Seattle Art Fair is officially open, kicking off its weekend-long run with a packed party at the Lumen Field Event Center last night. Abuzz with the who’s who of the Seattle art scene perusing booths from more than 90 international galleries, the fair had a fresh energy that seemed lacking over the past few years. Now nearing its first decade in the city, the annual event has found its footing, coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic and the death of its founder and creative visionary, the late Paul Allen, with stronger ties to the local arts infrastructure.

“This year, we are thrilled to welcome a number of new local and regional galleries to the Seattle Art Fair,” says fair director Kelly Freeman. “While we continue to have strong participation from returning galleries, the 2024 fair will feature new participants from the Pacific Northwest region, including but not limited to after/time from Portland, Housewright, Spectrum Fine Art, Veronica, JC2, TASWIRA, and a collaboration with ArtXIV. These new galleries will bring fresh perspectives and a diverse array of artworks, further enriching the fair’s offerings and highlighting the vibrant art scene in and around Seattle. We believe these additions will provide attendees an exciting opportunity to discover emerging talents and innovative works from the region.”

 

Installations between the booths were a highlight varying in their presentation — from Portland artist Epiphany Couch’s Strong Sprits, a tender tribute to her grandparents, to Michael Rakowitz’s Behemoth II, a monstrous tarp-shrouded inflatable sculpture exploring the relationship between removed and remaining monuments in the United States and their underlying political, racial, and cultural motivations. South African artist Ralph Ziman unveiled The Casspir Project, covering a reclaimed apartheid-era police vehicle with 70 million beads. (The piece will tour the region in August, appearing at Railspur and TASWIRA galleries, The Museum of Flight, and the Belltown Mural Festival.)

 

Running through Sunday, the fair has a long list of programming happening all weekend, including artist talks, gallery visits, panel discussions, and book signings. From emerging contemporary artists to revered names with decades-long output, the work on offer is diverse (everything from glass to painting to prints to sculpture) and walking through the rows feels like walking through the pages of a coffee table art book come to life. Whether you’re in the market to buy or not Seattle Art Fair is a great opportunity to connect with the creative community, support a local gallery, and perhaps even discover a new favorite piece of work—which the number of red dots already on name placards indicates that quite a few people already have.

Find a complete list of Seattle Art Fair events here.