The Return to Live Art Fairs with COVID-Conscious Guidelines Limited Attendees But Not Sales!
The LA Art Show wrapped a socially distanced special summer edition of the fair with half the attendance but doubling their sales! Being among the first events to return live – galleries, art dealers, curators, collectors, and art lovers masked up and made their way to Los Angeles Convention Center this past weekend to surround themselves with arts and culture.
The event kicked off with a visit from Mayor Eric Garcetti, celebrating both the return of the show and the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles Convention Center, followed by a successful opening night complete with red carpet.
The celebration was hosted by international pop star Rita Ora in conjunction with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for a celebration of art and charitable components and exhilaration continued throughout the weekend, heightened by a surprise visit from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As promised, the LA Art show leaped into the future with one of the first live NFT presence. This presence is thanks to Vellum LA, the strictly NFT gallery highlighting the most exciting female artists currently in the digital space, with their brand new show Sea Change. In a partnership with SuperRare as the LA Art Show’s official NFT marketplace, live NFT auctions were accessible to everyone on the floor, creating exciting energy from the get-go.
Traditional galleries also had quite a busy weekend full of sales. With Arcadia Gallery selling 65 pieces, and galleries like Rehs Galleries, a New York-based institution, highlighting the influx of new buyers in the space. 14-year-old Tex Hammond, nearly sold out of his work on display at Acosta Arts, an incredible feat for any artist, let alone the youngest to ever exhibit.
Continuing the many successes of the weekend, Citibank returned with an important presence at the show with four featured galleries–the aforementioned Simard Bilodeau Contemporary, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Pigment Gallery, and Rebecca Hossack Gallery–joining the other exhibitors with high sales and exposure.
Under a new director, Kassandra Voyagis, having been met with such success and resounding positive feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike, the show organizers couldn’t feel more hopeful about the state of art fairs post-pandemic.
Those who missed the show, or who attended and are already experiencing LA Art Show withdrawals, do not have to wait long. The LA Art Show returns January 19-23, 2022!
