Festivals are an important part of keeping a city visible as an arts destination. We have gathered the marketers from Ann Arbor’s top events to and ask about their challenges, lessons learned, and what the future looks like.
Special Guest Moderator: Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor​
http://www.a2gov.org/
Mayor Taylor was elected in November 2014, after three terms representing the Third Ward on Ann Arbor City Council. While on City Council, Taylor served on the Parks Advisory Commission, Budget Committee, Taxicab Board, City Administrator Search Committee, Council Rules Committee, and the Senior Center and Mack Pool Task Force. Active in the community prior to holding elected office, Mayor Taylor has served on the Board of Directors of non-profits including 826michigan and FestiFools, and has performed with numerous local choirs and community theaters.
Panelists:
Matthew Altruda, Curator, Sonic Lunch- June 5-August 28
http://www.soniclunch.com/
Started in 2008, Bank of Ann Arbor’s Sonic Lunch is a free summer outdoor concert series happening at the corner of Liberty and Division in downtown Ann Arbor. Every Thursday from Noon to 1:30pm June 5 to August 28, Sonic Lunch features a live band from an impressive array of talent in the region, as well as national and international acts. Each week a different area restaurant is on-site selling a Sonic Lunch for concert-goers to purchase.
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Karen Delhy, Senior Director, Marketing & Partnership The Guild of Artists & Artisans
Ann Arbor Art Fairs- July 15-18
The Guild of Artists and Artisans is a non-profit artist membership organization whose mission is to provide artists with opportunities to market their work. We do this by producing five juried fine art fairs annually including the nationally acclaimed Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.
Amy Nesbitt, Executive and Artistic Director, Ann Arbor Summer Festival-June 12-July 5
Founded as an equal partnership between the City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival is now entering its 32nd season in 2015. The festival offers a progressive mix of regional, national, and international artists of all disciplines. Presenting over 140 events each season and attracting a diverse audience of over 80,000 people, the festival continues to grow as a major cultural event in the Ann Arbor community, and as an internationally recognized celebration of arts that enriches the cultural, economic, and social vitality of the region.