The Rise of Art Fairs

This article on the proliferation of art fairs recently appeared in the San Fransisco Chronicles on line service the SFGate. I find the article interesting because it shows how fine art markets are changing. In the very recent past we have seen shifts away from traditional antique furniture to mid century decorative arts. Now factor the art fair trend with the changes in decorative arts buying habits such as shifts to online and auction venues instead of retail shops and collecting tastes from period American and Georain to mid century styles, all showing continued interst in the fine and decorative art makets, yet revealing differnt trends and buying habits in the marketplace for collectors

The article states art fairs "have accelerated the art business, especially in contemporary art, sometimes to a frenzied pace, though a deteriorating economy has finally begun to exert a drag, even on the auction market. Contemporary art fairs tend to jump up the competitiveness behind many affluent collectors' buying habits. Art fairs have already proliferated to such an extent worldwide in recent years that they have begun to kill one another off. The Miami/Basel fair in December spawned 20 concurrent satellite contemporary art fairs around Miami, involving more than 1,000 dealers all told.

To read the full SFGate article click HERE.