Great art, great people.
The Sunday Artisan Market offers original, handmade work by dozens of artists and crafters in a wide range of media, from traditional to cutting-edge. All work is made and sold by the artists themselves, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about the creative processes and the materials used. Some artists even work and give demonstrations while at the Market.
For many visitors, the Market is a Sunday destination, part of a full day’s entertainment within easy walking distance — breakfast, lunch, or dinner at one of the neighborhood restaurants (Zingerman’s Deli among them); gourmet grocery shopping at Sparrow Market; local shopping at the People’s Food Co-Op; specialty shopping at Kerrytown Shops; gourmet coffee, tea, and goodies at Sweetwaters Cafe, and a stroll through the historic Kerrytown™ District.
The Artisan Market was founded in 1991 by a collective of artists and crafters who envisioned an affordable, accessible venue in which to sell their work and learn the business of “doing art” in a community with other artists. This original idea continues to grow and expand with the support of the greater Ann Arbor community and its commitment to the development of public and private art. The Market actively recruits artists, food and service vendors, and family-friendly entertainment.
Our Story
In 1991, a handful of artists and crafters from the Ann Arbor Farmers Market proposed to the city a need for a third market day, on Sunday, for the artists and crafters who could not get good spaces at the Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Thus began The Artisan Market, which would occupy the same location as the Farmers’ Market.
The Artisan Market was operated by the city of Ann Arbor until 2006, when the Market established autonomy and became its own entity – organized, operated, and funded by the artists themselves.
The organization later changed its name to The Sunday Artisan Market. Its vendors established bylaws and other documents that would serve as the foundation for governing the Market and its overall objective: to provide local, handmade products created by the very people who sell them.
More than thirty years later, the Market has become a fixture in Kerrytown™ . Our loyal and longtime customers – as well as our newer ones – have helped our Market and its artists thrive for over three decades. Our artists and our customers continue to be a part of our history … and our future.
Our Passion
We love art, we love people, and we love sharing our art with people. Bringing our creations to the market every Sunday for nine months each year is a unique and rewarding experience. The Market affords us the opportunity to display and sell our products, and get to know our customers. Whether our visitors are simply inquiring about how we create our art, or are buying one of our unique creations, it’s the engagement with our customers that makes our Market a personal and satisfying experience.
Our Commitment
Whether you’re a regular customer or are visiting our Market for the first time, we’re glad you’re spending part of your Sunday with us. We want you to enjoy your time here and come back and see us again. Our vendors look forward to meeting you and want to be a part of making your Market experience enjoyable and memorable.
We’re all about “keeping it local.” Our artists are local — most live in and around southeast Michigan – and they make their products by hand. They pack their creations carefully into their vehicles, drive to the Market, set up their displays, and offer amazing works of art and crafts for sale. They brave the heat and humidity in the summer, and the cold and dampness in the winter to bring our customers something unique, something new, and something you won’t find in the store: the person who made it.
We support our community and our community supports us.