Current mood:

agrivated and amused

Art Fairs
I was a little concerned when I mentioned, casually, to a long time resident of the area, that this year would be my first year living in the city during ‘The Art Fairs’ (the ‘s’ is correct) and the only response it garnered was, “Good luck!” accompanied by a sage shake of his head.

The Ann Arbor Art Fairs – consisting of The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair (The Original); The State Street Area Art Fair; South University Art Fair; and the penultimate week of The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair; is the largest outdoor art event in the nation. The first three only run for a week, the later runs for most of the summer and is largely theater, music, and media. The Art Fairs are nearly a fifty year old tradition in this city, encompassing more that 1,200 prominent and emerging artists, not including the actors, musicians, stage craft personnel, as well as, any number of artists and artisans already working in the area year round. In short, it’s just frickin’ HUGE!

The entire city, from utility boxes, fire hydrants, to lamp posts gets a sprucing up, and if needed, a fresh coat of paint. In the case of the fire hydrants and utility boxes, these too become works of art, painted by local emerging artists. Yes,it is kind of an Ann Arbor thing to walk down the street and say, "that electrical box is really cool, I wonder who painted it. How lovely." These are good things for the city, for employment, and for art in general. Great things indeed.

Now we get to the part of this little diatribe where I gleam understanding from the comment ‘Good luck.’ During the art fair, Main St., State St., Liberty, and University Ave are all closed. In short, to travel between one side of the down town area to the other, one needs to go around, and the best advice one can give you is simply, don't. Since orange pylons and traffic signage aren’t generally considered art, there is a distinct lack of information, or directions through down town, and it's trial by fire. The city, and art fair organizers are continually growing, and trying to learn in the process, so things change from year to year.

Some busses, simply do not stop at some of their appointed stops, either because they are full, or because that stop has been temporarily discontinued to improve traffic flow to and from the down town area. There are four shuttles running approximately every ten minutes from what is known here as ‘The Park and Ride Lots’ and the Birchwood Mall. Still, the regular line busses are stuffed with folks who, in a phrase, “don’t know where the hell they’re going, and aren’t in a hurry to get there.” The schedule itself is off sequence, due to the detours busses need to take in and out of the down town area, which only adds to the frustration when you arrive at the transit center to discover the bus you need to transfer to has already left. In addition, the Ann Arbor Transit Authority retains it’s newest and prettiest buses for the shuttles, while simultaneously resurrecting vehicles from the very early eighties to ride the less traveled routs. Can you say, stripped harvest gold and avocado green upholstery? Sure you can, it’s just two letters "**EW**!"

In short, even if you make it to your bus stop at the appropriate time, there is no guarantee that the bus will actually **stop** for you. In addition to that, you may, or may not, want to get on the decrepit old thing when it does. What’s that? You want to drive your car through town? *dies laughing*

I realize, traditionally, that hospitality involves inconveniencing yourself in the process. I am also cognizant of the fact that by choosing to live here, I have a certain responsibility to persevere with a quiet tongue. However; me thinks that this particular guest has become belligerent and ungrateful. The type of guest that wants it’s three minute eggs cooked for precisely two minutes and forty-seven seconds. No, your not allowed an egg timer, and yes, it can tell the difference. The egg is to be delivered in the center of an oval silver tray, with the napkin folded three times - counter clockwise - to the left, and the knife and folk laying top to toe on the right. The juice should be precisely at two o’clock from the egg…simple really. </jl-cut>

So to sum up.

Ann Arbor Art Fairs = Great! Fantastic! HUGE! Come visit, bring your kids!

Living in Ann Arbor during the Art Fair = Inconvenience, confusion, and frustration. Just bar the door, and drink until it’s over!