Frieze New York is about to arrive and brings with it a second art fair week to New York City. If you're still not reeling from Armory Art Fair Week or prepping for the Hamptons art season, following are helpful things to know about attending Frieze art fair and any of the nine contemporary or modern art fairs taking place in May in New York City.
1. What to Expect at Frieze
Frieze New York is the centerpiece of the second art fair week in New York City. Taking place on Randall's Island, Frieze New York is devoted to contemporary art and will feature over 1,000 exhibitors, a full slate of programming and outdoor installations set on the immediate grounds. The fair opens by invitation only on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 with a preview and party. Frieze New York is open to the public from Thursday, May 5, 2016 to Sunday, May 8, 2016. Visit www.frieze.com for more information. Tickets are $10.
2. Buy Frieze Tickets in Advance & Expect a Ferry
Frieze New York is set on Randall's Island so it would be a hassle to be turned away at the door. Admission should be purchased in advance and expect a ferry ride to get there. Tickets to the art fair and the ferry can be purchased online. Click here for details.
New for this year is a fast ferry service leaving from East 90th Street (weekdays only). The trip will take five minutes. A round-trip ticket is $19. Dock access is via Carl Schurz Park with stepped access from East 89th Street or step-free access from East 84th Street. The East 35th Street ferry service takes 20 minutes and operates daily.
For information on buses looping to Frieze, parking and transportation information, click here.
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Frieze New York. Courtesy www.frieze.com.
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3. Ten Fairs to Choose From
When Frieze New York arrived five years ago it created a second art fair week, including a slew of satellite art fairs taking advantage of art collectors attending Frieze New York and possibly next week's art auctions by Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips presenting contemporary or modern art. This year sees a total of 10 art fairs arriving to New York City (including Frieze New York) to choose from. Set across the city, they include NADA New York, 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Portal, Spring Masters New York, Art New York, Context New York, Flux Art Fair, Fridge and Salon Zürcher. Click here to explore details listed in our Art Fair Directory.
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"Lilith" by Frances Goodman, 2015. Acrylic nails, resin, foam, silicone glue, 55.9 x 54.3 x 14.9 inches. Exhibited with Richard Taittinger Gallery at 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair.
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4. Preview Art Online
Having trouble deciding where to put your art fair time? Many of the fairs have at least some of the art online making it easy to preview. 1stdibs has gotten into the act this year with select artworks previewing Frieze New York. Artsy has a broader view with select artworks previewed from Frieze New York, Art New York, 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair and Collective Design. Click here to start exploring. In addition, art fair websites frequently preview some of the art on view.
5. Catch Spring Masters New York before it Changes
Spring Master New York has been a stand out fair of Frieze Art Fair Week in New York City. Next year's edition will be unveiled as one of TEFAF Maastricht's new New York fairs. To catch the final edition under the current production leadership, visit Spring Masters New York at the Park Avenue Armory from May 6 to 9, 2016. A VIP Preview Party takes place on Thursday, May 5, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 online or $30 at the door; Run-of-fair passes are $40 online or $50 at the door.
Spring Masters is located at 643 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065. www.springmasters.nyc.
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Left to right: "Le peintre au chapeau" by Pablo Picasso, 1965. Courtesy of Hammer Galleries; A Mummy Mask, Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, Amenophis III, 1390-1353 B.C., Courtesy of Cahn International; "La Victoire de Samothrace" by Yves Klein, 1962, Courtesy of David Benrimon Fine Art.
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6. The Armory Show Echo: Two Arts Cojoined by a Producer at Pier 94
This year sees Art Miami producers doubling their New York art fairs with the addition of CONTEXT New York. In an echo of both its Art Basel Miami Week presentation (Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami) and The Armory Show's two Section presentation, Context New York and Art New York will be presented as separate and adjacent art fairs at Pier 94, the home of The Armory Art Show for the last several years or so.
Both Art New York and CONTEXT New York present contemporary and modern art. Beating Frieze New York to the punch, both fairs preview today (May 3, 2016) with the fair opening tonight. Click here for details on Art New York and here for details on Context New York. Pier 94 is located at 55th Street and West Side Highway in New York City.
7. NADA has so many programs it might be difficult to leave the Fair
Programming goes hand-in-hand with presenting exhibitors and the art on view in the typical mix of art fair production. NADA New York's 2016 edition has so much attractive programming it might be difficult to carve out time to see the art or to leave the fair in favor of visiting others. Of course, with its after-hour events also part of NADA's mix, fans might decide to make it their top fair of the week in time spent. It could be the non-profit model is what makes the difference.
Select programming will be live streamed on Know-Wave.com. Teaser videos will be released from the art fair by NADA x Talk Hole. NADA Presents features conversations, events and performances. For a complete schedule per day, click here. Expect pick up basketball games, live performances, round tables and assorted other events and programming.
Programs include conversations of a team of panelists including (on Friday) "The Hyper-Professionalization of the Emerging Artist" and "The Art of the (Cough) Deal: Why Artist-Gallerists Do It Better". On Saturday, conversations include "Models of Practice: New Territories and Frameworks for Public Art" and "Alternative Narratives: An exploration of hybrid creative practices".
8. A New Artist-Centric Fair Opens
Produced by the Governors Island Art Fair Producers, Portal art fair could be worth a trip downtown to check out their artist invitation-only fair in its maiden run. Set on three floors of the Federal Hall National Memorial, Portal will feature dozens of artists from the United States and abroad. The art fair is produced by 4heads, Inc. who presents the annual Governors Island Art Fair held in September.
Portal will be on view from May 4 to 10, 2016 at the Federal Hall National Monument, 26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005. A Reception takes place on Thursday, May 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. The reception and admission to the fair is free.
9. Flux Art Fair Goes Open Air
FLUX Art Fair is going rouge and presents FLUX Public Art Projects instead of the second edition of its Harlem-based art fair. FLUX Public Art Projects will feature over 40 installations and performances taking place in Harlem throughout May and features work by contemporary artists that “…embodied the energy, excitement and diversity of the neighborhood and address the curatorial theme of “changing landscapes,” according to FLUX Art Fair.
In addition to the site specific installations, FLUX is presenting programming (both free and ticketed) that includes tours, panel discussions, artist talks, Sip + Sketch evenings and performance, including those by the National Jazz Museum of Harlem and the Classical Theatre of Harlem.
The installations are located at Marcus Garvey Park (Fifth Avenue at East 120 – 124th Streets) plus along Fifth Avenue to 129th Street; Harlem Art Park (East 120th Street and Sylvan Place); Lenox Avenue and 124th Street and Harlem Grown Farm (127th Street between Lenox and 5th Avenue).
FLUX Public Art Project opens today (May 3) with a preview from 6 to 8 p.m. followed by celebrations held along Lenox Avenue featuring live music and more. Click here for details.
10. Need a break from art fairs? Check out a Design fair, Auction or Gallery
Contemplating 10 art fairs can be overwhelming. If verging into design seems like a good idea, there are a few Design fairs to choose from this week. Collective Design Fair will be held May 4 - 8, 2016 at Skylight Clarkson Square, 550 Washington Street, New York. Click here for details on exhibitors and programming. WantedDesign NYC takes place from May 7 to 17, 2016 at Industry City in Brooklyn. Click here for details.
Want more art? Head to any of the hundreds of art galleries in New York City or take in an exhibition at any of the art museums New York City is famous for. If considering purchasing in the art asset class, you already know the New York art auctions for contemporary and modern art are coming. Held from May 8 to 13, Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips have the art to be auctioned available for preview and viewable online. Coinciding with Frieze New York Week, Christie's is holding online auctions. Click here for details.
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