What have our fairy friends and their artists been up to during the pandemic? To brighten everyone’s spirits, I wanted to track down some fairy fun this spring for the young ones. Might we see more fairy doors pop up around Ann Arbor? Maybe you’ve seen glimmers of whimsical fun around Ann Arbor in the chalk drawings of the ephemeral and adorable characters dreamed up by Ann Arbor’s David Zinn. It’s almost time for the return of Shakespeare in the Arb, and we’re celebrating with a production of the fairy-packed fun of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Ann Arbor is one of the best places around to find events and artists who work on a fairy theme, but like the fae they can be hiding in plain sight. I went searching under every rock and leaf, even a few book jackets, to find you the best fairy-themed events, artists, and authors in Ann Arbor to find while we’re still in need of a little fun.
Shakespeare in the Arb, A 20th Anniversary Fairy-stravaganza
Beloved annual summer event Shakespeare in the Arb is celebrating its belated 20th anniversary after a Covid hiatus, with a fairy-tastic performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Visit your favorite characters, like Puck the trickster fairy, as actors weave themselves among the trees of the beautiful Ann Arbor Arboretum.
Director Kate Mendeloff says the event this year should kick off with A Midsummer Night’s Dream on June second, running Thursday through Sunday every week until June 26th. This is an easy event to miss in the early summer because, like a glimpse of the fairies, it’s here and gone in the blink of an eye. Mendeloff says you can also get involved if you are of the thespian persuasion: “Auditions are the weekend of Shakespeare’s birthday, the 22nd through 24th of April, and are open to community actors, dancers, and musicians.” You can keep an eye on the Shakespeare in the Arb Facebook page for details. “Young children ages 5-8 are welcome to participate as fairies, and should contact us in May,” Mendeloff adds.
What’s it like performing with fairies in the Arb in one of these popular productions? “The Arb is an actor in all of our plays,” Mendeloff explains. “We are inspired by the natural landscape and stage scenes organically in the hills and valleys and groves. My aim is to create a 360-degree picture in every scene, so the audience really believes they are in the reality of the events with the actors.”
Sounds fabulous. If your kiddos want to be part of this supernatural all-outdoor theater production, what better way to get involved than as a fairy themselves? Shakespeare in the Arb does charge for admission to cover costs.
Shakespeare in the Arb is part of the University of Michigan LSA Residential College. You can find more information at their website lsa.umich.edu/rc/programs-and-community-engagement/shakespeare-in-the-arb.html. Or visit their Facebook page for up-to-date information on auditions and production schedules: facebook.com/ShakespeareintheArb. Director Kate Mendeloff is reachable at mendelof@umich.edu.
Ann Arbor District Library Fairy Art Online Events
Ann Arbor’s District Library lost no time at the beginning of the pandemic putting programming online for kids. This includes several videos on fairy-themed art projects put together with the Ann Arbor Art Center. Richard Retyi is the Communications and Marketing Manager for AADL, and he says you can still find these videos online on the AADL Youtube channel to create your own fairy art event.
“The [videos] we recently put up are how to build a woodland fairy marionette and secret treasures of the fairy door,” Retyi says. “There are two drawing events there with Ann Arbor Art Center, and we still have drawing events for kids every Sunday.”
Check out the AADL videos called “Magical Fairyland” and “Fantastic Fairy Garden Drawings” to connect with the best of fairy art content for kids who want to participate in the fun.
Once AADL starts hosting in-person events again, these will resume at the library, but for now are hosted online every week on an ongoing basis. To connect with the Ann Arbor District Library, you can check out the TV channel at aadl.tv.
AADL is open for patrons but is not hosting in-person events at this time. For questions about online programming or facilities, please visit aadl.org or call (734)327-4200. The Ann Arbor District Library TV program is at aadl.tv.
Create Your Own Jonathan Wright Fairy Door Hunt
It’s no secret that fairies love Ann Arbor, as evidenced by the work of fairyologist Jonathan Wright, who “discovered,” as he prefers to say, the fairy doors that populate the curbsides and coffee shops around town.
