FAIRIE DOORS OF ANN ARBOROn the morning of April 7th, 2005, the first public fairy door

appeared outside Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea. It is believed that it was installed by Jonathan B. Wright, creator of www.urban-fairies.com and author of the children's book Who's Behind the Fairy Doors?. The next was installed outside of the Ann Arbor gift store Peaceable Kingdom, and appeared on April 17, 2005. The third door was found on May 11, 2005 outside of the Selo-Shevel Gallery art gallery. And so on…….

Of the original ten public Ann Arbor fairy doors, seven still exist in and around the downtown Ann Arbor area.

The door at Sweetwaters is located inside, down on the baseboards opposite the counter. It is a simple white door with small details mimicking the detailing found outside the cafe.

The door at the Peaceable Kingdom is located outside, to the right of the entrance, and a small "fairy gift store" is visible inside.

The Selo-Shevel Gallery door is found on the Liberty St. side of the building, at sidewalk level. It is a simple red door with tiny grey bricks framing the door. The door mimics the style of the building and is a simple brown with a stained-glass window.

The Ann Arbor District Library door is a more complex and complete creation. The door is found on the end of the Fairy tale and Folklore bookshelf in the Youth Department. It's a small blue double door with a teal frame and an entire room set inside of "books" like the Encyclopædia Britannica and Hans Christian Anderson's Eighty Fairy Tales. Inside you can see a small table, decorated walls, and other furniture.

Examples are not exact representations

Local Response

The fairy doors have taken on a cult following in Ann Arbor and surrounding small towns such as Dexter where the first rural fairy door and its portal can be found. The local children leave gifts in the hopes that real fairies will receive them. Some presents left at the doors include pennies and nickels, drawings, tiny packages, candies, and shiny rocks. Some of the doors, like the one found in Sweetwaters, have guest books nearby for visitors to write reflections, stories, draw fairies, and ask questions. Sometimes a "fairy" will answer the questions in the journals. The Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce and some of the businesses with fairy doors hand out maps and sell copies of Jonathan B. Wright's Who's Behind the Fairy Doors? and posters with pictures of each door and its location. Many articles, including local and national, have been published regarding the doors.

The general attitude toward the fairy doors is that of mysticism and childlike adoration.

Other DoorsThe fairy doors have made appearances in the neighboring towns as well. An Ypsilanti woman found a fairy door in the base of a tree on her front lawn. Saline, to the southwest, held a "Fairy Door Treasure Hunt" event in the spring of 2010.

Nearby Dexter held a fairy door art exhibition and contest around the same time and plans to hold it annually. The goblin door is a "sinister" version of the fairy doors and is a little taller than the fairy doors. It is located in Ann Arbor between The Ark and Seyfried Jewelers on South Main St.

SECRET DOORS OF EMS.GROUP PROJECT WITH PHOTOGRAPHY

We are going to make doors for the ‘little people’ of mythology. These doors are based on the doors of Anarbor Michigan and will be placed in a specific site in or outside of the school The photography class will be adding images to the doors or windows of your design so collaboration is key.

Begin by thinking of where your secret door will be. The location of the door will determine what the door style should reflect. Walk around the school.Think of all the areas inside and outside the school. The doors will be what we (loosely) call an ‘installation’ in contemporary art. It can also be considered environmental art. We want to carefully consider the location of the door and its relationship with the site.(Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space.)

1.Research door styles on the net or in the library. Look under ‘old doors’, antiques, or doors in architecture: Italian, French, English, Dutch, German, Hungary etc. etc.

2.Find at least 6 images; copy / paste into a word document. (do not save)

3.Print off at least 6 different door styles for a good selection of ideas. KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE ARCHITECTURAL DOORS AND NOT FAIRY DOORS SOMEONE ELSE HAS DESIGNED. Stay away from clichés.

4.Draw your own design with the help of your research into your sketch book. Remember the location you have chosen is important to the design of your door. The door size should be around 8” x 8” ??? Do not go much larger since the construction is more difficult. This will be the template for you to trace on to the clay slab.

5.Clay will be the base medium you will be working in with other materials to add to the sculpture after it is fired. Keep in mind you will need to leave holes or other forms of attaching materials. Windows either in the door surround or the door itself will be helpful since this will be a joint project with the photography class.

6.A shadow box to hold the photo will be installed after the door is completed.

7.You will add/ build other architectural elements to the exterior surrounding the door. Some things to consider:• Will there be a stair case or a window in the door or beside the door? • Plants or a garden? • Will there be other living things?• How will the door interact with other students? Re: as did the community of Ann Arbor leaving gifts and messages.

8.You will want people to come to your doorway and have some form of interaction whether that be in the form of a fairy guest book, a place to leave things for the fairies and a map for example to find their way to the door.

What do the stories of the fairies tell you about the culture of the country? Culture: beliefs/disbeliefs, codes of behavior; (manners, values, morals), means of survival/livelihood, daily life.Break into groups and read about the myths (?) of the little people, and share your findings. Choose a type of fairy and use its unique qualities to help determine where its 'doorway' might be found in or around the school.

Make a map of their door for the other students to find. The map should have an artistic design as well as relate to the type or personality of the fairy.