Future Fair opened its fourth annual show in Chelsea Industrial on May 1, bringing together 61 local, national, and international exhibitors. This year’s fair, open until May 4, highlights an intentional focus on New York, and on women: 20 galleries call New York and the boroughs home, and over 75% of the exhibitors are owned or co-owned by women.
The Inaugural Artists Prize
A selection committee composed of ACOMPI’s Constanza Valenzuela and Jack Radley selected Angela Fang Zirbes as the recipient of Future Fair’s inaugural Artists Prize. Fang Zirbes will be participating in the Loma Serena residency with Virreina Art Space in Santander, Colombia, as part of the award.
Michael Taylor, “Lagoon Waltz,” 2024, acrylic and vinyl paint on canvas, 70 x 60 cm, courtesy of the artist and The Finch Project, London, UK
“We admire the humor and worldbuilding crouched in Angela’s work and are excited to see how a month in Santander, Colombia impacts her practice,” the committee said. “Based in New York and Iowa, Angela has created paintings that combine rural and virtual interests in great dialogue with what Virreina’s Loma Serena residency offers.”
Mia Weiner, “The Bathers,” 2023, Handwoven acrylic, cotton, silk, wool and tinsel, 78 x 129 inches, courtesy of the artist and Mama Projects, NY. REPRESENTATIVE
Opening Day of Future Fair
The opening day was marked by contributions from a diverse range of galleries and artists. TRANSFER reported the pre-sale of Canadian artist Lorna Mills’ Yellowwhirlaway (2017), a time-based media installation that was acquired by a private collection and will join the St. Louis-based Fabric Media Collection. Red Arrow, returning for its second year, presented Karen Seapker’s “Dawn Chorus,” inspired by the early morning’s chorus of birdsong. ARDEN + WHITE captivated attendees with a minimalistic booth, contrasting with the colorful and figurative presentations around them. SUPPAN sold five works by Michael Ornauer, including three pre-fair sales, while Beers London enjoyed a successful night with sales of works by Jonathan Edelhuber and Giordan Rubio.
Arden + White. Installation Image. Courtesy of Future Fair.
A Platform for Camaraderie
Co-founders Rachel Mijares Fick and Rebeca Laliberte envisioned Future Fair as a platform for artistic advancement, empowerment, and sustainability, highlighted by its unique Profit Sharing Model and Mutual Aid Fund. Since its inception in 2020, Future Fair’s profit-sharing plan has allowed founding galleries to opt into sharing 35% of the fair’s profits. This innovative approach has fostered a strong sense of community and support, culminating in $12,000 in mutual aid grants for 2024, specifically aimed at young and diverse platforms.
Rachel Mijares Fick and Rebeca Laliberte. Future Fair founders. Photo by Keenon Perry.
An Arcual-Powered Digital Companion
This year’s fair introduced the Digital Companion, an online sales platform developed with Arcual, enhancing the art buying experience by connecting collectors with the fair’s exhibitors. From April 24 to May 25, collectors can place requests for artworks through the platform.
Eliza Wagener, “Aus meiner Hand frisst du das Blatt,” oil and acrylic on canvas, 170 x 140 cm, courtesy of the artist and IRL Gallery, NY.
About Future Fair
“Seeing a need for optionality for galleries that participate in a global economy, Future Fair’s mission is to provide a platform that supports the advancement, sustainability, and empowerment of art galleries. Through innovative editorial content and collaboratively dynamic staging, Future Fair tells the stories around art, artists, and the people who create spaces for it, online and offline. Inspired by cooperative business models, Future Fair invited founding 2020 galleries into a profit-sharing plan with the company for the first four years. Future Fair believes that through innovative, direct collaboration with and between exhibitors, it is possible to build a stronger and more open commercial art community that moves artists and galleries forward.” —Source
