From Conflict to Collaboration

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The most important factor, they say, is the quality of the artwork. They attribute this to strict and high-caliber jurying, along with the fairs' reputation as a moneymaker for artists. "Artists know that they sell a lot here," Riley says, "so the best people apply." This, Ladd adds, attracts "quality patrons," which in turn attracts better artists. The event also generates sales after the fair--to galleries, museums, and corporations, and through commissions.

A second factor is the opportunity to discuss art with the artist who created it. "Art fairs work," Clayton says, "because the intense 'conversation' between the individual artwork and the viewer is deepened by an additional conversation with the artist. This is especially noticeable in photography, where you see people with cameras eager to talk technique with professionals showing their work."

Each fair requires that the artists spend a certain percentage of time in their booths. "Though some artists are shy," Clayton notes, "the public generally is not. If they like your work, they will not hesitate to tell you." Occasionally this close relationship leads artists to go to a customer's home to install a work, and often artists will stay in the home of a patron during the fairs.

The third factor is the distinctive Ann Arbor ambience. Locals may become immune to it or even cynical about it, but visiting artists, patrons, and sightseers come because the art fairs give them an excuse to experience Ann Arbor.