Mission

WonderFool Productions's mission is to engage communities in inclusive, dynamic, educational, collaborative, and entertaining public art experiences.

We set the stage for commUNITY-built public art experiences in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan that:

Are created by our community for all of our community.

Help people of all ages - and especially youth - find their creative voice, learn new creative skills, build confidence, and connect with their community.

Cultivate paid opportunities for artists and creatives.

Encourage people to make something extraordinary out of the ordinary.

What We Do

We invite people and community partners to participate in creative and educational art-making activities that culminate in community-built public art celebrations. Our seasonal events include:

FestiFools (2007) - a one-hour street theater "parade" in downtown Ann Arbor on a Sunday afternoon in early April of gi-normous papier mache puppets, community artists and performers, initiated by the Art in Public Spaces students in the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts at the University of Michigan.

FoolMoon (2011) - a light-based, illuminated celebration at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market Plaza on the preceding Friday night in April (see above) engaging artists and community thru public art installations, performances, music, dancing and community-led luminary processions. A month-long series of luminary making workshops engages people of all ages in learning creative skills.

This year, rather than cancelling FoolMoon due to COVID-19, WFP quickly shifted to creating a new virtual experience - FoolMoon Reimagined - as a Facebook group and event. Local artists reimagined their art projects/performances for a virtual stage and daily creative prompts built excitement and attracted members to the new group. Nearly 1,300 members joined in the two-week period leading up to the virtual event! This group has now been renamed as FoolMoon CommUNITY with Friday creative prompts to continue the momentum and growing audience engagement.

ypsiGLOW (2016) - a community-built, all ages awesome, celebration of the power of creativity and diversity in Ypsilanti in late October featuring luminary processions, costumes, public art installations, performances, music and dancing. A month-long season of free community creative workshops engage people of all ages in luminary-making in partnership with various community groups and partners. WFP commissions local artists for creative installations, performances and as teaching artists. Invited to create this event by the community, WFP seeks to engage the community's under-served populations in partnership with local organizational partners.