Affordable Art Fair
Affordable Art Fair is an international, contemporary art fair held in nine countries around the world. Launched in Battersea Park, London, England, in 1999, Affordable Art Fair is an international event in thirteen cities: London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Hamburg, Stockholm, New York, Austin, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.[1][2] In 2025, Affordable Art Fair will appear in Vienna, Austria.
The fairs take place annually, with the exceptions of Battersea and New York, which hold spring and autumn editions that run across four days. Affordable Art Fairs showcase talks, programs, and artist-led workshops, and most also provide art-based activities for children.
Founded by Will Ramsay, Affordable Art Fair was organized as an alternative to the traditional gallery scene.[3] With its price ceiling of £7,500/€10,00/$12,000, the fairs aim to appeal to and make art accessible to all.[4][5] The fairs attract over 200,000 visitors each year.[6]
In 2024, Affordable Art Fair celebrates its 25th anniversary.[7]
Employing nearly seventy people full-time, Affordable Art Fair has offices in every city in which it operate.
History
[edit]The first fair was launched in Battersea Park in London in October 1999.[8] Affordable Art Fair presented a second event in Battersea Park to showcase different artists from the October event. In the same year, a fair was presented in Bristol in September.
In 2002, the Affordable Art Fair launched a fair in New York. In 2007, the company began to expand in Europe, starting with a fair in Amsterdam. 2012 saw the Affordable Art Fair launch in five additional cities, and it operated in Hong Kong in 2013. In 2014, for the fourth year in a row, Affordable Art Fair was voted a CoolBrand in the UK, nominated by the British public and the CoolBrand council.[9]
Affordable Art Fair is owned by Ramsay Fairs, which also owns the British Art Fair, a Modern and Contemporary Art fair that takes place every autumn at the Saatchi Gallery in London, and VOLTA, an art fair in Switzerland (Basel) and the USA (New York).[10]
In 2020, in-person fairs were cancelled and went online due to the pandemic.[11] The fairs returned as in-person events in 2021.[12]
Charitable work
[edit]According to Affordable Art Fair, it has donated over £1 million since 1999. In 2016, the company unified its approach to charitable work by ensuring that every fair worked with an Art Therapy charity. As well as donating money, the events provide a platform on which charities can raise awareness of their activities, fundraise, and connect with new supporters. They have worked with The Sovereign Art Foundation and North London Hospice.[13][14][15]
References
[edit]- ^ London, Luxury (11 March 2021). "The best art fairs and events in London 2021 | Art | Culture". Luxury London. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "The Affordable Art Fair brings art enthusiasts together". The Milan City Journal. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Olley, Cat (4 March 2020). "Find out what Will Ramsay is reading, watching and listening to right now". ELLE Decoration. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "A View from the top: Will Ramsay, founder and CEO of the Affordable Art Fair". The Independent. 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Affordable Art Fair | New York". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "As the Affordable Art Fair Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary, Young Buyers Find Its Transparency and Accessibility More Relevant Than Ever". Artnet News. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Affordable Art Fair: Democratising the Art Market for 25 Years, Now in 14 Countries Worldwide". Country and Town House. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ "Affordable Art Fair Battersea | info + insights | artfairmag.com". artfairmag.com | All about art fairs worldwide. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Affordable Art Fair" Archived October 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. CoolBrands, UK, 2012.
- ^ Armstrong, Annie (18 October 2019). "Volta Art Fair, Whose New York Edition Was Scuttled Earlier This Year, Has Been Sold". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ hermesauto (3 September 2020). "Affordable Art Fair cancels upcoming 11th edition". The Straits Times. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Affordable Art Fair New York 2021". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ "Founder of Affordable Art Fair explains his art-for-all philosophy". South China Morning Post. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Charity partnership with the Affordable Art Fair raises funds and awareness". Arts Emergency. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Imperial Health Charity named official charity partner for Affordable Art Fair - Imperial Health Charity". Imperial Health Charity. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- Local media reports for:
- Production of Affordable Art.com