Monday, February 28, 2011

Observations from Armory Week 2.28

This week is Armory Week in New York, or call it Art Week, much more important than the recently ended Fashion Week. Wednesday through Sunday is the big Armory Show on the 12th Avenue piers and, due to a miracle of scheduling, Tuesday through Sunday is the ADAA Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory.

The Armory Show includes over 270 dealers from around the globe spread over two piers. Pier 92 will host the modern art section of 76 dealers and pier 94 the contemporary section of 194 dealers, all together over 80 galleries and 23 countries are represented. To put it all in perspective a 50 square foot stand at the Armory show cost $40,000. On top of that are the 70 American dealers and galleries at the ADAA show. The record number of dealers at the Armory Show is blamed on a suddenly rebounding art market. Less than a year ago the market was bottoming out and many of the usual exhibitors gave up there spots to newcomers only to have the market rebound dramatically at Art Basil in December.

Almost a dozen other shows are taking place this week including the first ever at the gallery I supposedly work at. It will be a comparatively tiny show with only six galleries including our own and the floor space divided into six booths with a walkway down the middle (l). The owners arrived yesterday for tonight's opening and hopefully a nice dinner afterward.

I can't help but finishing this with a quote from the official ADAA press release. I think a friend of mine will get a kick out of it. "Aligning with newer fairs, such as The Armory Show and other concurrent expositions during the first week of March, The Art Show will celebrate New York’s iconic status as the center of the cultural world."

It must be true if they said so.

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