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You may know this art extravaganza as Art Market San Francisco, but now it’s got a new name that puts SF and our “arts ecosystem” in the spotlight. You’ll have the chance to see work from 85 top galleries from the local and international scene, exciting installations, industry talks, and more.

This year’s San Francisco Art Fair — previously Art Market — sports a renewed emphasis on the local art scene in addition to national and international exhibitors. Visitors hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to catch up with the best Bay Area galleries in one place should be sure to stop by up-and-comers House of Seiko, Jonathan Carver Moore, Schlomer Haus Gallery and Staircase.

This year’s edition of the San Francisco Art Fair, formerly Art Market San Francisco, takes place April 25 to 28 at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion. The event’s programming includes a variety of national and international galleries, special installations and artist talks.

Distinguished by its vibrant atmosphere and a diverse range of offerings (painting, sculpture, photography and more), the fair has cultivated a reputation not only for promoting artistic quality but also for its engagement with the local community, providing a platform for dialogue, education and discovery through talks, tours and interactive installations.

The name may have changed but the San Francisco Art Fair is just as vibrant and expansive as it was when it was simply called the Art Market.

"For technologists at the intersection of art and the digital worlds, artificial intelligence offers exciting creative possibilities but also challenging legal, ethical and curatorial questions about authorship, acquisition, ownership, provenance and authenticity. These and more were the focal point of a recent panel discussion at Art Market San Francisco on the impact of AI on creators."

"Last weekend, Gibson presented The Many Worlds, a suspended mobile that models solar system presented at Art Market San Francisco fair in conjunction with ICA San Francisco—the exhibition “This Burning World” closed at the museum on Sunday."

"See tons of fantastic works at the Bay Area’s premiere art fair"

"Major San Francisco cultural institutions will present intriguing lectures on the state of art today. Digital art incubator Gray Area will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on creators, the San Francisco Arts Commission will talk through highlights of the Central Subway public art collection, Dogpatch’s Museum of Craft and Design will discuss the challenges and triumphs of local artists trying to survive in the Bay Area arts ecosystem and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will take a look at the long career of the city’s very own Ansel Adams, who captured iconic images of Yosemite, SF and the Southwest."

The fair's highly anticipated eleventh edition will also feature a robust array of installations and programming curated by the fair's new Creative Director, Nato Thompson, that speak to the many layers and facets of creativity that define the region's vibrant arts community.

In its 11th year, the fair will highlight the region's vibrant arts community with events, talks, performances, and installations curated by creative director Nato Thompson. Art Market's public projects program will also make work from artists like Miguel Calderón, Jeffrey Gibson, and Catalina Ouyang accessible to the city at large.

"San Francisco art studio and gallery Creativity Explored is a special partner at this year’s event, responsible for a “Mode Brut” fashion exhibition in the VIP lounge and also playing host to a panel discussing accessibility in clothing design. Chronicle columnist Tony Bravo is set to moderate the discussion, titled FashionABLE, featuring Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco associate costume and textile curator Laura L. Camerlengo, Creativity Explored curator Josefin Lundahl, Modern Appealing Clothing boutique co-owner Ben Ospital, Tokyo Gamine fashion designer Yuka Uehara, and Creativity Explored artist Joseph Omolayole."

"After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Art Market San Francisco is finally back at the Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The Bay Area staple gives discerning collectors, art enthusiasts and curators the opportunity to explore some of the most innovative and thought-provoking pieces the art world has to offer, while continuing to support and develop the Bay Area’s rapidly growing collector base."

Art Market SF, the Bay Area’s premier and longest-running art fair, returns this week for its 10th edition. This year’s fair will feature around 80 innovative and established modern and contemporary art galleries from around the world, including a strong presence from local galleries and artists; Thursday to Sunday, hours vary.

"In addition to nurturing the Bay Area’s gallery and collector growth at the fair, Art Market San Francisco remains committed to fostering arts, artists, and the communities in which they reside, both locally and globally. Locally, to help with the reinvigoration of Union Square, Art Market is partnering with CK Contemporary and the Union Square Alliance for an evening to celebrate the area’s cultural vibrancy, which includes eight renowned galleries exhibiting at the fair this year, as well as a myriad of chic bars, restaurants and retail stores. The event taking place at CK Contemporary’s space on Powell Street will feature food and drink from Union Square establishments ENO Wine Bar, Subtle Spirits, and Bluestem Restaurant & Market. And globally, in consideration of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Art Market Productions will be donating a portion of proceeds from Art Market San Francisco ticket sales to Artists at Risk and UNICEF, while encouraging patrons to collectively support these and other organizations providing humanitarian relief so desperately needed at this time."

