Here’s Your Go-To Guide to All the Fairs Coming to New York for Frieze Week 2019

From Governor's Island to Randall's Island, here are all the fairs descending on the city this week.

Outside the 2012 edition of Frieze New York. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

April showers have given way to May madness in the New York art world. The events coinciding with this year’s Frieze Week are slightly pared down compared to years past, but there’s still tons of art to see all across the city—from Governor’s Island to Randall’s Island to Brooklyn.

We’ve compiled here a cheat-sheet of the fairs happening in the city next week to help you strategize all your art-hopping plans.

Frieze New York

Canada’s booth at Frieze New York 2018. Photo: Mark Blower, courtesy of Frieze.

When: May 2–5; Wednesday May 1, VIP Preview, invitation only; Thursday May 2, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. with private view 4 p.m.–7 p.m.; Friday May 3, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday May 4 and Sunday May 5, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. General admission $57

Where: Randall’s Island

What to Know: The anchor fair of the week promises to be just as chock-full of programming as in previous years. There are also some new additions, including the Diálogos section, which will show works by Latinx and Latin American artists like Ana Mendieta, Ken Gonzales-Day, and Marta Chilindron; and the Frieze sculpture prize, a new commission made this year by up-and-coming artist Lauren Halsey.

The perennial favorite Spotlight section, this year curated by Laura Hoptman of the Drawing Center, will feature 33 galleries throwing the market glow onto artists who may be overlooked. We’re excited to see the work of Mary Ann Unger, Charles Hinman, and Joan Brown.

Meanwhile, the fair is also dedicating a special tribute section to the historic gallery JAM (Just Above Midtown) and its founder, Linda Goode Bryant, who championed African American artists in the early 1970s, before the rest of the art world and its institutions caught up with her visionary ideas.

 

TEFAF New York Spring

Preview of TEFAF New York Spring at the Park Avenue Armory. Photo: Kirsten Chilstrom.

When: May 3–7, VIP opening Thursday May 2, 1 p.m.–8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday May 3-4, 12 p.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday May 5, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.; Monday May 6, 12 p.m.–8 p.m.; Tuesday May 7, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. General admission $55

Where: Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue

What to know: The swanky Park Avenue fair boasts a well-rounded selection of Old Masters, design, and contemporary works of art, this year coming from more than 90 exhibitors (including 12 newbies). New to this New York Spring edition is Pace, dedicating its booth to Jean Dubuffet’s most prolific years, between 1960 and 1980. Meanwhile, Galerie Gmurzynska is celebrating Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, including artist Natalia Goncharova’s original backdrop painting for the ballet Le Coq d’Or. And David Zwirner is dedicating its presentation to the modernist output of Paul Klee, whose family the gallery just began representing.

 

Object & Thing

Courtesy of Object & Thing.

When: May 3–5; Friday May 3 VIP preview, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., public hours 4 p.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, May 4-5, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. General admission $25

Where: 99 Scott Avenue, Brooklyn

What to know: This exciting new addition to the fair landscape is proposing a novel approach: instead of paying up-front costs for a booth, galleries are charged a sales commission. The fair also eschews booths in favor of a more fluid, less expo-esque layout for perusing (and purchasing) the objects and things on display.

The brains behind the fair, Abby Bangser, is a veteran of Frieze. She has enlisted Glenn Adamson, head of research at the Victoria & Albert Museum and a curator at the Milwaukee-based Chipstone Foundation, to moderate the talks program, which will include such topics as “The New ‘New Decor.'”

 

1-54 Contemporary Art Fair

Installation view at 1-54. Courtesy of 1-54.

When: May 3–5, VIP Preview Thursday, May 2, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, May 3-4, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday May 5, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Day tickets, $20, students/veterans, $10.

Where: Industria, 775 Washington Street

What to know:  The fifth New York edition of 1-54 is moving to Manhattan, where it will be held at Industria in the heart of the West Village. This year, 24 galleries from the US, UK, Senegal, Portugal, Morocco, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, and others will collectively show more than 70 artists. In addition to the traditional fair format, the 1-54 FORUM talks program returns, this year curated by the Zimbabwean artist-founded collective Black Chalk & Co.

