Seattle Art Fair 2018 Courtesy Seattle Art Fair

Happy 5th Birthday, Seattle Art Fair!

One of the highlights of summer returns August 1-4, when nearly 100 galleries from around the world exhibit at Seattle Art Fair, held at CenturyLink Field Event Center. In addition to the wide ranging gallery installations, the Fair offers daily talks, special projects, and performances.

Seattle Art Fair

For a second year, curator Nato Thompson returns as Artistic Director. This year’s programming will explore themes of curiosity and wonder, featuring music, tech, natural history and artificial intelligence.

Seattle Art Fair

The Fair has become a destination for locals and visitors, both serious collectors and those who just enjoy seeing the wide variety of art from galleries located round the globe. Founded in 2015 by Paul G. Allen, the Seattle Art Fair is produced by Vulcan Arts + Entertainment and Art Market Productions. Last year’s fair saw record-breaking growth, showcasing 106 local, national, and international exhibitors and attracting over 22,500 attendees throughout the weekend. The 2019 fair exhibitors include galleries from New York, Seoul, Los Angeles, Toronto, Copenhagen, Kyoto, London, Philadelphia, Moscow, Berlin, Paris, Miami, Dublin, Atlanta, Chicago and at least a dozen from Seattle.

Attendance tips? I find I like to attend more than once to take it all in. I typically attend the opening on Thursday night for the festive party atmosphere, but return at least once more for a full day to browse all the offerings. Make sure to take a break for a snack or drink, wear comfortable shoes, and create some sort of methodical approach to the 100+ booths. Don’t be shy about engaging with the galleries, ask questions and learn more about the art that appeals to you.

Seattle Art Fair

One more tip: once you’re at the Art Fair you’ll be quite near the new cultural space at King Street Station, which is exhibiting an impressive indigenous art show called yəhaw̓ through August 4.  Admission is free.

Advance tickets to the Seattle Art Fair are available online. For more information, and a full list of participating galleries, visit seattleartfair.com. It’s a popular weekend in Seattle, so a word to the wise: book your hotel soon!  And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook by following @SeattleArtFair and @VisitSeattle.

See you at the Fair!

About the Author

Tracey Wickersham

Tracey Wickersham is the Senior Director of Cultural Tourism at Visit Seattle. A volunteer dj & host of a long running music program on KBCS 91.3 FM, she spent 6 years on the board of 4Culture, supporting arts, heritage, public art and historic preservation in King County. You'll often find her at the Tractor Tavern enjoying great bands, exploring one of the region's beautiful parks with her spunky blue heeler mix, or in one of Seattle's many live theater venues.

More Posts By Tracey Wickersham

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