(The Affordable Art Fair runs from 11 am to 7 pm today and 11 am to 5 pm tomorrow. Admission is $10.)
The Affordable Art Fair in Seattle—the only US location for the UK-based franchise besides New York—survived its first year, and round two is upon us. Best about last year: The artists represented by galleries in Seattle and Portland looked great, particularly compared to the pap that came from elsewhere. No matter how little bad art costs, it's not affordable.
Prices are limited to $100 to $10,000, though a $20,000 vintage photograph was found at last year's event, and most of the art was in the $1,000 to $5,000 range, which mostly excludes those with less than a rent payment to spend. Fairs survive by charging dealers for the booths, and the dealers must sell enough art—or make enough connections—to justify the rental. It's always a gamble.
This year, 49 galleries are coming to Seattle's Affordable Art Fair, compared to 45 last year. The fuller story, unfortunately, is that some of the best regional dealers will be notably absent...
