User:JWMiller87

The Fairy Doors of Ann Arbor, MI are a series of small doors that are a type of installation art found in Ann Arbor, MI. The first one appeared in the baseboards of Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea on April 7th, 2005. Since then, eight more have shown up around Ann Arbor (as well as a "goblin door" parody), and seven of the original doors still exist.

History

On the morning of April 7th, 2005, the first fairy door appeared inside Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea. It is believed that it was installed by Jonathon 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. On June 9, 2005, Jefferson Market installed a door, but the store closed in October 2007. The Ann Arbor Framing Co. installed the next door on August 17, 2005, but closed in the summer of 2008. The concert hall The Ark hosted the next door and it appeared August 25, 2005. The furniture and gift store Red Shoes was next, and it appeared on November 17, 2005. The eighth door was installed in the back of Nicola's Books on September 8th, 2006. The ninth and final door was installed in the Ann Arbor District Library on November 4, 2006 .

Locations and Descriptions

Of the original nine Ann Arbor 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 white bricks framing the door. The door at The Ark can be found on the left side of what once was the ticket booth. The door mimics the style of the building and is a simple brown with a stained-glass window. The door at Red Shoes is located both inside and out, directly to the right of the entrance. The small red door is a near-exact replica of the actual entrance, and inside the store is a small white door similar to the doors found inside the building. Written on the red door outside is Ours 123-4:5683?, which is a take on the real entrance that lists the store hours. The Ann Arbor District Library door is a more complex and complete creation. The door is found on the end of the Fairytale 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. The last door, at Nicola's Books in the Westgate Shopping Center on Jackson Rd., is set above the fireplace in the back of the store. It is a dark brown door and the frame is made of two fake books Andersen's Fairy Tales and Cinderella and Other Italian Fairy Tales.

Local Response

The fairy doors have taken on a cult following in Ann Arbor. 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 guestbooks 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 Jonathon 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 Michigan Daily, the University of Michigan's student newspaper published an article titled "Are Real Life Fairies A2's Busiest Carpenters?" on October 12, 2010. The Washington Post published an article on April 23, 2006 titled "Ann Arbor Proudly Presents: The Doors" . The general attitude toward the fairy doors is that of mysticism and childlike adoration.

Other Doors

The fairy doors have made appearances in the neighboring towns as well. An Ypsilanti woman installed 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.