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While Some Traditional Fairs Scale Back, the Other Art Fair Keeps Growing

Since 2011, the fair has sold more than 100,000 artworks by nearly 10,000 artists, generating over $50 million despite operating on thin margins.

The Other Art Fair isn’t like other art fairs. While Frieze, Art Basel, TEFAF, etc., are crawling with elite collectors who buy before they even arrive, the Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art, is for and by the people. There are no dealers, just artists who purchase booth space and fill it with their wares, selling directly to the public. Since its inception in 2011, it hosts 11 fairs annually across the U.S. and the U.K., including two in Los Angeles—one during L.A. Art Week, and the other currently at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica through Sept. 27.

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“We’re not dealing with anywhere near the prices that these other fairs are. It’s a completely different art audience that we’re speaking to,” fair director Nicole Garton tells Observer, noting that this iteration features 160 emerging artists from around the world chosen by selection committee members Carlye Packer, Essence Harden, Siting Wang and Briana Salatino.

Buyers here might be people who’ve never been to a fair before and are making their first purchase. It’s one of the reasons why artists are advised to keep their works to a reasonable cost and size (under 36 inches), so collectors can easily walk out with the artwork under their arm. “What we’re seeing across our U.S. fairs and London is people are still really interested in collecting directly from artists, and they’re buying in greater frequency and at higher price points than they have been.”

While blue-chip fairs are........

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