A Look Back at the History of the Ann Arbor Art Fair

The 2025 Ann Arbor Art Fair returns July 17–19. Explore the history of this iconic event, from its 1960 beginnings to today’s multi-fair celebration of art, culture, and community.

The 2025 Ann Arbor Art Fair returns July 17–19, bringing hundreds of artists and thousands of visitors to the streets of downtown Ann Arbor for one of the nation’s premier outdoor art events.

Each July, Ann Arbor’s downtown transforms into a sprawling outdoor gallery, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to one of the largest and most prestigious art fairs in the country. The Ann Arbor Art Fair has become a summertime tradition and economic engine, but its roots trace back to a modest beginning in 1960.

Humble Beginnings on South University

The fair began as a promotional idea by local merchant Bruce Henry, owner of Artisans, who partnered with the Ann Arbor Art Association to bring artists out onto South University Avenue during the city’s “Summer Bargain Days” in 1960. Ann Arbor’s iconic Ulrich Books founder, Fred Ulrich, organized the concept into reality. That first event featured 132 artists, 99 local and 33 from other areas, who earned a total of about $4,500.

Despite early doubts, the fair was an instant success. University of Michigan art professor Jean Paul Slusser had dismissed the idea by saying, “No good artist will sit in the street.” But as crowds flocked to the open-air exhibition, it was clear a new cultural tradition was taking hold.

Expansion and Innovation in the 1960s

Over the next decade, the fair grew rapidly. By 1963, it had expanded to four days and 363 artists, with juried selection introduced to uphold quality standards. New features like pottery demonstrations and children’s art zones were added. In 1968, a second event, the State Street Art Fair, joined the original, extending the festival footprint and increasing attendance and sales dramatically.

By the end of the 1960s, the fair was a fixture in Ann Arbor’s calendar and a vital platform for emerging and established artists alike.

A Festival of Fairs in the 1970s

The 1970s saw the fair splinter into several concurrent events, including the Free Arts Festival and the Downtown Photographic Fair, resulting in a more diverse and vibrant atmosphere. Infrastructure improvements such as portable toilets, credit card acceptance, and hired fair marshals helped the event adapt to its growing scale.

Weather-related challenges also began to test the fair’s resilience. From thunderstorms to extreme heat, and even a tornado in 1980, the fair persevered. In some years, artists and residents sheltered together, further reinforcing the fair’s community spirit.

Recognition and Reinvention

By the 1990s, the Ann Arbor Art Fair was consistently ranked among the top art festivals in the country. In 1991, Sunshine Artist Magazine named it the #1 art fair in the U.S. The fair also underwent key logistical shifts in the 2000s, including moving the Original Street Art Fair to Ingalls Mall near the University of Michigan’s Burton Tower in 2003.

By that point, the fair had grown to nearly 1,000 artists and over 30 city blocks, attracting more than 400,000 visitors annually and generating millions in art sales.

The Fair Today

Today, the Ann Arbor Art Fair consists of three officially juried fairs:

• Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original (North University, Ingalls Mall, and East Washington)
• State Street District Art Fair (State Street, East Liberty, North University, Maynard, East William and Thompson)
• The Guild’s Summer Art Fair (Main Street, East Liberty, State Street, and South University)

Together, they form a unified event that highlights fine art, live music, public demonstrations, and interactive installations. The South University Art Fair, once a prominent component, was discontinued after 2019.

The only cancellation in the fair’s history came in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fair returned in 2021 with safety precautions and continues to evolve with changing times.

A Lasting Impact

Beyond its cultural appeal, the Ann Arbor Art Fair serves as a major economic driver, supporting local artists, businesses, hotels, and restaurants. It also provides an important platform for creative expression and civic engagement, making it a cornerstone of summer in southeast Michigan.

Dates & Times

Thursday, July 17 | 10 AM – 9 PM
Friday, July 18 | 10 AM – 9 PM
Saturday, July 19 | 10 AM – 8 PM

Sources:

• Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original – artfair.org/history
• The Ann Arbor Art Fair official site – theannarborartfair.com
• Ann Arbor Observer: Fifty Years of the Art Fairs – annarborobserver.com
• AnnArbor.com archive: Michigan Memories – A Retrospective of the Ann Arbor Art Fairs
• Wikipedia: Ann Arbor Art Fairs