The Ann Arbor Art Fair

Artists' booths filled the streets, musicians' music filled the air and vendors' food filled the stomachs of hundreds of thousands. It could only be the Ann Arbor Art Fair.

By Amit Pandya
Daily Arts Writer
Photos by Adriana Yugovich

The streets of Ann Arbor were filled with awestruck people this past week as artists from all over the nation came to display their work. Perhaps the finest of its kind in the United States, this year's Ann Arbor Art Fair featured artists who were of the highest caliber in their mediums.

Carole Battle, one of the artists whose work adorned Ann Arbor streets, has made regular appearances at the Art Fair since the mid '80s. Specializing in watercolors, prints and silk paintings, Battle has found the Art Fair to be the best in the nation.

"The Ann Arbor Art Fairs are sort of legendary," she said. "It features over 1,100 artists and definitely features the one of the widest ranges of media I've seen."

Another craftsperson in Ann Arbor was Edward J. Walters, a metal designer and metalsmith from Beaverton, Mich. Walters has spent the past 15 years displaying his jewelry at studios and fairs.

Ann Arbor saw an amazing diversity of artwork last week, including this beautifully decorated mask, displayed by Janelle Songer.

Walters, having taken his place at the Art Fair for the past two years, counts Ann Arbor as one of the finest avenues to exhibit his work.

"The fairs are incredible, and I'm very proud to exhibit and sell my work here," Walters said.

And what work it is. His gold and silver jewelry are intricate and ornate.

"I spend (many) hours crafting each piece I make," Walters said. "I take a lot of pride in my work, and it makes me happy to see people enjoying what I have."

Walter was only one happy artist of hundreds whose work crowds of people enjoyed.

Commonly mistaken as a single fair, the Ann Arbor Art Fair actually consists of three separate fairs: the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the State Street Area Art Fair and the Summer Art Fair. Battle, who this year is part of the State Street Area Art Fair as a member of the Michigan Guild for Artists and Artisans, has taken part in another section as well.

"The (Ann Arbor) Street Art Fair was the first Ann Arbor fair that I was a part of," Battle said. "Although all the fairs are impressive in their own right, the Street Art Fair was definitely the hardest to get into.

"The artists at the Street Art Fair are selected from thousands of talented applicants, and the artists that are eventually featured have a lot of cutting-edge work," Battle explained.

One of the 200 artists who were selected to be featured at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair was Craig Zweifel of Ketchum, Idaho. He and his wife, Anny, brought their works across the nation and found themselves delighted with Ann Arbor's atmosphere. His glass sculptures provided a swirling display of light and color on display in his booth.

"I developed my own process of 'silvering' the glass, which means I apply a thin layer of silver to the outside of the glass I sculpted," explained Zweifel. "The silver, as well as the darker glass I add to the design, create a nice effect."

The work Zweifel had on display included delicate ornaments, perfume bottles and fine goblets. His original methods of tempering and sculpting glass have certainly taken him and his wife to a new level in their art.

"My work has really evolved," Zweifel said. "I have been working on my sculptures since the mid '70s.

"I worked with clay and glass together until I came up with the idea to use silver."

Their arrival at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has certainly given the Zweifels an opportunity to show their talents, and they're thankful for that opportunity.

"People come from all over the United States for this fair," Zweifel said. "Business is excellent, and it's great to be a part of such a quality show."

The crowds seem to agree that the quality of the Art Fair is beyond compare, and Ann Arbor itself has also made a strong impression on the artists.

"The crowds in Ann Arbor are extremely appreciative and supportive of our work," said Katrine Seaton. Seaton's husband, Jeffrey Seaton, creates wooden designs. He makes everything from contemporary boxes to fine clocks. Calling Ojai, Calif., home, the Seatons were more than willing to brave the humidity for another chance to visit Ann Arbor.

"This is our third year here," said Seaton. "We definitely intend on coming back."

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