Seattle Art Fair Opens to More Than 4,000 Visitors

Posted on August 01, 2015, 12:46 pm
5 mins

Slide

On Thursday night, Seattle (and social media) was flooded by over 4,000 visitors to the inaugural Seattle Art Fair in the CenturyLink Event Center. The crowd consisted of collectors both new and seasoned, curators, artists, museum directors, and the elite of business and fashion, all coming to check out the work of local and international artists.

62 galleries are presenting work alongside a wide variety of public installations and performances. The Seattle Art Fair explains in its press release for the opening, “The people of Seattle responded with a powerful enthusiasm reflected in strong sales and sizable attendance.” The fair’s inaugural experience has been deemed a success. Keep your eye out for a review of the experience by T.s. Flock, who has already given a primer for those attending the Seattle Art Fair this weekend and general observations on what the fair means for Seattle’s art community.

For more information regarding the fair and sales, please visit seattleartfair.com or view part of the press release included below.


Sales were robust across the board, with acquisitions of important work reported in all price ranges. Gagosian Gallery enjoyed an active Preview and noted the enthusiasm of the crowd, which included prominent collectors as well as museum directors and curators from across the region. New York City’s Allan Stone Projects sold a Dan Basen mixed media piece and a Wayne Thiebaud early work on paper in the fair’s opening moments. Paul Kasmin Gallery sold Revolution #2 by Ivan Navarro, Pace Gallery placed two of their teamLab interactive digital installations, and David Zwirner Gallery sold work by Oscar Murillo and Christopher Williams in the fair’s first hours . Seattle’s Greg Kucera Gallery also saw sales across their program’s presented price points including the placement of Sherry Markovitz’s Poodle Head, two Margie Livingston paint pieces, and a William Kentridge. James Cohan Gallery saw significant interest in the works of Spencer Finch and sold several pieces by Elias Sime. Adelson Galleries sold Jamie Wyeth’s Sisters – Six in a Suite of Untoward Occurrences on Monhegan Island. Other highlights include Catharine Clark Gallery’s sale of sculpture by Wanxin Zhang and Jonathan Ferrara Gallery ‘s placement of work by Skylar Fein and Nikki Rosato. Seattle’s Roq La Rue sold work on paper by local artist Amanda Manitach as well as acrylics on panel by Travis Louie and Camille Rose Garcia. Samsøn Projects sold work by Mark Cooper to a prominent New York City collector, New York’s Maxwell Davidson Gallery sold several works by Thomas Witte, and Seattle galley Winston Wächter Fine Art sold four works by Dustin Yellin including mixed media and sculpture.

The first two hours of the Seattle Art Fair opening night Preview raised over $85 ,000 for Artist Trust.

Dedicated to supporting Washington State artists working across all disciplines by providing professional development through training programs like Edge and I Am An Artist, Artist Trust funds upwards of 85 artist grants, totaling over $300,000 each year. Seattle Art Fair’s support of this important institution enlivens the fair’s vision to engage with innovative, creative thinkers and makers within the region.

Seattle Art Fair visitors filled the wide aisles of the CenturyLink Field Event Center and flocked to Basecamp, Olson Kundig’s site-specific Collectors Lounge. Acting as a conduit between outside and in, the space serves as a gathering point and place for conversation and contemplation. Olson Kundig’s design celebrates the pioneering spirit of the Pacific Northwest, using wood, fabric, and native plantings to evoke the simple elegance of nature and bridge the fair with the surrounding landscape. The design for Basecamp is led by Olson Kundig owner and principal Jim Olson and associate architect Jerry Garcia.

Claire Reiner is a writer, artist and recent graduate from the University of Washington’s School of Art with a major in Art History. She is interested in recent art movements and subcultures (1950s, 60s, 70s) and how they have shaped present perceptions and practices of art. She grew up in Southern California and moved to Seattle in 2010. She is quite influenced by the unique geography of both places and enjoys hiking and exploring the Pacific Northwest. Reiner covers visual art exhibits in Seattle and seeks to contribute to a profound and positive artistic community, as well as encourage people to come out and experience art moments for themselves. Reiner is also the Executive Assistant for VanguardSeattle and handles any press related needs.