A bus is mandatory as trying to drive or park anywhere near is migraine inducing. Once past the shows on Main, Liberty, State, etc. I headed to the original show and the most prestigious - the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair on N. University. This show is now in it's 50 year. My first stop was to stop by the booth of Lynn Whipple a mixed media artist. You will recognize her stuff. You have seen it in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, Cloth-Paper-Scissors, and Fiber Arts Magazine. She had a great Flag that took up one wall of her booth. It is a collage of paper, photographs and a salvaged quilt. Fantastic.
We commiserated about the loss of Home Companion. Sigh.Across from her booth was Hill Auditorium and the Ann Arbor Pottery Guild that sets up shop there every year.
My friend Dorie has some of her pottery there.
Next was another interesting take on the American Flag. It is by Brad Devlin of Louisville Kentucky.
There was another theme at this year's fair that called out to me..... dresses.These painting/collages are by Katherine Allen-Coleman.
These sculptural dresses are by John Petrey of Chattanooga Tennessee. Awesome.
The most fun thing I saw was this fabric collage at Chris Roberts-Antieau's booth. She is a local artist and you have probably also seen her stuff around. She has a distinct look. This collage of Neil Diamond has Neil wearing a shirt made of fabric designed by Tula Pink!!! Tula's fabric sure gets around. Her stuff was also featured in some room decor on the show Monk. Tula's famous. 
On my way back home from the art fair I walked by many, many retail booths selling stuff. I have been on a 3 year mission to buy a Michigan sweatshirt. I want one that A) is 100% cotton, and B) is without a HOOD. You think it would be easy in Ann Arbor. You would be wrong.
T-shirts - yes. Hooded sweatshirts by the gazillion - yes. These dang kids and their hooded sweatshirts! And in closing, what would the art fair be without these.
2 more days of this folks. Head on over. My photo's hardly do the artists justice. Please click on the photos to get a better view!Laurie
5 comments:
Oh such a bittersweet time for those of us who live or lived in Ann Arbor. The fair got so large and so famous, that the locals begin to dread the week - log jams everywhere. But fun - I always went early AM on Wednesday during set up when just the artists were there and headed home when the shoppers arrived. Christine is changing her look, but great she is using Tula fabric - Go Tula
Thanks for the peek, I think looking at your photos from Naples will work for me now.
Polly
yay! that sounds like it was super fun. great stuff and i need your friend's pottery pronto. It's gorgeous.
I heart minnick and simpson!
Very cool. I just love those two dresses made from rulers and the other made from cards.
Thanks for the trip to a summer fair. I enjoyed the variations of the flag but all in all, a flag is supposed to be red, white (well, off-white and tan or gold are okay too - ha!), and blue. I'm counting the days till Wiscasset come out. I like the shaded blue piece the best. October is a whole season away..........
Post a Comment