Observer’s Guide to 2024’s Must-Visit July Art Fairs

Here's what's happening on the art fair circuit this July in the U.S. and beyond.

There’s no rest for the weary. In July, the art world’s collective Basel hangover lingers, but many galleries have to pack it all up all over again and make their way to one or more of the international or niche-y art fairs held in July, or possibly some of the smaller summertime art events that nimbly toe the line between fair and festival. If you’re not already burnt out from the June art fairs (and the May art fairs and the April art fairs, etc.), the coming month’s calendar offers a lighter load with roughly nine July art fairs.

We say roughly because there are fine art festivals that bring in millions of dollars annually (Denver’s Cherry Creek Arts Festival comes to mind) and tinier fairs that sometimes don’t, and in any given month, new art fairs emerge and older ones are subject to delays and cancellations. Not to mention the expos and selling exhibitions. Sidenote: The Hamptons had, for a time, three or four major art fairs every summer—it worked for a while post-Covid because people were gathering again and the wealthy collectors who’d decamped to the East End hadn’t yet re-decamped to the City. Anyway, here’s what’s on:

Tokyo Gendai 2024

July 4-7

This year, the second edition of Tokyo Gendai, Art Assembly’s Japan fair under the leadership of fair director Eri Takane, will take place at the PACIFICO Yokohama with about sixty-nine confirmed exhibiting galleries. While Japan in general and Tokyo more specifically have thriving art scenes, the country’s market has traditionally taken a back seat to those of Hong Kong, Seoul, etc. Notable exhibitors include major international galleries such as Perrotin, Pace and Almine Rech, as well as prominent art galleries in Tokyo like ShugoArts and Taka Ishii Gallery. Tokyo Gendai also has a robust VIP program—July 4 is the VIP preview—and a variety of associated private events along with thematic presentations and special sections. One highlight from the 2023 fair was an exhibit titled “life actually: the work of contemporary japanese women,” curated by Michiko Kasahara, which brought together works by some of Japan’s leading women artists.

Artmonte-Carlo 2024

July 6-7

Artmonte-Carlo, which takes place during Monaco Art Week, was founded in 2016 by Thomas Hug (also founder of artgenève) as a Salon d’Art that would establish the Côte d’Azur as a premier destination for contemporary art, modern art and design. It operates “under the high patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco,” so it could be that fair visitors will catch a glimpse of royalty in addition to the art mounted at the elegant Grimaldi Forum. The fair is known for not only its meticulous scenography and exclusive atmosphere but also its human scale, which attracts savvy art collectors, enthusiasts and industry professionals from around the globe. This year, around thirty modern and contemporary galleries, including Perrotin, Mennour, Van de Weghe, Hauser & Wirth, Almine Rech and Franco Noero, will showcase the work of more than 200 artists. Past editions have featured sculptures by artists like Xavier Veilhan and Bertrand Lavier. The fair also hosts the Prix Solo artmonte-carlo – F.P.Journe, which honors the best solo exhibition presented by a participating gallery and allows the F.P.Journe brand to buy a work by the artist to be donated to the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco.

Hamptons Fine Art Fair 2024

July 11-14

The now-shuttered ArtHamptons fair dominated the Hamptons’ art fair scene for a decade, but ArtHamptons founder Rick Friedman is back and the brains behind the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, or HFAF. When culturally tuned-in New Yorkers migrate en masse to the east end of Long Island, that can mean just one thing: it’s art collecting season out east. Founded not too long ago in 2021, HFAF is staged in a massive 70,000-square-foot pavilion complex just a short drive from downtown Southampton Village. This fair is notable for its extensive participation, with over 150 galleries and exhibitors from around the world mounting displays. Collectors and art enthusiasts can explore a diverse selection of works by contemporary art’s rising stars (look out for those locally based) and pieces by names known the world over, like Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Jean-Michel Basquiat. In addition to the gallery displays, the Hamptons Fine Art Fair inspires several themed events and social gatherings held over the course of the busy weekend, including the always-interesting Hamptons Artists Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Art Santa Fe 2024

July 12-14

Art Santa Fe, a boutique art fair in—you guessed it—Santa Fe, New Mexico held during Santa Fe Art Week, was founded in 2000 by gallery owner Charlotte Jackson. She sold the fair to former gallerist Eric Smith, now CEO of Redwood Media Group and producer of art shows like Art Miami, in 2018. The fair, which showcases prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, giclee, lithographs and glass works, takes place annually at the Santa Fe Convention Center and is known for its exceptional presentation and well-curated selection of fine art, decorative art and design. The twenty-fourth edition will feature four Spotlight Program artists, recognized for their outstanding achievements in the visual arts: Bill Sabatini (Booth 505), Elizabeth Frank (Booth 228), Ouida Touchon (Booth 230) and Vivienne Riggio (Booth 105). Also on tap are interactive meet the artist events and live art demonstrations led by galleries, art institutions and art collectives. Coinciding with Art Santa Fe is “Zozobra: The Centennial Exhibition,” a once in a lifetime showcase of Zozobra sculptures—giant marionette effigies—by thirty-two artists to be debuted during the fair.