Now you can find fairy doors in other nearby towns, too. Wright is always working, and he’s a frequent exhibitor at the Kerrytown Bookfest every spring. Last year the event was canceled due to Covid, but in no time, expect to see Wright’s lovely creations being drawn in real time at the book festival. (Think something quirky like Brian Froud of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.) You might also spot Wright in his yellow beanie at Sweetwaters on Ashley, where he regularly draws custom murals with hidden easter eggs.
In the meantime, you can go on your own fairy door hunt around Ann Arbor. To start, there’s one in the west-side Sweetwaters on Ashley, and a few in the curbs around downtown Ann Arbor, plus a really cool 3D diorama door in the rec and ed building off Packard where kids often have extracurricular activities including ballet and art classes. These fairies seem to love coffee shops and public buildings, but they can still hide in plain sight: check out the downtown Ann Arbor storefront windows, and don’t forget Joe & Rosie’s coffee shop in downtown Dexter if you’re on the west side. You can always ask around. People in Ann Arbor seem to be in touch with the fae and know where to look if you ask them nicely. Arrange your own treasure hunt to compete with your friends to find all the doors and take photos . Don’t forget to leave gifts like pennies and candy for the fairies to keep the good folk friendly. Nothing made from iron, please! The good neighbors hate anything made of this noxious metal. They say that bronze was the original metal that couldn’t help the fairy folk fend off invasion in ancient times, so steer clear of that as well.
To keep up with the latest in event appearances or pick up a copy of Wright’s book on the Ann Arbor Fairy Doors and how they came to be, visit urban-fairies.com.
Discover David Zinn’s Whimsical Chalk Creations at Summerfest
Looking for some whimsical fun while you’re around town? You’ve probably heard of David Zinn, or maybe you read Crazy Wisdom’s feature on him in issue #76 (crazywisdomjournal.com/featuredstories/2020/12/17/the-whimsical-world-of-david-zinn?rq=david). Here’s how to find his work as it peeks through the cracks of Ann Arbor’s city streets.
David Zinn is Ann Arbor’s own chalk sidewalk artist, whose creations emerge from curbs and roadsides on Ann Arbor’s west side in the Bach neighborhood, and now all over the country when he travels.
Zinn also has been known to make an appearance at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival through Top of the Park and the Ann Arbor District Library, where Zinn draws live and hangs out with local kids. Keep an eye on the developing schedule for this year’s event at a2sf.org/calendar/.
Did you know that Zinn recently released a book? You can find it on his website at zinnart.com/about-the-artist/.
We adore Zinn’s Twitter and Instagram, where you can keep up with all the fun and the latest from this artist who has grown in popularity and now enjoys national fame. Watch for a repeat favorite: the pig with a wand and a tutu, or any of the other tiny animals that seem to fall in and out of our world through the paving stones.
For more information about David Zinn’s latest publications and events, visit zinnart.com or email info@zinnart.com.
Jennifer Carson’s Creations Speak
Jennifer Carson is Managing Editor of The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal, and also moonlights as a fairy author and creator of dolls and illustrations of the fae persuasion. We caught up with the main character of one of her books, Maewyn, to ask what it’s like for a fairy working with a human.
Laura Cowan: Hi Maewyn! It's nice to meet you. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Maewyn: Hello! My name is Maewyn Bridgepost and I’m a hapenny. Happenies are faeries—but not Tinkerbell-type faeries—we can‘t fly. We are more earth-bound, like hobbits, and about the same size… well, most of us. I’m the smallest hapenny in my village, which is called The Wedge, but I’m also the first hapenny in lots and lots of years to have a bit of magick! You can read about how I discovered my magick in the first book about my adventures, called Hapenny Magick.
LC: What’s it like to work with Jennifer? What's the creative process like when you're writing a book together?
Maewyn: Jennifer is a wonderful human—she really listens to the story I want to tell… and when I wanted her to feature my best friend, Leif, in the second book, Tangled Magick, she said, “Why not?” Sometimes, when the story isn’t going quite like I hoped she got a little stuck—I think you humans call that writer’s block. But I just needed to tell her where she got it wrong earlier, and then we were able to move on. I liked to wake her up really early, around 4 a.m., before even the roosters would start to crow, and start whispering stories to her. Good thing she keeps a notebook and a pen by her bed!
