The Garage Sale Art Fair is an annual event occurring every February. This fair offers the opportunity to buy art pieces inexpensively, as it works on the basis of artists selling their leftovers, irregulars and supplies. At the fair you will find handmade jewelry, pottery, glass, weaving, wood, paintings and photography. There are usually more than 100 exhibitors; it is held on a Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. As of 2010, there is a small admission price of $2.
Annual Garage Sale Art Fair
Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds
2900 Lake Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
garagesaleartfair.com
Art Rapids! is situated on Grand Traverse Bay and is a juried art fair. Artists submit their work for a competition and exhibitors sell their work in the many stores. More than 75 artists are involved in this fair, at which you can browse and buy paintings, jewelry, glass, ceramics, sculpture, photography and much more. The fair also has musicians, art demonstrations, a kids' activity tent and a poster competition. This fair caters to all the family and is run by a nonprofit organization. It usually runs in June on a Saturday between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Art Rapids!
Veteran's Memorial Park
River Street
Elk Rapids, MI 49629
artrapids.org
There are four Ann Arbor Art Fairs; the original was the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, established in 1960. The four fairs now run concurrently and are held annually in July as a four-day event. The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair features 190 artists on North University, near the Bell Tower. This is a juried event in which more than 1,000 applicants apply for the 190 spaces. This part of the fair shows the most avant-garde artists. The South University Art Fair with 200 artists is organized by local merchants and is situated in the South University shopping district. Here you can browse and buy the art on offer. At the State Street Area Art Fair, you can see and buy art from new artists. The Summer Art Fair is situated in two places: 250 artists on Main Street and 200 artists on State Street across from "the Diag," a large open space on the University of Michigan's Central Campus. These shows offer the widest price ranges on the art available so there is something for every budget.
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
721 E. Huron St., Suite 200
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-994-5260
artfair.org
The Potters Market in Madison Heights is a three-day event (usually Friday, Saturday and Sunday) that is held annually in December. It boasts more than 40,000 pieces of pottery (pots, vases, platters, bowls, tiles, lamps and mugs, for example) and is the largest pottery event in this area. There are more than 130 potters who take part and admission and parking are free.
Potters Market
UF & CW Union Hall
876 Horace Brown Drive
Madison Heights, MI 48071
248-246-2686
pottersmarket.org