The Seattle Art Fair Will Return in 2022, After a Two-Year Hiatus and a Takeover by Art Market Productions

Art Market Productions was initially a co-sponsor of the event, but will now take over as its sole organizer.

The Seattle Art Fair in 2018. Courtesy of Seattle Art Fair.

Art Market Productions (AMP), the company behind the Seattle Art Fair, which went on hiatus in 2020 and 2021, has announced the fair’s return for July 21 to 24, 2022.

“The Seattle Art Fair brings together the best of the vibrant arts community with a unique Pacific Northwest twist, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue the fair’s remarkable legacy,” AMP events director Kelly Freeman told Artnet News.

AMP signed on as a co-producer of the event, which was initially spearheaded by the late art collector and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, in 2015, at a time when high-profile US and international galleries looked to find new markets with tech-industry dealmakers on the West Coast.

The fair since grew to include over 100 local, national, and international galleries with steadily increasing attendance, according to an AMP statement. 

Allen ran the fair through Vulcan Arts and Entertainment, which is now divesting from the event as it closes its arts and entertainment division. 

“We are thrilled that the Seattle Art Fair will be returning in 2022,” said Jeffrey Wainhause, C.E.O. of AMP Events. 

Asked about expectations regarding exhibitors, Freeman told Artnet News that the company is not yet accepting applications, but that she was getting inquiries from past exhibitors. 

“Based on this I would expect our list to look much like our strong previous editions,” she said.

“From what we have been seeing, our Pacific Northwest collecting audience has stayed extremely active during the fair’s downtime,” she added. “Seattle remains one of the fastest growing cities in the US (and world), and with that comes more and more demand for strong arts programs.”


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