What to do at an art fair

A few tips from our Founder on how to make an art fair work for you

The month of March is filled with art fairs in New York City. It’s fun – you see what’s out there, sometimes sip a few cocktails, and hopefully, you either purchase something, get a better idea of your own aesthetic preferences, or just have a good time with all the visual stimulation.

Fairy Tale in the Key of C (Castle, Couch &  Cock), Jeffrey B.; 50"x46", oil on canvas

Despite starting a company that helps you commission works of art rather than buy existing works, I am a huge fan of going to these fairs. First, I don’t believe that every work of art in your home needs to be commissioned. Second, even if you are interested in commissioning a work of art, seeing more live works gives you a better sense of your commission vision and more vocabulary with which to articulate it. And, third, I truly believe you’ll confirm even a slight interest to commission a work once you come back from one of these.

But, the fairs can also be overwhelming, inundating you with too many genres and media, and ultimately leading you to doubt your own aesthetic sense. Here are a few tips to guard against just that and to make these fairs work for you:

1) Don’t trust your own memory. Decide on one or two walls in your home for which you are shopping.  If you would like for the artwork to fit your décor in a specific way, take pictures on your phone of those spots and their surrounding environments, especially the defining aspects of those settings (such as key pieces of furniture, statement display items, or rugs). These are the very things that we seem to experience and remember differently than they actually are.  You don’t want to be buying artwork off of your memory of these things. The pictures will be something you can refer back to as you walk through the aisles of an art fair and will help you visualize a potential piece in your home.  

2) Be strong in your vision. Cement your vision for those walls as strongly as you can before you go to the fair. Simply noting down your preferences in size range, medium, colors, genre, and overall feeling of the artwork will help you stay true to your vision when you get to an art fair and start seeing a few hundred works in front of you. You’ll be able to identify works that fit your vision quickly. Moreso, you’ll be able to trust yourself if you become intrigued by a work of art that doesn’t fit your original vision – you’ll know that it might be worth veering off course with a certain work of art that is just that stunning to you.

Neptune, Julia C.; 48"x48", acrylic

3) Go to one of the first days that the fair is open. I am a big believer that if you can’t stop thinking about something for more than a day, then there is something more there. Go to one of the earlier days of the fair so that if something caught your attention and just won’t leave your mind alone, you can go back and get it the next day.

4) Note what you didn’t find, and collaborate with an artist to commission it instead. Remember that you don’t have to buy something that already exists. Be okay with not finding what you wanted at a fair. Despite how many works you’ll see, all original artwork is unique and was made by someone other than you, which means that you won’t necessarily find what you’re looking for. Make sure to note down what was missing in the pieces that perhaps were “almost there.” You can always get something made just for you.

5 types of wall-art media you've never considered

When you think of the term “original wall-art,” you may likely think of a painting – oil or acrylic most likely, perhaps even watercolor, and almost always on canvas or paper. However, there are a number of other types of media that can be hung up on your wall and be just as original as a more traditional painting. You may not even realize that you’ve been exposed to these media before; you might have just noticed that there was a special, unidentifiable ‘something’ in what was before you.

I Drew These Chairs Standing Up, Brent E.; 15"x22", lithography

Consider these alternative media the next time you may be looking to fill wall space in your home:

1) Lithograph
In a lithograph, the artist draws onto limestone using litho crayons or pencils made of grease and wax. The image is then chemically treated to bond to the surface. Finally, the artist uses a rolling pin to cover the image with ink, lays paper over the stone, and passes it through a litho press.

2) Mixed media
Mixed media is a very general term, but refers to using a number of different media in one particular work. It can be a collage for example, with objects of various textures and depth used together in one work. But it could also be paint or ink overlaid on digital photographs.  It’s essentially more than one different type of media used on the same surface.

May, Sophia H.; 48"x60", string, cut-up socks, tree seeds, oil on canvas

Shep, Eli S.; 26"x32", oil-based print with arcylic on mylar

3) Stretched polyester film/Mylar
Mylar is the brand name for stretched polyester film.  Despite how durable it is, it gives artwork a transparent feel. Artists who draw, paint or print on it, achieve a certain dichotomy in their work using the translucency to show lightness or focus on a particular aspect. It can be used as another layer to an artwork, adding with a soft matte effect. 

4) Graphite or Charcoal
Graphite is essentially an artist-grade pencil – it is a more refined version of the No. 2 pencil most of us grew up with. It can come in pencil or powder form and has a metallic sheen. Charcoal can also come in powder or pencil form; it’s similar to graphite but is darker, has less range in color, and is a bit more complicated for an artist to apply. This slightly looser and more powdery medium is great for art on larger works of paper.  

Mountain with Small Scaffolding, Brooks S.; 36"x48", graphite, color pencil and ink

Childhood Drawing, Chamisa K.

5) Ink pen
Yes, even a sketch done with a simple ink pen can be matted, framed and hung up on your wall. Artists can create a noteworthy image with simple tools that we use everyday for a different purpose. Ink sketches have a certain simplicity that can grant a space some whimsy; smaller works are wonderful to put up in a series.

To see more works from artists in the CoCo Gallery Artist Network and to inquire about commissioning an artwork, please email us at info@cocogallery.net or fill out a form online.