Art Outta Town: How Shared Arts Experiences Help U-M Students Connect Beyond Campus
Freshman Sushma Paul, Art Outta Town participant, looks through items at a crochet stand during the Funky Ferndale fair on Sunday afternoon.
Art Outta Town trips—six free annual excursions offered by the University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative—give students access to unique off-campus arts experiences they might not otherwise have. This September, Ferndale hosted an Art Fair filled with local artists selling prints, plushies, pins, paintings, and more. With a live band playing in the background and food trucks in the corners, the fair was structured so that you never had to leave. There were so many rows of tents, you could spend hours just browsing different pieces of art before actually picking something to buy. The city was simply buzzing with life and energy. There was even a small subset of the fair dedicated to student artwork from a local school.
Ferndale is about a forty minute bus ride away from Ann Arbor, and for 17 students, it’s a long way to go alone. With Art Outta Town though, they were given the opportunity to meet other students on their way to the fair and forge connections through a shared love and excitement for art.
In Winter 2025, the Arts Initiative partnered with Wolverine Wellness and University Health & Counseling (UHC) to survey more than 1,400 students about loneliness on campus and their openness to arts experiences as a form of non-clinical, supplemental care for social isolation. The results were clear: 73% of students said they’d be more likely to attend an arts event if they knew a fellow U-M student would be there, highlighting the powerful role of social connection in motivating arts participation.
That’s where programs like Art Outta Town come in. Participants don’t have to worry about planning or logistics—the details are handled for them. U-M student Sushma Paul didn’t even know about the Funky Ferndale Art Fair until she spotted it on the Arts Initiative website. Drawn by her “interest in arts and crafts,” she joined the trip, found the group “welcoming and friendly,” and left with a pair of handmade strawberry earrings—and plans to sign up for more.
Sushma’s story reflects a common theme: connection through creativity. The Funky Ferndale Art Fair had something for everyone, and no one in the group left empty-handed. Like Art Meetups, Art Outta Town trips give students the chance to explore nearby arts communities while building new friendships. The Student Life Survey Report reinforces this idea—students are “more likely to go to a show” if they have someone to sit with. By joining an Arts Initiative outing, even if you start the day solo, you’ll likely end it with shared experiences and new friends.
Whether you’re an artist or simply an admirer, the U-M Arts Initiative offers countless ways to connect, create, and discover joy through the arts—on campus and beyond.
