Art & Object Fall Fair 2024

treat. There’s also the people-watching. That alone often makes art fairs worth it. They’re unique opportunities to meet and speak with artists and gallery per sonnel, and mingle with art lovers, col lectors, and characters galore. Now, all this is great, but the same time, art fairs can be overwhelming and intimidating, and such feelings are entirely understandable, especial ly if you’re not familiar with the terri tory, how the art is presented, how to get around, how to talk or ask about or buy art, and also what you might call the risk of stimulation inundation. In other words, it’s easy to get “all arted out” if you don’t have a plan. So here’s a crash course in how to approach, dissect, digest, inquire, buy, and get the most out of any art fair experience anywhere. Start by doing some advance prep. Visit the fair’s website. Read the “About” section for an introduction to the basics, history, and what the fair is known for. Next, pretty much any significant art fair lists all exhibitors and partici pants on its website. Head over there to see who’s on the docket, what they spe cialize in, what they might be showing, where they’re from, etc. Click any links that seem interesting, visit the dealers’ websites, and take a closer look at their art and artists. If you like what you see and want to see more, make a note to visit their booths. Do the same with any artists whose work engages you, as well. Another way to get an idea of what exhibitors will be showing is by check ing out their social media, and maybe even following them. Don’t forget to visit any related hashtags like #(a gal lery’s name), #(an artist’s name), and #(the art fair’s name). You don’t have to spend hours or days on this, but it’s an excellent way to get a basic feel for what you’ll encounter once you arrive. The better prepared you are, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be, the less chance you’ll have of getting lost, and the more you’ll enjoy, learn, and benefit from the experience. On art-fair websites, you can often see their floor plans, as well. Whenev er that’s the case, check them out and maybe even print them out. Taking a

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systematic approach to going through a fair is highly recommended, and there’s no better way to do that than by getting to know who’s located where. Decide where you’ll start, what route you’ll take, and where you’ll end up. For fairs with long aisles, a good strategy is to explore each aisle progressively, start ing with the first and walking all the way down, then going to the next and walking all the way back, and so on until you’ve seen all the aisles. When you get to the end, turn right around and follow the exact same route in the opposite direction, back to where you started. Approaching each booth from one direction on the way out and the other on the way back maximizes your chances of seeing everything. And since booths are on both sides of every aisle, be sure to look from side to side all along the way. With fairs where aisles are in grid type patterns, you use the same method, except twice. Walk the “up-and-down” aisles first, and then the “back-and forth” aisles, both in the same pro gressive way that you would with long

aisle layouts. By systematically covering the complete grid “horizontally” and then “vertically,” you again approach every booth from two directions rath er than just one, and again maximize your chances of seeing everything that’s being shown. If you see a booth or space you like along the way, walk right in. Don’t worry; nobody’s going to bite. You may think you’re seeing the whole thing by standing at the front edge and looking around, but a significant number of booths have areas in the back, or little nooks that might not be visible from the front. If you’re still at the brows ing stage, not quite ready to talk, and someone approaches you, thank them for their attention, tell them you’ve just started out and are only on your first walk-around. Hopefully that will be adequate to end the conversation. In terms of additional pointers to keep in mind, don’t be in a rush to buy anything. Any experienced art buyer will tell you that patience is one of the cornerstones of effective collecting. If you see a piece of art you really love,

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Fall 2024 | Art&Object