12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS LIVING ARCHIVE JULY 10, 2026 Is the Art Fair? Now that the Ann Arbor Art Fair is just around the corner, many vendors are becoming anxious about whether or not they will maintain their sales levels during this busy week. Despite the fact that this is a venue where visitors from all over the world gather to observe works of art, the Groundcover News vendors must curtail their sales because the Art Fair encompasses much of the area where vendors are often stationed. Under current city rules, our only presence is the nonprofit booth where Art Fair attendees can stop by, make a purchase or just learn about the street paper. This, however, still restricts the sales of vendors because our time at the booth is limited to two-hour slots. The painful reality is that while the general public relishes this event for its own pleasure, for vendors it is a time for reduced sales and increased stress because an error in judgement over boundary restrictions could result in a fine which would take a toll on alreadystrained incomes. Even though vendors are able to sell elsewhere during this week, we are not allowed where all the activities are But the wary public dodges the issue of poverty and homelessness and it is not a stretch to think that city policies are contributing to this dilemma. The language on our permits is specific: “All peddler/solicitor permits are INVALID during Ann Arbor Art Fair.” The chilling reality is that the laws ELIZABETH "LIT" KURTZ Groundcover vendor No. 159 taking place inside the fair. Instead we must greet already-wary customers on the far peripheries, hoping to somehow gain their attention as they enter and exit the event. Groundcover should be welcomed at every event — not just on the merit of the paper, but because it represents the acceptance of those who are marginalized. While we are facing the crisis of homelessness, nothing in society should be business as usual, and it seems unfair that some have the luxury of enjoying the superfluities of life at the expense of others who can barely survive. that govern Groundcover sales within the Art Fair have not been revised in over three decades. When this permit went into effect, there had been no cuts to the federal housing budget. But since that time, the second-greatest recession in our nation’s history has left its aftermath of homelessness and extreme poverty. No city event should be a place for the public to forget that these problems exist, but rather should offer an opportunity to engage the Groundcover community further. To comprehend that vendors are not beggars, but are selling a product designed to eliminate the economic barriers and those of misunderstanding that exist between the haves and the have-nots. No venue should be off-limits for Groundcover to present this simple, yet powerful message. Originally published in the July 2016 edition of Groundcover Since their inception in the 1980s, street papers have transformed many lives with their simple win-win concept. I am convinced that once we are allowed a presence in the Art Fair, the lives of the thousands of visitors who make the annual trek to Ann Arbor Art Fair will be enriched by everything Groundcover News has to offer. Gratitude to Chuck Warpehoski – ban lifted! ELIZABETH "LIT" KURTZ It seems rare when two entities sync and create positive change. It happened last month when Groundcover News, designed to link us to the larger community, and the City of Ann Arbor solved a perplexing issue that had dogged the Groundcover since its inception. In a previous July 2016 article entitled “Is the Art Fair?” I bemoaned that the lack of Groundcover News representation at the July Art Fair seemed unfair. The article mentioned the dilemma faced by Groundcover vendors during Art Fair of being confined to only one booth. Almost before the ink set, Councilman Chuck Warpehoski was contacted about the problem by Groundcover editor Lee Alexander and he set about finding solutions to the dilemma. Without hesitation, Warpehoski went to work untangling the conundrum. It turned out there is an existing clause that allows vendors to sell under a Charitable Solicitation Permit. This recognizes us as being members of a community of people who are marginalized, and therefore have the right to ask for a donation. This by no means suggests that vendors are not entrepreneurs, as we are. But as with all street papers, our work is done under the umbrella of a nonprofit, which allows us to ask for donations. Thanks to Chuck’s MacGyver-like efforts, within a week of the article being published, another councilman approached me outside of the YMCA where I was selling and asked if I had heard the news. Councilman Chip Smith informed me that we would be allowed to sell within the Art Fairs. I was ecstatic. We are indeed fortunate that we are among the cities that have a street paper, which allows the general public an opportunity to connect to us in a meaningful, safe manner. We are even more fortunate to have a caring, proactive Councilman who works on our behalf. For that, we are more than grateful. Originally published in the August 2016 edition of Groundcover. Because of Kurtz' 2016 advoacy, Groundcover vendors have been selling newspapers during the Art Fair for 10 years— confidently — knowing they are protected by their Chartitable Solicitation permit. Support a Groundcover vendor if you visit the 2026 Art Fair for yourself!
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