Yokohama, Japan will host the nation's first open-air art fair. The event's creator was inspired to plan the event after attending the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, in 2008. Not only is the Yokohama art fair the first of its kind in Japan, it aims to change the climate of art in town and across the nation. It should be a unique experience for locals and participating artists alike. A dozen Ann Arbor Street Art Fair artists are participating in the event, including last year's featured artist, Julie Fremuth. I think it's a positive story about sharing ideas across the ocean, and how art can shift culture.

Read how "Japan's first outdoor art fair draws inspiration, artists from Ann Arbor event" 

Living in a walkable neighborhood is a priority for me and many other Ann Arbor residents. Walking, biking, and utilizing mass transit saves people money, supports a green lifestyle, frees up roads, and keeps people healthy and in shape. Beyond those benefits, walking gives me great enjoyment and makes me feel better connected to people and places in my town. I shared some of my personal thoughts on walkability and public transportation with www.letssavemichigan.com. My new blog captures my own subjective experience - more so than any of my formal news articles. Please consider leaving comments on Let's Save Michigan's page. I'd be interested to hear your own stories about walking, riding the bus, biking - or even how much you love your car. What do you think?

Read and comment on "Notes on Walkability from a Walker" 

Washtenaw County's annual two-day Ann Arbor Art Walk is getting bigger every year. The 10th installment will run Friday, Oct. 9, from 5 - 10 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon - 5 p.m. The event features open houses at local galleries, exhibition spaces, and working artist studios; and kickoff parties in each of the event's seven distinct areas - in Ann Arbor (four different areas), Ypsilanti, Dexter and Saline. For my annarbor.com preview of the event, I spoke with planners about how Art Walk has grown over the last ten years, and how the event's goals fit into a broader mission of cultural development in Washtenaw County. 

Discover Washtenaw County's creativity at the 10th annual Art Walk.

Image credit: "Circle 5" digital print by father and son Paul and Charlie Hickman