Beginning on Wednesday, July 18, the Ann Arbor Art Fair will fill the streets of the city for the 53rd consecutive year.
Vendors selling everything from underwater photographs to jewelry made from computer microcircuits will crowd 27 city blocks as part of the four individual street fairs that comprise the event.
Organizers estimate this year's four-day fair will draw half a million art enthusiasts, who will help fuel the $80 million economic impact the event brings to the state.
Today, in a press release, art fair organizers offer shoppers some tips on how buy art like a pro:
Be prepared. If you are going to the art fair to buy art or just browse, visit www.theannarborartfair.com and Storify to learn more about the artists, their works and where they are exhibiting. For example, some of the artists are cancer survivors, military veterans, UAW retirees, husband and wife artists and corporate executives who left comfortable jobs to follow their passions. Ask questions Just as every artist has a great story, so too does their photograph, painting, sculpture or bracelet. A great thing about buying art at an art fair is that you get to meet the artist. Take your time Whether you are a stroller, casual buyer or collector, there are thousands of things to see and do at The Ann Arbor Art Fair. You can park close to the fair with plenty of downtown parking, including 700 new parking spaces in the Library Lane structure; you can hop on the trolley that has eight stops throughout the fair or you can walk the 27 blocks filled with art.
While you're there, come stop by the Michigan Radio art fair booth on Ingalls Mall between the Michigan League and the Alumni Center.
-Elaine Ezekiel, Michigan Radio Newsroom