"We're bringing back the educational component that used to exist back in its beginning years. It was one of my priorities to really make the fair a platform for the city," said Freeman. Visitors will notice this reemphasis on programming with the addition of a theater to host conversations about topics that are relevant to the city by the fair's local cultural partners on topics ranging from NFTs (of course) to equity in collecting art. Public installations (which will not be for public sale) also contribute to the non-commercial element, alongside works on sale in gallery booths.

The Art Market, at which so many local and out-of-town galleries were together in one place for the weekend, enabled visitors in one fell swoop to visit the galleries that have migrated from the once-centralized Union Square district to the Tenderloin and DoReMi (Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, Mission).

Explore a diverse selection of contemporary and modern art exhibited by nearly 70 galleries from the Bay Area to New York and beyond at the annual Art Market San Francisco. April 27-May 1. Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Blvd., S.F.

This is the big daddy art fair of the weekend. It’s run by Art Market Productions, a group that’s been around since 2011 and is responsible for six major art fairs: Art on Paper NY, Art Market San Francisco, Art Market Hamptons, Seattle Art Fair, Texas Contemporary, and Miami Project. All these fairs are top notch in the contemporary art world and draw international exhibitors.

Art Market SF, having thrived amidst speculation as to whether San Francisco could support even one art fair, much less the five it presently hosts, last year attracted more than 25,000 visitors over five days and chalked up strong sales at every price point.

Art Market San Francisco returns to Fort Mason this month with nearly 70 top galleries from the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York and beyond. The contemporary art fair’s local exhibitors include Catharine Clark, Brian Gross and Ever Gold galleries.

Attendees perused presentations from more than 70 galleries against a backdrop of soul music spun by DJs of the Hard French Crew while munching on bites by McCalls Catering and Events. The 2015 Benefit Preview Reception raised over $80,000 in support of the New Art Acquisitions.

The high-energy—and well-attended—show provided the opportunity for art lovers and collectors to engage with some fantastic pieces offered by a diverse group of domestic and international artists (and their dealers).

A stunning representation of the contemporary field, and of what artists are up to in the here and now.

With 25,000 people in attendance, Kelly Freeman of Art Market says it was a strong year, “Bay Area collectors have grown accustomed to art fairs and the galleries keep coming back.”

An impressive display of contemporary art from all over the world, this year’s fair diversified its selection of galleries and improved its overall presentation.

The Bay Area’s big art fair, Art Market San Francisco, opens on April 29.

I was impressed by the turn-out during an age when most people seem to care less and less about art in general.

Art Market San Francisco returns to Fort Mason Festival Pavilion this April 29 – May 3, marking its fifth edition as the Bay Area’s leading modern and contemporary art fair.

Depict spoke with Max Fishko and Jeffrey Wainhause about highlights from this year’s artists and galleries, tips for navigating the art fair, and how Art Market celebrates San Francisco’s tradition of collaboration.

Considered the Bay Area’s must-attend modern and contemporary art extravaganza, the event will include avante-garde presentations and installations from 70+ top galleries around the world.

The fair, mounted by Max Fishko and Jeffrey Wainhause’s Brooklyn-based Art Market Productions (also responsible for Market Art + Design, Miami Project, Texas Contemporary, the Seattle Art Fair, and the new Art on Paper show in New York), will offer top-quality modern and contemporary art as well as artist presentations, talks by curators and designers, and other special programming.

Art Market San Francisco has evolved into a cultural happening, an extension of a network of partnerships that has shaped ?the fair into? a city-wide event.

Art Market San Francisco has evolved into a cultural happening, an extension of a network of partnerships that has shaped ?the fair into? a city-wide event.

Art Market San Francisco will return to the beautiful Fort Mason Festival Pavilion this April 29 - May 3 to celebrate its fifth edition as the Bay Area's leading contemporary and modern art fair.

"The Paul Thiebaud Gallery has a wonderful wall full of small paintings by Philadelphian David Fertig. plus a splendid Grace Munakata painting and other treasures. Traywick Contemporary brings to light the keenly thought, beautifully made abstract sculptures of Bay Area artist David Fought."

