NEW YORK.- Developed to appeal to younger art buyers and emerging collectors, the seventh annual Affordable Art Fair New York (AAF NYC) will again feature contemporary art from $100 - $10,000. Over 75 percent of the art will be priced between $100 - $5,000 and the balance for under $10,000. More than 75 galleries from 12 countries will be exhibiting original contemporary painting, sculpture, photography and prints at The Altman Building & The Metropolitan Pavilion (135 West 18th Street) in New York City from June 12-15, 2008.

The Fair’s on-going mission is to serve every kind of art enthusiast – from the first-time and curious visitor to the more seasoned art collector. While galleries and auction houses can seem impenetrable, The Affordable Art Fair showcases affordable talent in an exciting environment.

The Affordable Art Fair was launched in London in 1999 and has since successfully expanded to New York, Sydney, Melbourne, Bristol, Amsterdam, Brisbane and just debuted in Paris. “We have been delighted with the enthusiasm that The Affordable Art Fair has received,” says Laura Meli, who was appointed AAF NYC Director last year. In addition, Meli runs the New Collector’s Circle, a membership-based group of individuals interested in contemporary art.

What sets The Affordable Art Fair apart from other fairs:

Prices that are affordable to those interested in buying art (all art for sale is less than $10,000 with 75 percent of the offerings priced between $100-$5,000)

Lectures on collecting and print and sculpture demonstrations that appeal to new and established buyers

Welcoming atmosphere for first-time buyers, families and experienced collectors
Events and other AAF NYC programming

AAF NYC will again offer free, educational public programming including a popular lecture series in partnership with the School of Visual Arts, print and sculpture demonstrations and a children’s art studio for young visitors.

The Lecture Series features a variety of panelists and topics including “Top Ten Tips for Starting Your Art Collection” and “In Focus: Collecting Photography.”
Sculpture and Printmaking Demonstrations allow Fair-goers to be “hands-on” with the art. The Modern Art Foundry/Spring Gallery will give two sculpture demonstrations: “Armatures and Moldings: How to Create a Clay Model on a Wire Armature” and “Molding From Life: The Rubber-Mold Making Process.” The LOWER EAST SIDE PRINTSHOP will do four print-making workshops including screen-print, woodcut, etching and monotype.

Recent Graduates Exhibition, curated by Dan Halm, highlights work by recently graduated New York City area, art-school students. The works of these emerging artists will be for sale.

Claire’s Creative Adventures provides an interactive art studio experience for children 3 to 12 years old, while their parents enjoy the Fair. Created by professional artist Claire Munday, the Children’s Art Studio provides individualized attention; classes will be held Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15. Children are welcome throughout the day. Workshops will include: Lichtenstein’s Lines, Dots and Patterns, Hammer a Jim Dime and Robert Rauschenberg Combines.

AAF Past and Present
With the emergence of the Young British Artists’ (YBA) and Tate Modern, contemporary art became an increasingly popular genre in Britain in the mid 1990s and British art enthusiast Will Ramsay noted that less established artists were exploding onto Britain’s art scene making contemporary art more accessible to the general public. In 1996, Ramsay opened Will’s Art Warehouse, a gallery based in London committed to promoting up and coming artists and making art more attainable and approachable. Three years later, he launched the first Affordable Art Fair in London. Since then, more than 500,000 people have visited Affordable Art Fairs throughout the world and purchased $140 million worth of art to date. The combination of reasonable prices and The Affordable Art Fair’s user-friendly approach continues to attract appreciative customers and draw widespread visitor praise.