The Guild of Artists & Artisans (The Guild) is proud to announce the second annual A2 Artoberfest Fine Art Fair, Saturday and Sunday October 8th & 9th in Downtown Ann Arbor. The event stretches across Ann Street and North Fourth Ave. from Huron into the charming Kerrytown area. This intimate and rich celebration of the arts will feature 100 jury selected artists, live entertainment, food vendors, art activities, and several adult beverage offerings including: craft cocktails from the Ann Arbor Distilling Company, Mead/Cider from Blom Meadworks, wine from Riboli Family Wines featuring Stella Rosa, and beer from three local breweries: Rivers Edge Brewing Company, Brew Detroit, and Drafting Table Brewing Company. New this year, fairgoers who are 21 and older will be able to stroll the entire event while enjoying their beverages.
The event includes approximately 100 jury selected artists, featuring jewelry, ceramics, painting, glass, photography, fiber and more. The Guild has been helping raise community awareness, understanding and appreciation of the visual arts, while maintaining a support network for artists for more than fifty years. A2 Artoberfest will provide another opportunity for folks in and around Ann Arbor to enjoy Fine Art in a smaller setting than the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair (also produced by The Guild) while also enjoying the festive spirit of fall with live entertainment, food, and beverages. The Guild of Artists and Artisans produces a total of six fine art fairs annually and manages the Gutman Gallery, a fine art gallery and shop located within the footprint of A2 Artoberfest at 118 N. Fourth Ave. Within the gallery, fairgoers can explore even more artist made work as well as the gallery’s current exhibition, Folklore.
A2 Artoberfest will feature many artists that participate in the Ann Arbor Art Fair such as: jeweler, Julie Billups [Ada, MI]; ceramic artists, Sarah & Thomas Gelsanliter – One Acre Ceramics [Milan, MI]; and last year’s inaugural A2 Artoberfest featured artist – painter, Annette Poitau [Oberlin, OH]. This year’s featured artwork, included on the 2022 A2 Artoberfest poster and promotional materials, is a collaborative work created by husband and wife artists, Steph J. Hogan, mixed media artist, and Daniel Hogan, illustrator [Lansing, MI]. Some new artists to this year’s show include: printmaker, Mady Chen – Apple & Thistle [Clawson, MI]; photographer, Sara Beck [Jasper, AL], and ceramic artist, Janelle Songer [Beverly, MI]. Additionally, A2 Artoberfest will include several local artists including: printmaker, Jesse Richard [Ann Arbor, MI]; and jeweler, Kristin Perkins [Ypsilanti, MI]. For more information and a complete list of participating artists visit A2Artoberfest.org.
Coinciding with the first weekend of Ann Arbor Spark’s A2Tech360, The Guild is excited to continue its partnership with Spark featuring a new SPARK Creativity award. Voted on by fairgoers, the SPARK Creativity award, in partnership with A2Tech360, celebrates artists using technology in their artmaking process and includes artists such as: illustrator, Paul King [Beulah, MI] who uses a proprietary airbrush program to hand-draw his musician portraits; jeweler, Melissa Banks [Chicago, IL] who uses a PUK Pulse-Arc Micro-Welder to weld tiny stainless steel parts in the creation of her jewelry; and digital artist, Court Smith [Huron, OH] who uses a variety of mapping programs and graphic design platforms to create his artwork. Fairgoers can help select this year’s recipient of this award by attending the fair and voting for their favorite eligible artist online.
Sip, shop, and savor the beautiful fall weather, talented artisans, and wonderful tunes from various entertainers. Headliners for this year’s event include returning performers and local fan favorites Reverie from 1-3pm and DJ Batz from 3:30-6:30pm on Saturday, October 8th. The entertainment will continue with Ann Arbor School of Rock kicking things off on Sunday, October 9th at 10:30am and indie/R&B musician Reina Mystique from 1:30-3:30PM. Local partners such as the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum, TeaHaus, and Mindo Chocolate will also be coming out to the streets to provide activities and creative projects for fairgoers to enjoy.
WHAT: A2 Artoberfest Fine Art Fair
WHEN: October 8 & 9, 2022; Saturday, 10 am- 7 pm, Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
WHERE: N. Fourth Ave. {between Huron + Catherine} and Ann Street {between Main + Fifth Ave.}, Downtown Ann Arbor, MI
