The Affordable Art Fair opened September 22, 2022, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, continuing New York’s fall art season circuit on the heels of the Armory Show, Independent Art Fair, Spring/Break Art Show, Art on Paper, and the Clio Art Fair.
The art world is just now starting to come out of the downturn period of the COVID-19 pandemic and is actively trying to revive the art fair market. The Affordable Art Fair served up an array of art following the 2022 NYC art fair trend by offering a wide range of works, styles, mediums, qualities, and price points in order to capture sales – a marketing strategy which is based on serving up as much variety as possible to the audience and art buyers.
The Affordable Fair, like the Armory Show, was a collection of gallery booths packed with artworks. There were only a few galleries which had curated offerings based either on specific artists, styles, or colors. A handful of galleries had works showcasing a single artist. The collective conscience at the show was to fill the gallery’s booth with multitudes of artworks from their inventors. As you toured the fair’s aisles, the space took on a feeling of an art shopping mart, rather than a curated collection that represents the trends in contemporary art today.
Galleries and dealers seem to be offering a wider range of art in hopes of attracting more sales through a variety of buyers looking for different styles and mediums – from abstractions, semi- representative artworks, and pieces that feel particularly difficult to categorize.
To help generate sales and encourage collecting and buying, the Affordable Art Fair had several programs set to encourage spending – kicking off with an event titled “Private Views”. In order to boost sales and stay true to its name, the ‘Affordable’ Art Fair showcased wall displays and marketing information about ART MONEY and how to purchase art through their payment program, which offered 10% percent down to the gallery and 10 payments over 10 months. This truly makes art approachable and affordable to first time collectors, lovers and buyers. The Fair also featured a curated display titled “Art Under $500”.
The Affordable Art Fair also included a program with a family-oriented twist – “Stroller hours”, a fun, accessible way for parents to enjoy the fair, discover art and shop with their little ones hassle free before the public opening from 10:00-1:00 p.m. In this pandemic down-turn economy, and with rising inflation, selling art at a lower price point can be a struggle, especially up against auction houses and mega fairs. The Affordable Fair must work very hard to compete for sufficient space in the art buying marketplace.
The fair’s 2022 NYC edition includes 70 plus local, national, and international galleries, representing over 400 artists from around the world. Art sales on the opening day, Thursday, September 22 boasted over 180 artworks sold, totaling $300,000. The fair is projecting an attendance of over 10,000 visitors who dropped by to browse and purchase pieces during its 4-day period. The fair’s price range for artwork for sale is $100 to $10,000.
