ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor Art Fair is the largest juried art fair in the country, and event organizers just announced a major change for the 2021 fair and beyond.
The event was canceled for the first time in its history in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but organizers are planning for a safe event this season.
Recommended Videos
The Guild of Artists & Artisans, which runs the largest of the four fairs -- the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair -- has announced it will take over the production of the South University section of the event through 2026.
Until now, the event has consisted of four fairs that seamlessly create what appears to be one massive fair: the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original, the South University Art Fair and the State Street Art Fair.
Since the South University Area Association dissolved in December 2020, it was unclear what would happen with this year’s fair. In a letter sent this week to members of The Guild, executive director Karen Delhey shared that her organization has finalized an agreement to take over the South U section for the next five years.
Although the South University Area Association plans to regroup sometime this year, art fair was not on the table.
“Moving forward we will do everything we can to respect the integrity and history of the Ann Arbor South University Fair while also incorporating some of the Guild’s structures,” wrote Delhey.
“For example, we will no longer allow any vendor booths on South University. The Guild will honor the understanding between the Ann Arbor South University Fair and the 2020 artists that were juried in and left a $100 deposit with South University.”
For more information and to see her full letter, click here.
This year’s four-day event is set for July 15-18.
All fairs are now taking artist applications for the 2021 event. Below are links to each fair’s application: