Nearly 90 artists will bring wares to Ann Arbor’s West Side in annual Art Hop

This story is part of a series about arts and culture in Washtenaw County. It is made possible by the Ann Arbor Art Center, Destination Ann Arbor, Larry and Lucie Nisson, the University of Michigan Arts Initiative, and the University Musical Society.

A cornucopia of artists will soon descend on Ann Arbor’s West Side neighborhood to show and sell their work at the 14th annual Westside Art Hop, which takes place 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 13 and noon-5 p.m. on June 14.

This year’s Art Hop will feature close to 90 individual artists, including painters, ceramicists, sculptors, and jewelers — “any kind of art you can imagine,” says Larry Nisson, artist, arts philanthropist, and a founding organizer of the event.

Residents of the neighborhood open their driveways and lawns to artists and vendors to display their wares. All are welcome to peruse what Nisson refers to as a “neighborhood-friendly event,” though he points out that artists also travel in from all over the metro Detroit area. (Many of them have told Nisson that the Art Hop is “one of their favorite events of the year,” he says.)

“We want to give people an opportunity to show their work,” Nisson says. “We want to give people an opportunity to buy art and support the local art scene.”

Art Hop organizers have worked hard to make the event accessible to new and emerging artists, who may not be able to afford the higher entrance and tabling fees required by larger art fairs.

“It allows people to start out,” says Nisson, who says he’s heard from many artists “[that] this is how they got their start doing art shows. They come and they do this and they see what’s possible.”

But the event also features more established artists “who have been in galleries all over the country … so you get a wide range of artistic skill,” he says.

Nisson, a glassblower, and his wife Lucie Nisson, a mosaicist, will have their own work on display at their home. Their backyard garden — an artwork all in itself, with its undulating rows of glass sculptures and flowers organized by color — will likewise be open to the public. (Larry Nisson advises visitors to check out the new rainbow section.)

An interactive map will soon be made available on the Art Hop website, indicating participating residences and a clearly marked route. Nearby restaurants will also be listed on the map so visitors can easily grab a bite to eat after the event. As in previous years, food trucks will also be available on-site.

“The world’s not the happiest place right now, so anything that can be done to make it better — create more joy — I’m in favor of,” Larry Nisson says. “This marks all those boxes.”