Wednesday, September 20, 2023

On the way to NYC & Day One of the AAFNYC

4:30 AM: The van has been packed the day before, and it's ready for Steve Wanna to add his work as we head out to pick up Christina Helowicz in Pasadena. 

Art van

5:30 AM: Arrive at Pasadena, pick up Christina and head to New York. 

10:00ish AM: Arrival in Chelsea and check in at the Metropolitan Pavilion.  We get Doris Day parking by the side door, and unload, as our booth is really close to that door. Seth Fairweather is already there and his work is already hung.  I depart to check in to the Jane Hotel and drop luggage before heading back, dropping the van at the parking garage, where it will be until Friday at 6PM and then go inside the Pavilion to help with the hanging and preparation of the booth for tonight's VIP Preview. 

Steve Wanna setting up booth C1 at the Affordable Art Fair NYC Fall 2023
Steve Wanna setting up booth C1 at the Affordable Art Fair NYC

3:30PMish: The booth is pretty much done and hung with the work of Seth Fairweather,  Steve Wanna, Christina Helowicz,  Dora Patin,  Amanda Coelho,  Ally Morgan,  Jennifer Kahn Barlow,  Susan La Mont and mine. We head out to our respective hotels to clean up, be back by 5ish and be ready for the opening reception. 

Line outside the Metropolitan Pavilion waiting for the VIP Preview opening of the Affordable Art Fair in New York
Line outside the Metropolitan Pavilion waiting for the VIP Preview opening
of the Affordable Art Fair in New York 

VIP Preview of the 2023 Affordable Art Fair
 Preview Night of the 2023 Affordable Art Fair

A few minutes into the opening, a DMV area collector emails me in response to me sending him Dora Patin's new spectacular trompe l'oeil paintings, as he has begun collecting Patin during the previous fair; he says "I want the Cheshire cat."


Sometimes a Fair opening is so crowded that it actually begins to interfere with the visitors ability to actually see the artwork... my Bisque Graphite drawings move briskly.

Graphite and conte drawings on reclaimed unfired broken Bisque by Florencio Lennox Campello

9:00PM: It's been a long day and we're all exhausted as we head to our various hotels... the first day of the Affordable Art Fair New York City is done.