Scouting Out the NYC Affordable Art Fair 2013

It's a good day for art lovers. Tonight's the preview party for the Spring Affordable Art Fair. The show runs from April 3 through April 7 at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Tickets to the party tonight will run you $65 a person and include re-entry during the show's public hours. General Admission is $15 for a one-time use ticket.

With show's of AAF's size and diversity, I opt for one of two strategic approaches:

1. Advance Research I use AAF's Exhibitor List to scout out the participating galleries websites and make a list of booths I'd like to visit. This method definitely has its faults. Galleries don't always specify which artists they'll be featuring, so there is no guarantee that the works of the artists you scope out will be on display at the show.
2. Cruise/Double-back I show up at the opening gong with a show map and a highlighter (yup, like a crazy person). I speed walk through the show in a zig-zag pattern and mark which booths I'd like to re-visit on the map. I stop to chat with gallery owners, pick up business cards and socialize with other guests only on the second pass. This method is more effective, but also more time-consuming/generally embarrassing (particularly if you're the type of speed walker who uses rapid arm thrusting to maintain a fast clip.) And it's practicable exclusively if you attend solo.

Is it nuts to be so militaristic about an art fair? TOTALLY. But I tend to get overwhelmed in large, crowded venues. Going in with a game plan preserves my sanity and keeps me focused.

Sadly, I won't be attendance this year. But instead of whining about it, I thought I'd help out you lucky ducks who will be there by scouting out a few artists represented by my favorite exhibitors. This list relies on the advanced research method, so I can't offer any guarantees that you'll see these specific artists represented at the show. But here's hoping!

Sources (clockwise from top left)

1. Light Print 50, by Jason Engelund (11 x 14" Archival Pigment Print, Edition of 50), Modernbook Gallery
2. Escape, by Franklin Alvarez Fortun (11 x 14" Print, Edition of 250), Art Star
3. Ocean (Part 2), by Fusako Kuyama (39.4 x 39.4" Paper on Screen Panels (diptych)), Onishi Project
4. Red Stairway, by John Aquilino (30 x 24" Oil on Canvas - 2012), Fraser Gallery
5. Green Path Diptych, by Mauricio Morillas (18 x 12" each, Mixed Media on Wood Panel), ArtMix
6. Untitled Billboard No. 2, by Mark Hartman (20 x 20" Archival Pigment Print, Edition of 25), Luster NYC
7. Notice, by Su-Man Park, NineGallery

Sources (clockwise from top left)

1. Two Girls, Bondi, by James Hawke (1000 x 1000 mm Oil on Canvas), Bicha Gallery
2. A Happy Girl, by Sienna Freeman (11 x 14" Framed Mixed Media Collage), Modernbook Gallery
3. Gents, by Eric Ogden (16 x 20" Archival Pigment Print, Edition of 25), Luster NYC
4. The Red Canopy, by Antoine Rose, Emmanuel Fremin Gallery
5. 2447, by Luis Feito (45 x 57" Oil on Canvas - 2009), Art Angler

Enjoy the show for me! And don't forget to buy your tickets in advance.