Art fairs come in all shapes and sizes, from neighborhood festivals where artists set up tables with their work to huge, international fairs like Art Basel and Frieze, where galleries compete for the chance to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a booth that gets their art in front of jet-setting collectors and in-the-know art lovers. The Seattle Art Fair, begun in 2015 by the late Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, edges toward the latter in scope and design, while retaining a mid-size feel that allows local galleries to shine amid their counterparts who travel from across the country and globe.
Several art dealers and critics have noted changes in the fair’s lineup since its inception, with the fair becoming increasingly regional and a few big-name galleries like Gagosian and David Zwirner not returning. This year’s fair, the eighth iteration, takes place July 25-28 at Lumen Field Event Center, with around 100 galleries participating, up from nearly 70 last year. New York-based Art Market Productions, which is producing SAF, remains committed to mixing the regional with the international and to devoting attention to new buyers and non-collecting visitors, said Kelly Freeman, SAF director.
As usual, SAF will be a gathering place for the city’s creative community as it intersects with visitors from across the world. Which leads us to an important byproduct of art fairs: to rally the local art scene to show off, enticing fairgoers to venture out of the exhibition hall and into the city’s museums, galleries and alternative spaces.
And as for navigating the mazelike SAF along with the anticipated 20,000 visitors? Here are some suggestions for what to see and how to prepare.
Buy tickets in advance or look around for free passes
Single-day tickets go for $35 and fair passes will set you back $65, which leads some folks to wonder why admission is so steep for what is, essentially, a trade show. Art fair organizers state that they couldn’t operate solely on booth rental fees and many artists and gallerists concur that it’s worth supporting fairs, which can benefit art communities. Avoid the lines by buying tickets online or by looking around for free passes given out by local galleries and arts organizations. Seattle Art Museum, which has been the fair’s beneficiary partner since 2022, offers members free access for all three public days of the fair. Maybe now’s the time to buy or renew that SAM membership?
Plan your route (or just wander)
You can check out this year’s list of participating galleries on the SAF website and grab a floor plan when you arrive, marking which booths you don’t want to miss. But you can also simply show up and wander around. What catches your eye? Which galleries are positioned near the entrance? Which galleries have packed up their art and traveled from Argentina, India, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Portugal or South Korea?
Don’t miss the strong contingent of local galleries and arts organizations, including long-established Seattle staples such as Woodside Braseth, Traver, Greg Kucera and Stonington. Smaller organizations with more unconventional approaches — including Method, The Vestibule and Veronica — are definitely worth checking out.
ARTXIV, the Seattle-based art production house that creates big, buzzworthy events, will be showing brand-new, large-scale paintings by some stellar artists. I’m also intrigued by SlipStitch Studio’s plan to display works in its booth along with a projection of the artist Xin Xin painting live in SlipStitch’s Pioneer Square gallery, connecting the spaces together. Taswira, a Seattle gallery that focuses on African art, has its Art Fair debut this year and is also hosting the official SAF After Party (5:30-9 p.m. July 28, free with registration).
The greater Northwest is also well represented with galleries like PDX CONTEMPORARY ART coming up from Portland and Smith & Vallee making the trip down from tiny Edison, Skagit County.
Buy art (or don’t)
Galleries that exhibit living artists’ works typically share the profits with them (feel free to ask dealers what percentage goes directly to the artist). And when you buy from a local gallery, you give a boost to Seattle’s art ecosystem. If you buy from a far-flung gallery, you can pick up the piece after the fair and save on shipping. If you fall in love with something but aren’t quite ready to commit, ask if you can put it on hold, or ask if there are items in their inventory that are more suited to your taste or budget.
But don’t worry about being pressured to buy. There is plenty to see and do without those transactions. Gallery staff will usually leave you alone or be happy to engage in a noncommercial conversation, unless you interrupt while they’re working on a sale.
Sample the noncommercial displays
Scattered among the galleries are big and bold works of art that have been selected by the fair’s organizing committee to add variety, edge and spectacle.
Among other projects on display this year will be an actual military tank covered in 70 million colorful glass beads created by South African artist Ralph Ziman in collaboration with almost 100 African artisans. “I wanted to take what was the ultimate symbol of apartheid and turn it into something that is African and beautiful,” Ziman said of the work in Surface magazine
Also worth seeking out will be Seattle artist Emily Counts’ “Sea of Nectars,” a dreamlike installation of life-size ceramic women illuminated from within and embellished with spiders, vampire teeth and misplaced eyes and noses.
Avoid fair fatigue and attend a panel discussion or screening
Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk and stand a lot, especially if you’re going to branch out to Pioneer Square to see more art. The Lumen Field Event Center is ADA accessible and there will be food and drink for purchase during all opening hours.
Take a load off while taking advantage of film screenings, artist talks and panels. I’m particularly excited to see the short film “Dark Side of the Moon” by Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, a Swedish duo who create unruly, fairy tale-esque films with clay-animation and original soundscapes.
Also worth noting is a panel titled “The Arts, Public Engagement, and Social Change” with artists Josué Rivas and Elisheba Johnson, in conversation with Michelle Woo, one of the founders of the artist-led activist group For Freedoms.
These two examples alone show the scope of the Seattle Art Fair, from fantastical escape to real-world engagement. And that’s just how you can approach your visit. Go to escape or go to connect.