"Art fairs have taken over the world, but San Francisco's future as a venue for them remains in doubt with brick-and-mortar galleries being squeezed out by surging rents for commercial space."

"We asked five of San Francisco's leading designers to curate the Fair and select the pieces that most resonated with them. Over the next five days, please join us as we share Designers Curate Art Market San Francisco."

"Arkitektura tapped local designer Philip Wood to curate the space, who says of its concept, "From a design perspective I wanted to highlight the furniture as objects, not just as seating. For designers like myself, furniture is almost a medium in it's own right. Arkitektura represents the best in the world, and I wanted to give people an opportunity to see how inspiring these pieces are.”

Interviewed on Bay Area People

"With more than 70 galleries offering up their best of local, national and international art, Art Market San Francisco 2014 is the one of the best places to be this year when it comes to west coast exhibitions. With so much damn good art in one locale, we had to dig deeper to find out who the ten hottest artists would be."

"With the recent Silicon Valley art fair turning out to be a complete dud, there is hope that this year’s fair will better represent what the art world has to offer to the tech-set of San Francisco."

"The 2013 showing of artMRKT in San Francisco opened to a staggering 6,000 guests in May, and had to turn away 500, raising approximately $30,000 for artMRKT beneficiary, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s New Acquisition Fund."

"With a fresh mix of established and up and coming galleries, artMRKT seems to have found its sweet spot."

"It wasn’t until I walked through the expansive array of visual art, curated by ArtMarket in Fort Mason, San Francisco that I saw how disturbingly precise art’s commentary on culture and society can be."

"With a slew of international exhibitors present, the fair offered an array of visual bounty."

"A healthy mix of old and new, you could find historically important works, as well as relevant contemporary pieces and projects leaving you visually and artistically stimulated."

"...exhibitors are always happy to chat with attendees, whether you’re in the market or just browsing"

"artMRKT, an annual art fair with deep-pocketed Silicon Valley patrons, opens tonight with a reception benefitting the city's art museums."

"The fair's Collector's Lounge will be showing Arnold's video created to accompany the richly saturated, haunting landscape photos that will be showing offsite at the gallery."

"Our very own miniature version of Art/Basel, dubbed artMRKT, returns this week in a somewhat larger form at the Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion. "

"Q: What makes for a successful art fair? What are the ingredients? A: The most important thing is the dealers."

"39,500 Estimated total number of visitors to the three art fairs, including opening receptions."

"Take a look at some of our favorite work from ArtMRKT."

"The next day, over at artMRKT, a slicker presentation in a more conventional setting, things seemed solid..."

"There was notable work exhibited across all venues, from both local and national spaces."

"The fair offered not only a chance to view a wealth of modern and contemporary art shown by participating galleries, but enriching arts events, projects, and seminars."

"...this year's showing was also SF's most eclectic."

"the perfect mixture to get you in the mood for buying art!"

"...featuring a wide-range of galleries including LeBasse (showing Dave Kinsey, above and below here), Eli Ridgway, Rena Bransten, and Park Life..."

"...arrived on the scene last year for the first time and made quite a splash by gathering a large number of the major dealers from San Francisco and a number of notable out of town galleries as well."

"I’d rather we be known as a company that can successfully create new brands.”

"I think that fairs as a marketplace are increasingly relevant for the curatorial and institutional community. [Fairs] continue to grow as platforms for development, catalysts for attendance and showcases for new work."

"ArtMRKT boasted 13,000 visitors over its three days."

"There were far more recognizable contemporary galleries and generally a smoother cohesion of work from booth to booth. "

"artMRKT could be just the thing to finally shine a spotlight on San Francisco's vibrant arts scene."

"ArtMRKT is positioning itself as a “higher-end" fair, opening with a benefit party for the UCSF Medical Center."

"People love to be in San Francisco; it's a beautiful place," artMRKT co-organizer Max Fishko told A.i.A."

His strategy: “create more collectors by bringing in more good galleries and by creating diversity.”

"There's something different about this fair."

"In many ways we are trying to push the boundaries of what it means to create a temporary marketplace for fine art. Foremost artMRKT is about the art, however it is also about the ideas, the energy, and the excitement that are harnessed and shared by everyone involved."

"In its inaugural year, the show will combine a selection of leading galleries with a thoughtful program of art events and exhibitions at the fair venue and throughout the city."