 

NADA House

Courtesy of NADA.

When: May 2–August 4, preview day Thursday May 2, 1 p.m.–5 p.m.; for the rest of the summer, hours are Friday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Where: House 403, 404A, & 404B Colonels Row on Governors Island

What to know: This one isn’t really a fair, but it makes the cut anyway. For the second year, NADA is upending the traditional fair model with a summer-long exhibition series taking place on Governors Island. The show features more than 40 artists culled from NADA’s member galleries, each of whom will present works throughout the Colonial Revival houses, along with a series of special events and programs.

 

Superfine! Art Fair

Heidi Horowitz, Gainers and Losers (2018). Courtesy of Superfine!

When: May 1–5; Wednesday May 1 VIP preview, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.; Thursday May 2, 2 p.m.–6 p.m.; Friday May 3, 2 p.m.–10 p.m.; Saturday May 4, 12 p.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday May 5, 12 p.m.–8 p.m.; General admission $12

Where: 107 Grand Street

What to know: The super fun Superfine! art fair is known to use contemporary cultural hits as annual themes. Last year’s was an ode to David Bowie, and this year the sun-dappled film Call Me By Your Name is the event’s jumping off point. In Adam Chuck’s presentation, titled “Call me By Your Preferred Pronoun,” the Brooklyn-based artist addresses issues of gender identity through the lens of the Armie Hammer and Thimothée Chalamet film.

 

Moniker Art Fair

Installation view of Egle Zvirblyte and Jose Miguel Mendez at Moniker NYC, 2018.

When: May 1–5; Wednesday May 1 VIP preview, 3 p.m.–7 p.m.; Thursday May 2, 1 p.m.–5 p.m. tickets $25; Friday May 3, 1 p.m.–10 p.m.; Saturday May 4, 12 p.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday May 5, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; General admission $15

Where: 718 Broadway, NoHo Manhattan

What to know: The self-proclaimed “hyper-curated” fair has 26 galleries attending this year from all over the world. Check out Icy & Sot from Iran, The Heliotrope Foundation from New York, and Garey the Third from Los Angeles and Hong Kong. There will also be four spotlight projects, with large-scale artist installations.

 

The Other Art Fair

Image courtesy of The Other Art Fair.

Image courtesy of The Other Art Fair.

When: May 2–5; Thursday May 2, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.; Friday May 3, 3 p.m.–10 p.m.; Saturday May 4, 12 p.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday May 5, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. General admission $15

Where: Brooklyn Expo Center at 72 Noble Street

What to know: The biannual fair is returning to the Greenpoint neighborhood in Brooklyn with its presentation of 130 artists, all bringing works available at prices starting at $150. The artists are all selected by curators from the online art gallery Saatchi Art.

 

Art New York

Art New York fair, 2018. Courtesy of Art New York.

Art New York fair, 2018. Courtesy of Art New York.

When: May 2–5, VIP preview Thursday May 2, 5 p.m.–8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday May 3–4, 12 p.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday May 5, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. One-day tickets: $25

Where: Pier 94, 12th Avenue at 55th Street

What to know: The fifth edition of the Art Fair presented by Art Miami will show off the wares of emerging and established artists working across a range of media, this year a whopping 300 artists represented by 70 galleries from 18 countries will be on display. Be sure to check out CONTEXT, a supplemental platform specifically for truly emerging artists and cutting-edge galleries.

 

Fridge Art Fair

Fridge Art Fair. Photo courtesy of Eric Ginsburg.

Fridge Art Fair. Photo courtesy of Eric Ginsburg.

When: April 30–May 5, VIP preview Tuesday April 30, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.; Wednesday May 1–Saturday May 4 1 p.m.– 7 p.m.; Sunday May 5, 1 p.m.–5 p.m. General admission $10.

Where: NU Hotel, 85 Smith Street, Brooklyn

What to know: Run by artist Eric Ginsburg, painter of cats and dogs, quirky upstart Fridge was founded in 2013 as an artist-friendly alternative to Frieze. This year’s theme is Fridge Does Frida, with the festivities kicking off with a “Frozen Marga-Frida” party. Ginsburg will present a “Petting Zoological Society,” inspired by Frida Kahlo’s Caza Azul.


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