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The Ann Arbor Mystique
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July 16 - 19, 2003
All information on
this page, including postmark dates were from 2002
Always Wednesday through Saturday
Set up on Tuesday |
| The Ann Arbor mystique. Considered to be the best art
show in the country. If you're just starting out in the art show business,
numbers like $10,000 and up can make your eyes roll in disbelief. And
that's the low end for the more experienced exhibitors where it's not
unheard of to make
upwards of $10,000 a day over the four days. |
| The art fair always runs from Wednesday
through Saturday. Sunday is now the scheduled day for the annual
NAIA and
Michigan Guild
meetings, though most people head for home exhausted. |
| I realize that most of this information is not going
to be applicable for the 2002 art show season as you are probably reading it
after the deadlines listed below. Look at it as a reference for future
consideration. I do recommend contacting the respective organizations and
get on their mailing list for next years application. If you were to ask
me which show to apply to, my answer would be any of the any of the four,
with the King's Chosen being my fifth choice by far. |
| Here's the scoop. It's not one art show,
it's now five shows that run simultaneously. Four major shows and a satellite (would be) major show. And that
doesn't include the countless number of squatters lining the streets,
anywhere they can rent a few square feet of retail space. You can apply to
any or all of the five shows, but if accepted you can only exhibit at one
as per mutual agreement among the shows. |
| Squatter retail space goes for
approximately $100 per square foot. That would mean that a 10x10 foot
space (to hold a standard canopy) would cost $1000. And in some cases,
that space could be located behind a four foot fence. As a matter of fact,
for two years I rented space behind a fence in the early 1980's. When
people ask me about where to recommend renting space, I always suggest
visiting the show and walking around to see where people are renting.
Speak to the landlords and try to make arrangement for the following year. |
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King's Chosen
Art Fair
315 East Liberty Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
734-332-0307 |
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Better than looking for retail space
on the street is the Kings Chosen Art Fair. Run by the owners of
Charisma, a haircut salon on East Liberty Street, they lease an
adjoining parking lot and have room for approximately 110 exhibit
booths. Very loosely juried, you are more likely to get a space
because of who recommends you. The best spaces are visible from the street, as Liberty is a major street that connects two of the
other shows. There are only general categories listed on the
application and as such, no limitation on photography or digital.
The only requirement is that the work should resemble the jury
slides. A lot of the booth fee money is given to charity which means
that there might not be a refund on cancellation. Since it's on
private property and not recognized as a legitimate show, Monday is
the recommended set up day.
Application Postmark Feb 1
Jury Notification April 1
Booth Fees due by May 31
Jury Fee $25 + Deposit
Booth Fees start at $1050
4 slides of individual work plus a display slide are required |
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The Michigan
Guild of Artists and Artisans
118 North Fourth Avenue
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
734-662-3382 |
| Because it's been a grandfathered
show, there is probably a five to seven year wait to become an
exhibiting member. There is now a movement going on to jury out the
bottom of the barrel so the wait might not be nearly as long.
Resubmission of jury slides takes place every three years and the
standards committee comes around during the show and compares your
slides to the work you have hanging. No reproductions are allowed and
photographers are required to print their own work. They just passed a
rule allowing digitally produced art but haven't done anything about
it because they are trying to make the regulations fair for every
member in every medium, including potters, leather workers, jewelers,
etc. Space size ranges from 10x6, 10x8, 10x10, and 10x17 (depending on
location) and are
assigned by lottery. The locations are spread out over three major Ann
Arbor streets in two locations. Remember, it's a guild, and no one
exhibitor should have an unfair advantage over another exhibitor. |
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Art Fair Village
South University Area Association
PO Box 4525
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
734-663-5300 |
Church Street adjacent to South
University, where the most prestigious Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is
located. Because of a dispute over money, the original show will be
moving to a new location in 2003 and the Art Fair Village will be moving onto
South University. It's probably now (or going to be when it moves) one
of the hardest of the Ann Arbor shows to get accepted into.
Photography:
Photographers shall make prints from their original negatives,
processed by themselves. All photographs shall be signed and numbered
by the artist in a limited edition, not to exceed 250.
Digital Art:
Is listed on the application as a category but no definition is given.
Application Postmark Feb 25
Jury Notification April 18
Jury Fee $20
Booth Fees start at $700
3 slides of individual work plus a display slide are required |
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State Street Area Art Fair
PO Box 7469
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107
734-663-6511 |
Located between the two Michigan Guild
locations, it's another major art show. It seems to have been the
easiest of the three original art shows to be accepted into and the
easiest to stay in. In 2001 they featured digital artist Stephen
Sabastian.
Photography:
Photographers shall make prints from their original negatives,
processed by themselves. All photographs shall be signed and numbered
by the artist in a limited edition, not to exceed 250.
Digital Art:
Computer Art should be signed and numbered on archival quality
materials in editions not to exceed 250.
Application Postmark Feb 22
Jury Notification April
Jury Fee $25
Booth Fees start at $600
3 slides of individual work plus a display slide are required |
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Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
PO Box 1352
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
734-994-5260 |
The most prestigious of the Ann Arbor Art Shows. Categories are
juried every four years but individuals are still juried
yearly. Moving from it's longstanding location in 2003 but still will
be located within walking distance of the other shows.
Digital Art:
Includes any original work in which the original image, or the
manipulation of other source material, was executed by the artist using
the computer. Work must be in editions, signed and numbered, on archival
paper.
Photography:
Black and white original negatives and prints must be developed by the
artist. Color negatives must be developed under the artist's direct
supervision, and prints made from the original negatives must be processed
by the artist. Photographers should limit themselves to showing images in
no more than three sizes.
Absolutely no reproductions are allowed.
Application Postmark Feb 8
Jury Notification Early April
Jury Fee $25
Booth Fees start at $550
5 slides of individual work are required
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