Rain Clouds Enjoy Ann Arbor Art Fair More Than Townies

The weather seemed to frequently alternate between sun and storms throughout the duration of the Ann Arbor Art Fair. One night, storm clouds passed through during a sunset, producing a brief but brilliant beautiful sky. 

Arb-Venture!

Finally, a day off from work! My urge to take a hiatus from the stresses of urban intersections leads me to embark on an Arb-Venture! As I wander into the woods, I hear less car motors and more bird chirps, leaves rustling, and steps of the occasional fellow wanderer. Upon reaching the Huron River bank, I perch on the cement steps to absorb water trickle sites and sounds.


The vast acres of land known today as the Nichols Arboretum spawned from a gift of property to the U of M and the City of Ann Arbor in 1907 from multiple private donors, including the Nichols family and the Detroit Edison Company.


While the Arb began as a single minute garden, its curators designed increasingly more sections with a progressively wider selection of plants. Visionaries intended for “both steep and gentle slopes facing every point of the compass; a variety of soils from rich clay to gravel…and a varied native flora that includes species of trees and shrubs…” according to Aubrey Tealdi, former head of the U of M Department of Landscape and Design. Arb framers birthed a natural refuge for the inspiration and relaxation of Ann Arbor town dwellers. Joe Mooney, the Arb’s marketing manager, proclaims that he chooses to work at the Arb  because “...it seemed like a natural fit….It really aligned perfectly with the things that I always loved –– getting out in nature and seeing how beautiful the landscape in Michigan is.”