What Does It Take To Run An Art Fair? A Q&A with Affordable Art Fair, Fair Director Cristina Salmastrelli
In its 18th edition, the Affordable Art Fair touched down in Chelsea, New York City’s art district, for its 14th year at The Tunnel. In September, coinciding with the annual reboot of the art season in Chelsea, I had the opportunity to visit the five day fair, and have a Q&A with Cristina Salmastrelli, The Affordable Art Fair’s Director. Ms. Salmastrelli and I discussed what it takes to run an art fair and covered the critical moving parts to do so; ranging from the coordination of galleries and patrons, to the ongoing relationship with press & sponsors, to management of staff and more.
Below highlights the conversation:
The Affordable Art Fair is a unique fair, it attracts established collectors looking to add to their collection and also first time art collectors looking to start their collection at a low entry price point. How do you cater to both customer segments?
It is our selection of galleries and their represented artists that allows us to cater to such a large visitor pool. From emerging to established galleries and artists, our reach is far and wide, but always steadfast where it needs to be, and that is evident in our commitment to providing high quality, original contemporary art to New Yorkers.
The art buyers and collectors (i.e. ‘the demand’) are one component of an art fair, the other component is the galleries (i.e. 'the supply’). In your opinion, what do galleries look to gain (besides sales of course) from an art fair and what do they (“the galleries”) get from The Affordable Art Fair that is distinct from other fairs?
One of the things that we help the galleries with is promotion of their organizations to new collector groups, visitor and membership bases, and community establishments. We are able to reach further, and at our editions, our galleries welcome a more diverse audience into their booths, which enhances their patron group, increases their collector base, and expands their overall visibility in a highly populated city.
As I walked through the Tunnel for the press preview, I couldn’t help but observe that the space was filled with galleries from different geographic locations from the UK to Hong Kong. How do you pick the galleries you work with? What are some of the attributes you look for in a gallery and gallerist?
It is important for us to satiate our New York City community and the only way we can properly do this is to compile a group of galleries that is as diverse as the population that is attending Affordable Art Fair. People from all over the world make up this excellent metropolis of ours, so we need to mirror that statistic in the galleries and the artists presented at our fairs.
Stepping away from the collectors and galleries for a moment, for those that might not be aware; you have worn multiple hats for various art fairs in your career from Fair Manager to Fair Director; what are the differences between the two roles and what does it take to be a Director of an art fair?
The Fair Manager has a focus on our exhibitors. It is the responsibility of the Fair Manager to make sure we supply our exhibitors with all that they have requested. From paint color to the closet in their booth and from their VIP invitations to their PR interactions, the fair manager concentrates on creating a comfortable and well organized environment so that our galleries can focus more heavily on their interaction with visitors who attend the fair. When we have happy exhibitors we have an upbeat fair filled with positive energy and that translates into more fair guests falling in love with art.
A Fair Director oversees everything that happens at the fair; the exhibitors are only one part of what makes our fairs attractive destinations for New Yorkers. From the exhibitors to the marketing campaign, to the sponsors and partners, as the Fair Director, I need to have a hand in the logistics of each component. I take all of these different parts and make them work together; I need to create a well oiled machine so that our visitors all have amazing experiences. From overseeing the caterers and art wrappers to managing the bartenders and box office attendants, the Fair Director needs to have each component of the fair ready to exude the Affordable Art Fair attitude that welcomes each visitor to fall in love with a piece of art and take it home with them.
As a Fair Director the buck stops with me. All the achievements and missteps are on my shoulders. It’s a beautiful responsibility I have, one that I take very seriously. I have a duty to my galleries and my visitors and I refuse to disappoint them. I am on site at each of my editions for their entireties; if you ever want to offer me comments or suggestions, ask for Cristina Salmastrelli. I will come and meet you!
There are many moving parts that go into putting together an art fair. Parts that typically involve project management and logistics, and often concern galleries, key partners, and your staff. Allowing us to step ‘behind the curtain’ for a moment, what do you believe are some of the background nuances and challenges that go into producing an art fair that people wouldn’t expect, and how do you go about preparing for your fair and programming?
A lot of people do not realize how long it takes to set up an art fair. I like to think of an art fair as a baby. It takes nine months to get everything just right for the five day event.
All the moving parts of an art fair calls to mind a plethora of budgetary costs. From a financial perspective, art fairs can be cost and time intensive for both the galleries and the fair itself, but the ROI (i.e. “Return On Investment”) can be great for all parties involved. What financial strategies do you implement to assure cost effectiveness is achieved for both yourself and the galleries?
With any business, it is important to have a good ROI based on a strong, solid budget for all components involved. Without happy exhibitors, we do not have an art fair. Without happy visitors, we do not have an art fair. Without a happy Affordable Art Fair team, we do not have a successful edition. We constantly analyze the fair and, in particular, the cost of everything that happens at the fair to make sure that we are creating a successful, yet cost effective edition. Cost effectiveness is paramount, but we need to balance our cost consciousness with happy exhibitors, visitors, and partners. Just like in any other business, it is a balance, but our mission is to have more people fall in love with art, enhance people’s lives with art, and grow individuals businesses through art. Our mission is the driving force behind each aspect of our company, even the business end of things.
What I found interesting about The Affordable Art Fair was that it was not during one of the major art weeks in NYC, which typically generates more foot traffic for the city and other competing fairs. How does that play into your overall business strategy and how does it work to your competitive advantage?
We are a stand-alone fair, and Affordable Art Fair has always have been and always will be. We want to attract each and every inhabitant of this city. We are proud to say we welcomed, a record-breaking, 18,000 visitors at our spring fair and finished 2014 with another 12,000 guests at our fall fair last week. I think we are on a roll! That’s an extraordinary 30,000 people who attended Affordable Art Fair in New York City alone during 2014. Thanks for being one of them!
With existing fairs and new art fairs entering the art market; what are some of the things you have done to increase the awareness of the Affordable Art Fair in the midst of a competitive art fair market?
We are well known in the local art market after 18 editions and 14 years in New York City, but it’s always important to expand our grasp and reach new audiences in our metropolis. We strive to achieve this goal through planned programming events thoughtfully curated around what our fair guests know, want to learn more of, and have yet to explore.
Recently, I attended an art panel discussion with Peter Brant & Dan Colen; they both expressed their opinions about art fairs. Below are two excerpts from that discussion that offer a glimpse at their perspectives:
‘It’s not the perfect way to see art, but if you go to enough fairs your eye becomes trained.’ - Brant
‘Its a marketplace for buying and selling not for deep thought.’ - Colen
- What are your thoughts on their comments?
I think the common thread that Brant and Colen are expressing here is that art fairs can be overwhelming and I completely understand where they are coming from. Art fairs have many galleries, even more artists, and tons of work up on the walls. At Affordable Art Fair, we recognize that this experience can be taxing, so we provide tips (on our website and in our onsite fair guides) on how to really enjoy the experience and not become stressed. Whether your eye is trained or not, we want you to attend the fair to learn with us. If you want to contemplate a piece all afternoon, we have lounges and cafes for you to rest and think in until you are ready to return to the work.
- Lastly, what advice would you offer any aspiring new gallerist looking to tap into the art fair circuit?
Go and visit the art fair, if you can, before applying. Feeling the energy of a fair in person really helps a potential gallery understand how to apply properly to the fair. If you cannot visit in person, look at images from the past editions online. Try and get a sense of the message and mission of the fair. Then make sure that mission is replicated and reinforced in your application.
Posted by Winston Peters of MyUberLife
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