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art fairs & shows in NYC

ArtSceneToday takes a look at art fairs and shows in NYC and beyond to help artists and art lovers figure out which is best for them. We welcome suggestions on fairs to cover.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR

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Looking to make high quality, contemporary affordable art accessible to everyone, Will Ramsay broke the mold of the traditional art fair by creating the Affordable Art Fair in 1999. Today its mission continues to be to serve a broad market from the first time and curious visitor to the more seasoned art collector, by maintaining quality exhibitors.

Now in nine locations around the world, the Affordable Art Fair proves that you don’t need to be an art expert or a billionaire to have original works of art by living artists. Taking place annually in Amsterdam, Bristol, Brussels, London (spring and fall), Melbourne, Milan, New York (spring and fall), North London, Singapore, and Sydney, nearly $250 million worth of art has been sold at the fairs. The success of the brand continues with the estimated millionth visitor to Affordable Art Fair expected in 2011.

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Victoria Kovalenchikova

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Micah Ganske

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Silivia Sanjuro

exhibition requirements

• The Affordable Art Fair is a fine art fair promoting original contemporary art, by living artists.

• At least three artists are required per gallery exhibitor, with exceptions allowed for sponsors, educational partners, and special installations only.

• At least 75% of the work in each booth needs to be below $5,000 with a ceiling price of $10,000 on any one work of art, and all work must be original, with regulations on editions.

Applications are available online or by contacting Nikki Iacovella:

Phone: +1 212 255 2003 Email: nikki@aafnyc.com

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Colleen Wallace

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ast bottom line

This is a high quality, well organized and marketed venue. There are few minuses but, or the most part, they are outweighed by the pluses.

for artists: While it's not accesible for individual artists to exhibit on their own, it's certainly worth participating in if you can get gallery representation. There is great exposure to art buyers, galleries and decorators for on the spot buying or future reference. It is pricey, so make sure you're clear about any expense for you. At any rate, it's a great place to see great art...get inspired, get motivated!

VISITOR INFO: Fall 2011

for galleries: It's a big commitment of time and money but the return on investment could be worth it. While there's no guarantee with sales, most gallerists seemed pleased with the results; not only by selling artwork but opening their reach to a broader, more diverse international market. For first-timers, make sure you ask a LOT of questions to understand total costs and obligations. Attend one first to see first-hand what is done...but remember there will always be something you missed or got wrong.

EXHIBITOR INFO: Fall 2011

for buyers: Whether you're looking for your first serious art purchase (mass-produced prints from Target don't count) or adding to your current collection, this is a great place to pick up quality artwork in a wide range of prices. Nothing is over $10,000, galleries are required to have work under $5,000 and many sell pieces (prints and photography) for under $100.

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ArtSceneToday Q&A

with Affordable Art Fair

AST: What was the overall result of the show?

AAF: The Spring edition of the Affordable Art Fair NYC was outstanding, and we welcomed nearly 10,500 visitors –an increase of 2,000 from the Fall 2010 fair. Art sales increased as well by over half a million dollars from the Fall fair.

AST: Given today’s volatile economic climate were expectations met and were those expectations lower than previous years?

AAF: Our goal is always to improve the fair from edition to edition, regardless of external factors. We aimed to cross the 10,000 threshold in attendance and well surpassed that goal. Overall, art sales show that it was not just an increase in visitor numbers but also a rise in attendees to appreciate and buy art.

AST: What does this show accomplish or provide that’s different from other shows that also cater to more affordable art, like the recent The Artist’s Project.

AAF: The Artist’s Project is a great model, and the work offered for sale is actually in the same range as the Affordable Art Fair, but overall we differ vastly from each other. Whereas the Artist’s Project only presents work by individual artists, our fair brings together an international and local range of galleries presenting at least three artists per booth—giving the visitor more to appreciate. All of the work at the Affordable Art Fair is original, contemporary art with any edition work being required to have a minimal edition size and with direct involvement of the artist –nothing can be mass-produced.

AST: Were there any changes to the way the show was organized or executed this year?

AAF: As always, we aim to present new and updated programming. In particular, our Spring Affordable Art Fair NYC, in collaboration with Kat Griefen from A.I.R. Gallery, was elated to celebrate women artists with nine galleries exhibiting only work by women artists, special installations by female artists, a Recent Graduate Exhibition curated by Sam Vernon with all unrepresented female artists, and numerous educational programs hosted by A.I.R. Gallery. The artxwomen section was the first of its kind at any art fair, to our knowledge.

The Fair also partnered with LittleCollector.com to host terrific kids programming, ArtStar.com for a live artist studio and collecting talks, and Aperture for photography discussions.

AST: What was the response from the artists? Did the show meet their expectations?

AAF: We do not work with individual artists, with exceptions for artist studios, installations, and the recent graduate section, and those individuals were very pleased with the fair. Our exhibitors, gallerists, were all delighted with the results of the fair and look forward to returning again next year.

AST: What was the general feedback from attendees?

Our visitor surveys, online and onsite, all rated the quality of the fair, staff, programming, art, and exhibitors very highly. Nearly 85% of the visitors have said they would happily attend the next addition of the fair, which is September 22-25, 2011 at 7 West (7 West 34^th Street).

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