POP-X Festival in Ann Arbor started as part of a long-term vision to encourage the visual arts in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Seeing what other communities nation-wide are doing to enrich their visual arts experiences, a small core group of people in Ann Arbor set long-term goals for our local cultural enhancement. We want more temporary and permanent privately-funded but publicly-accessed art and arts experiences. We want to support our own local artists and to attract non-local artists, to create, exhibit, inspire and even to move here. Our community will also benefit because investment in cultural arts fuels economic development.
Our intentions include enabling people of all ages and all demographics, artists and non-artists alike, to have opportunities to learn art skills, create things, and work collaboratively with others to make shared community arts projects.
Enter POP-X festival in Ann Arbor, a ten-day pop-up visual arts festival, free and open to the public. It includes nine architect-designed 10’ X 10’ pavilions, each filled with an elaborate display of art with its own theme. Each pavilion is a complete statement, created by one artist or a collaboration of artists. Themes this year include Home, Picnic, Immigration, Dinner, and Voyeurism. This is not an “art fair” nor primarily a sale of art. Activities that complement these exhibitions include daily live music, panel discussions related to using creativity and design, art demonstrations, communal dinners, field trips, etc.
Although the 2015 POP·X is a stand-alone attraction that will provide inspiration, education, entertainment, fun, and community sharing, it is also our pilot demonstration to encourage others to start thinking about how they might like to participate in future POP·X’s. Stay tuned to the Ann Arbor Art Center, which will be curating future festivals.
We invite everyone in southeast Michigan as well as visitors from further away to come and see and participate. Join us.
By Lucie Nisson, Founding Parnter