Art Festival Brings Color, Vibrancy to Pullman Yards
Art scene experts praise the new Atlanta Art Fair for bringing visibility to the BeltLine.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Miami’s Art Basel now shares the Southern stage with the Atlanta Art Fair, the first weekend in October. Art doyenne and consultant Fay Gold, a self-proclaimed art “junkie,” who has previously exhibited in fairs from New York to Seattle to London and Madrid, said, “Here in Atlanta’s Fair, the selection of the over 60 participating galleries were of the highest quality. Although on a smaller scale than Art Basel, having a commercial art fair in Atlanta of this stature was a long overdue break for the city.”
Gold filled out the Atlanta Art Fair application online in August 2024, requesting the largest booth size available in the best location. AMP Art Market Productions, the organizer, complied by ensuring that the process ran smoothly and delivered on details like booth configuration, lighting and electrical outlet placement, public relations and insurance.
Gold said, “The four days were exhilarating. It felt like a great reunion of collectors, artists, curators, designers and former employees from the past 40 years. One client commented, ‘We bought a piece from you 35 years ago, and we still love it!’ There was a sense of excitement and positive energy in the air.”
More than 3,500 people attended the opening night on Thursday, Oct. 3, and crowds remained steady throughout the four days. Gold’s booth was continuously busy with enthusiastic questions and feedback.
Gold reported that sales were “robust” and exceeded expectations by saying, “They started out slowly but built over the course of the fair, and we have also made several after the fair sales. Amy Rader, Marlene Rose and Lucy Cookson were our artists. Rose (previously featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times) is the only artist in the country using the sand cast glass technique. Rader’s combination of surrealism, collage, crushed stones and LED lighting, puts her narrative in a unique category that holds up to any blue-chip artist today.”
The price range of pieces in Gold’s booth was $2,400 to $18,000. Sold pieces were either delivered or shipped post-fair. Several pieces were also commissioned.
Exhibitor Robin Bernat (featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times’ Chai Style Art 10/28/2021) was on hand as Poem 88 Gallery. Along with Brendan Carroll, Susan Seydel Cofer, and Elizabeth Porcel, she displayed works from the estate of Phyllis Alterman Franco, having previously co-authored a 305-page coffee table book about Franco’s work.
Bernat described her art fair experience, saying, “We were really pleased to participate in the fair. Tens of thousands of new eyes saw the works by talented Atlanta artists … the fair helped propel our community onto the national arts scene which is desperately needed. On balance, it was a very positive experience. We hope in the next iteration of the fair, a broader collector base from around the Southeast and elsewhere will see what Atlanta has to offer. With more qualified buyers … comes more success. The entire week was jam packed with activities and exhibitions … that hasn’t ever occurred previously.”
Artsy fan Francine Lowe stated, “I travel to Art Basel in Miami Beach every year … Atlanta has really done an amazing job in this first art fair. It was like a mini–Art Basel. Hopefully, it will continue to grow in Atlanta’s emerging arts arena. It was really spectacular for any art lover to experience.”
Gold concluded, “The Atlanta Art Fair allowed Atlanta to turn a corner as a visual and cultural arts destination. We now can compete with the major fairs in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.”
Daughter Ames Fisher remarked, “I was not initially in favor of Fay taking the risk of making a big investment in the art fair’s inaugural year. Fay was not to be denied, and her instincts were correct in taking the leap. The art fair knocked it out of the park. I loved every minute.”
The art fair will be held again at Pullman Yards in 2025.
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