Ferndale Artist to Exhibit at Ann Arbor Art Fair

Ferndale artist Kaiser Suidan will show his work Wednesday, July 17, through Saturday, July 20, at the Ann Arbor Art Fair.

He will be among hundreds of exhibitors and more than 500,000 visitors expected to participate in the 54th annual festival, which actually is four shows rolled into one.

Suidan, who owns Next Step Studio & Gallery in Ferndale, creates art installations, as well as furniture.

"Kaiser Suidan's creative process has been inspired throughout his career by his interest in the geometrical forms of nature," the Next Step website says. "From his early bi-conical pieces to more recent installations such as 'Gun Metal Cubes,' Kaiser never tires of recasting ideas and exploring the limits of ceramic form."

Suidan – who does shows in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere throughout the United States – said the sprawling Ann Arbor Art Fair is the only exhibition he attends in Michigan.

"It's usually hot. You're there from 9 to 9," he said. "It's a hard show."

While he took issue with the Ann Arbor Art Fair's expansion during the past 15 years he's been an exhibitor, Suidan was more optimistic about the changes he's seen in Ferndale during that time period.

He also has been a Ferndale resident for the past 15 years and moved from his previous studio on West Marshall to his current space on Hilton Road approximately 8 years ago, Suidan said.

"Traffic has about doubled on Hilton Road in the last 10 years or so," he said. "(Ferndale's) centrally located; it's easy to find. It's affordable – you can't get this in Birmingham, that's for sure."

If you go

• What: 54th annual Ann Arbor Art Fair.
• When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, through Friday, July 19; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 20.
• Where: Downtown Ann Arbor. Click here for parking and shuttle information. Click here to print a map of the art fair.
• Cost: Free.
• What else: Call 800-888-9487, email info@annarbor.org or "Like" the Ann Arbor Art Fair on Facebook for more information.