LC: Do you ever get tired of being a main character in a book? What are the down sides of fame?
Maewyn: Well, no, I don’t get tired of being the main character, but I do like to share the spotlight with my friends. Since I became the guardian of The Wedge though, I’ve gotten used to being “famous.” It does cause some problems with the trolls… apparently hapennies are good to eat, and if you’re famous, even more of a delicacy. So, I try to keep my head down while in troll territory.
LC: How does magic work? Can you teach us some?
Maewyn: Of course, magick works! We see examples of magick every day, you just have to be open to seeing it. I can’t teach it to you, though. Magick comes from within. You have to look inside yourself to find it. Only then will you be able to bring magick into the world.
You can learn more about Maewyn and Jennifer Carson’s other fairy friends at thedragoncharmer.com. Carson can typically be found at local events like the Michigan Renaissance Festival, the Chelsea Sounds and Sights Festival in July, and the Kerrytown Bookfest.
Want to find more fairy authors for kids around Ann Arbor? Check out the Kerrytown Bookfest list of previous event authors. One of our favorites is Becca Price, a frequent presenter at renaissance fairs and fairy events around Michigan, and the author of a number of fairy-focused children’s tales like Field, Forest, and Fairies or Fairies and Fireflies bedtime stories. She writes at wyrmtalespress.com.
Find The Fairies at the Ann Arbor Art Fair
If you’re ready to venture back out into crowds, Ann Arbor’s Summer Art Fairs are a fun way to find fairy art at all levels. Pick up fairy-themed whimsical garden ornaments, or find artwork specifically dedicated to the fae.
Previous exhibitor Ariana Capraro is a young artist who created fairy-themed paintings of fairies at work. You can see samples of her work at artfair.org/artist?id=1175&m=Drawing&s=&y=2018. Capraro said of her exhibit in 2018, “My new fairy series are of four fairies working at their craft. There is a doll maker, a jeweler, a book maker, and a confectioner. They are a little different from the human idea of these professions.”
The confectioner has impaled bugs on skewers and is dipping them into honey. “The size of the pieces allows me plenty of room for detail so I can tell a rich story with each picture,” Capraro said in her exhibition description. “The keyhole shape is a way to link the illustrations together. This series has a little autobiographical aspect to it. The idea is that these fairies live in an old farmhouse like the one I grew up in. A lot of the furniture and details like the nails sticking out of the floorboards are things from my home.”
Want to browse the artists online from home? The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the original art fair other Ann Arbor art fairs are built around, has an artist directory you can view at artfair.org/directory. The State Street Art Fair is also happening in 2022. The Ann Arbor Art Fairs run from July 21-23. Visit through a virtual gallery at statestreetdistrict.org/art-fair-gallery plus get parking and bus information to plan a visit. If whimsical animals with a personality are your thing, don’t miss the miniature glassworks exhibit that’s a regular in the State Street Fair, where you can find bumblebees, foxes, and maybe a few dragons to take home.
Whatever you do to pass the time, we hope you include our good neighbors the fae in your adventures. Some say you can see them out of the corner of your eye when standing in a fairy circle, or mushroom ring, in the spring grass. Spin around eight times, fall onto the grass of the Arb, and watch the sky spin until you see fairies in the clouds.
I hope you have a blessed and peaceful spring .and find the magic waiting for you around every corner that can help you get through these challenging times.
Laura K. Cowan is a tech and wellness journalist in Ann Arbor, and co-founder of the content marketing media outlet and consulting agency Cronicle Press at www.cronicle.press. She writes the Kids in the Community Column for The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal, as well as the Healers of Ann Arbor column, where she explores various healing modalities and how people can know if they’re right for them. Ms. Cowan lives outside Ann Arbor in the countryside with her family, two dogs who might be changelings, and a woods full of undines and dryads.
