreaves. “It’s also a hot event and goes until 9 p.m. so it’s challenging for a lot of people. So we have artists who decide to take a year or two off and this opens up space for new artists. It goes in cycles and we do have a lot of regulars who people are excited to see each year but we also have plenty of new artists each year which keeps things fresh.”
The Ann Arbor Art Fair features art in a wide selection of styles and media, including painting, drawing, ceramics, glass, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry and more. It also will include live music performances at the fair’s three stages, culinary treats and an array of shops and sidewalk sales.
The Ann Arbor Art Fair is divided into three sections: The Summer Art Fair (which has two sections); The Street Art Fair – the Original; and the State Street Art Fair. The Ann Arbor Civic Theatre is back for a second year at the State Art Fair, which also has a large tent with some great programing set up for visitors.
Main photo by Carment Clouthier
