Photo Essay: FoolMoon Over Ann Arbor
Every Sunday in March, the Workantile Exchange – a coworking space at 118 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor – is hosting a series of workshops for FoolMoon, a new event that’s happening in conjunction with this year’s FestiFools street parade. While FestiFools will feature oversized puppets parading down Main Street on Sunday, April 3 from 4-5 p.m., FoolMoon will take place on the evening of Friday, April 1. Starting at 8:30 p.m., processions of paraders carrying hand-made illuminated sculptures will emerge from four different locations in Ann Arbor and converge downtown at Washington & Main for musical and shadow puppet shows – and who knows what else?
A moon's-eye view of luminary-makers at the March 6, 2011 FoolMoon workshop, held at the Workantile Exchange in downtown Ann Arbor. FestiFools asked Jimmie Thompson (former Michigan Artist of the Year) to direct the workshops.
The WorkEx workshops run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – they are free, and are open to all. If you’d like some help in creating your lantern, here’s a video that gives some guidance. Alternatively, FoolMoon Luminary Sculpture Kits are being sold at several local stores. The kits cost $20, contain all the materials needed to make a koi-shaped lantern, and are available at these Ann Arbor businesses: Downtown Home and Garden, Peaceable Kingdom, Acme Mercantile, Ace Barnes Hardware, B-Green, Yourist Studio Gallery, Found, and Trillium Realty.
On Sunday, March 6, local photographer Myra Klarman captured the action at the WorkEx. See anyone you know?
A family with their octopus luminary wireframe in progress.
Rick Cronn holds his wireframe of a giant head.
Elaine Reed covers her bird wireframe with a layer of tape.
Don Watts begins to assemble his wireframe.
Glueing tissue paper onto a luminary.
Kit Eagal at work on a giant fish.
Meryl Waldo shows off the FoolMoon Luminary Sculpture Kit (she is also the spokesmodel featured on the package). Several retailers in the Ann Arbor area are selling the kits for $20 and giving the proceeds back to FestiFools.
Workantile Exchange community manager Trek Glowacki works with a group on their luminary.
Debra Golden shapes wire for her fish luminary.
Ben and Anna Clingenpeel work together to assemble their wireframe.
Genia Service, Gary Service, Tom McMurtrie, and Garnet Bernier team up to build a Mario Mushroom luminary.