Robin Agnew
Art Fair week, as it’s known around town, started for me when I was picking up a used hand truck at my favorite party rental spot, A-1 Rental. The man behind the counter (who I didn’t know since I usually work with the party and event side) asked me how art fair was for us business wise. I told him it was good for us, and he said "Everyone needs a jolt in July!" This refreshingly cheerful attitude toward the art fair isn’t actually common around town - it affects all merchants differently.
The Ann Arbor Art Fairs, linked fairs that spread pretty much all over downtown and into the University of Michigan area, draw 500,000 people over four days, shutting down alleys (delivery guys hate the art fair, our UPS guy coincidentally takes his vacation in mid-July), and main throughways, upsetting bus schedules and traffic, is still a four day long celebration of artists of all sorts. It’s a fair that embraces "art on a stick" for your lawn up to beautiful sculptures and paintings. And lots of jewelry and pottery (and nice fleece hats, a lovely woman from Germany just informed me).
When I turn out of the alley where I cut through on my walk into town, that end of town is infested with food booths. It smells wonderful. I personally love the art fair. We sell lots of stuff we’ve had hanging around for awhile - it brings us lots of traffic though this morning there’s been a disproportiant number of Nora Roberts fans. They did not want J.D. Robb.
In any case, some merchants, of course, hate the art fair. My hair dresser two doors down takes his vacation during art fair, as does the tailor in the back of our building. It’s fair game to ask a fellow merchant "how is art fair", and in the beginning of July, it’s one of the more common topics of discussion. If you’re right on Main Street where the fair is actually located, I understand it’s not fantastic. But on 4th Ave., where we’re located, a thorough fare that’s a cut though and has no booths
(but a parking sturcture on either end), it's a great place to be.
Aside from all the boxes of books we have to move in and out to the street morning and evening, Art Fair is pretty much of a blast. I hate covering the books up when it rains - and I feel bad for the artists, who work so hard all year to sell their goods at a four day event. But today it’s sunny and the streets are full. A jolt in July, indeed.
