SEATTLE, WA.- Following a celebratory toast led by Paul G. Allen, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Art Fair’s Host Committee Chair Jon Shirley, and Seattle Art Fair’s Director Max Fishko, the Seattle Art Fair, presented by AIG, opened on Thursday evening to a crowd of some 4,000 collectors, curators, and art world luminaries from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With over 85 national and international galleries – an increase from some 60 in its inaugural year – the fair is growing, yet it sustains a boutique feeling as a place where collectors can acquire some of the best art in the world in an intimate setting. The 2016 fair includes some of the most prestigious galleries worldwide, from such cities as Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Paris, Cologne, Seoul, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and beyond.

“Seattle Art Fair opened last night to an incredible group of collectors from Seattle and beyond,” noted Fair Director Max Fishko. “We are thrilled that so many people traveled to attend the fair and support our partner Seattle Art Museum. Sales took place across a multitude of price points and mediums, and attendance was fantastic. We're off to a great start.”

Visitors on opening night got a first look at 2016’s Seattle Art Fair Projects & Talks, a series of special activities, performances, and installations organized by Artistic Director Laura Fried. Glenn Kaino’s mytho-geographic walking tours of the fair, led by famed New York tour guide Timothy “Speed” Levitch, was a highlight of opening night. Many attendees also enjoyed walking through Dawn Kasper’s interactive, room-sized forest of motion-activated cymbals; or viewing Adam McEwen’s full-scale sculptures of supercomputers made of graphite. The Projects serve as a powerful complement to the works exhibited at the fair. The Projects and Talks series continues August 5-7, with events planned both on-site at the fair and in adjacent neighborhoods.

The opening night of the fair saw positive sales results from exhibitors. A few highlights: David Zwirner (New York) sold works by Wolfgang Tillmans and R. Crumb. Pace (New York, London, Beijing, Palo Alto) sold work by teamLab—who are also presenting an interactive installation as part of the Seattle Art Fair’s Projects. Adams and Ollman (Portland, Oregon) sold work by Ellen Lesperance. Forum Gallery (New York) sold work by Alan Magee. Greg Kucera (Seattle) sold works by Marie Watt, Roger Shimomura, and Mark Calderon. Koki Arts (Tokyo) sold work by Ryoichi Nakamura. PDX Contemporary Art (Portland, Oregon) sold work by Joe Rudko, James Lavadour, and Jeffry Mitchell—who also has an installation of ceramics featured among the Seattle Art Fair Projects. Peter Mendenhall Gallery (Los Angeles) sold work by Daniel Douke. Rebecca Hossack (London) sold work by Phil Shaw. Woodside/Braseth Gallery (Seattle) sold work by Brandon Zebold.

The fair kicked off with the Beneficiary Preview from 5:30 – 8:30pm, raising over $100,000 for the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), followed by the official Opening Night Preview. Notable guests included Rich and Sarah Barton, Cliff Burrows, Dale Chihuly, Adrian Hanauer, Marieluise Hessel, Christina Lockwood, David Morehouse, Jessica Morgan, Takashi Murakami, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Ginny Ruffner, Matthew Thompson, and many others.

Seattle Art Fair visitors enjoyed the Olson Kundig-designed Windermere VIP lounge. The design, entitled Thundercloud, blurs the physical boundaries between indoor and outdoor, while exploring the interplay of static and dynamic elements. Led by Olson Kundig principal/owner Kevin Kudo-King and associate architect Jerry Garcia, the design transports guests from the bustling fair area to a space for gathering, reflecting, and recharging. The hospitality area of the VIP lounge features a light installation of abstracted foliage by Etta Lilienthal, contrasted by a static backdrop of towering, dark fabric. From the hospitality area of the lounge, guests move into a sculptural seating area sited within a tranquil grove of Thundercloud Plum trees. Visitors to the Windermere VIP lounge enjoyed culinary offerings from renowned Seattle chef Ethan Stowell, the Official Chef Partner of the Seattle Art Fair.