Running an art fair - not for the fainthearted

Just when the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair has settled its "footprint" on the real estate of the University of Michigan campus, construction rears its head again! How many years has it been since the show moved to its new location, leaving S. University behind? Five? Six? The early years it had to keep changing its layout because of building construction around the university.

This just in -- new construction! What again? In 2015, there is planned construction in the Rackham/Ingalls Mall section of U-M’s campus, impacting the show.

What does this mean for the show and its director, Maureen Riley?

I don’t know the extent of the construction footprint yet, so I don’t know how much it will impact us at this point,” said Street Art Fair director Maureen Riley. “ …

We’re working with the University to determine the construction footprint, and seek out alternate spaces in our immediate vicinity that we might use.  … If part of Ingalls Mall is accessible, then that may allow me to create a whole different scenario than if Ingalls Mall is completely inaccessible.”

The University's plan:

The university is considering a project, which can only be done during the summer, on the utility tunnels in the area of Ingalls Mall. This is similar to work done in other areas of central campus the last two years. The work has not been finalized, but we wanted to give Summer Festival and Art Fairs leaders plenty of time to make alternative plans for this year.

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival will also be impacted. Its director is Amy Nesbit. How will this impact these two events financially?

Neither Riley nor Nesbitt, at this early stage, is able to estimate the financial impact of the adjustments on their organizations.

“It’s too vague right now, because I don’t know the ‘where,’” said Nesbitt. “Once I know the ‘where,’ we can build in real estimates on what this translates to for us in terms of budget. But no matter where we end up, expense will be there. There’s just no getting around that.”

Riley, meanwhile, said, “We do anticipate this having a negative financial impact, if for no other reason than additional resources that need to be put into developing an altered footprint.

Interested in the financial concerns of events, then read the entire article and be glad you are not trying to host a major event in the heart of a University campus. http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/11/ann_arbor_summer_festival_and.html ;

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Comments

  • I went ahead and applied. Here's hoping! My work isn't that expensive, so I have to sell a good bit of volume just to break even.

  • Ditto, Jim. There are many, many artists making money there, Joel, (and many that aren't). But the crowds and make the venue worth giving it a try. It goes way beyond the 12 hour drive, many days are involved, and there are artists there who do make the drive every year.

  • Every artist needs to do it once. Only you can decide if it's worth your time and effort. So many things go into making that decision: your medium, which show you apply to (and which show you get into), who your customer is, how much is your time worth to you when away from the studio...

    This is an old thread, so you might have better luck starting a new thread.

  • I was looking at applying to this show, but is it still worth that huge booth fee? It's a 12 hour drive for me.

  • What a great idea that is, Barry. All of those merchants raising booth fees and packing in sidewalk spaces makes me mad. (I am NOT talking about The Guild show or the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair.) Imagine Ann Arbor with no summer show. Guess it means I'd have to have a different vacation destination. State College anyone?

  • Haha, Barry, that's not going to happen. It is a serious concern for the original because as many as half of their spots may be impacted.
  • Call the whole thing off for next year. Everybody in Ann Arbor, and the state, takes it for granted. Let them find out the real economic impact of the show.

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