Ann Arbor Art Fair 2024

July 18-20

Art lovers looking for a relaxed fair experience with plenty of local flavor should make time for the Ann Arbor Art Fair, which is one of the largest and most prestigious juried art events in the country. Founded in 1960, it’s also one of the oldest. For correctness’ sake, we should point out that Ann Arbor Art Fair is actually three distinct events—the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair (aka, “The Original”), the Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair and the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair—making it, for lack of a better descriptor, a “distributed fair.” Together, the events that make up the Ann Arbor Art Fair have a 30-city-block footprint and attract roughly 500,000 visitors annually, there to see contemporary fine arts and crafts by more than 1,000 artists. There are also performances, hands-on art activities and street food, and the overall atmosphere is very much that of a mega block party. In fact, many Ann Arbor locals have beef with the fair because of the congestion it causes—there have been protests in the past, under the slogan “It’s not art, and it’s not fair.”

ART TAICHUNG 2024

July 19-21

Now in its twelfth edition, ART TAICHUNG in Taichung, Taiwan was founded in 2013 by the Taiwan Art Gallery Association (TAGA) to bolster the local market for art and to serve as a draw for international artists. It has grown significantly over the years, becoming a key event in Taiwan’s art calendar. This year’s edition of the fair at the Millennium Hotel Taichung, with its theme of “Perceptual Dimensions: Sculptures in the City,” will feature exhibitions of paintings, sculpture and mixed media works from local galleries like Estyle Art Gallery and GSA Gallery along with galleries from across Asia including Caiyun Art from Seoul, Fi-Gallery Field from Tokyo and Mr Lim’s Shop of Visual Treasures from Singapore. There are also performances and interactive installations, enhancing the overall experience for collectors, dealers, buyers and art lovers willing to make the trip.

Seattle Art Fair 2024

July 25-28

Seattle Art Fair, founded in 2015 by the late art collector and philanthropist Paul G. Allen to celebrate the vibrant arts community of the region, has become a fixture of the Pacific Northwest’s cultural calendar. Held at the Lumen Field Event Center, it showcases a diverse range of modern and contemporary art brought by about eighty-five galleries, with a special emphasis on displays mounted by Seattle-based galleries such as Greg Kucera Gallery, James Harris Gallery and Roq La Rue. There’s just something different about the Seattle art scene—a scene very much shaped by Allen, who founded cultural initiatives like the Seattle Art Fair and Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture and whose foundation continues to distribute millions in arts grants in Washington. Nato Thompson, Seattle Art Fair’s former artistic director, said in a 2019 interview with Observer that “in Seattle people know who you are, and it’s a real community, and you can tap into it really well. I find that intimacy very exciting and something I benefit from participating in.”

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2024

July 25-28

The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) was established in 2009 as part of the Queensland Government’s Backing Indigenous Arts program but became an independent entity in 2013, transitioning to a not-for-profit company governed by a skills-based board with significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation. Held annually in northern Australia, CIAF attracts a variety of notable exhibitors, including many artists from Queensland, and artists who have exhibited their work at this fair include Alick Tipoti, Dennis Nona, Judy Watson, Vernon Ah Kee, and Sally Gabori. CIAF is known for its commitment to cultural exchange, offering a platform for indigenous artists to present their work to national and international collectors, curators and an art-loving public. This edition’s theme, “Country Speaking,” refers to the word Country as used by First Nations people: “Country encompasses First Nations people spiritual, physical, emotional and mental relationship to it; inclusive of the living and breathing landscapes and the animals nourished by it,” said CIAF artistic director Francoise Lane in a statement. “CIAF’s 2024 theme will provide insight into what Country is speaking to its custodians.”

Intersect Aspen Art and Design Fair 2024

July 30 – August 3

Intersect Aspen, an art fair founded in 2010, is a cornerstone of Aspen’s peak art season and summer cultural calendar. Once again at the Aspen Ice Garden, this year’s edition of the fair will feature artworks by over 100 artists displayed by more than thirty galleries—including several contemporary design galleries like Todd Merrill Studio, Mastrangelo and BDDW and some first-timers. This is the first year design will be incorporated into the fair’s curatorial vision and the updated name (Intersect Aspen is now Intersect Aspen Art and Design Fair) reflects a new, broader focus. Art is still number one at Intersect, however, and some of this year’s featured artists include Meghann Riepenhoff, Zaria Forman and Yigal Ozeri. “We strive to create a space for collectors and art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in viewing, acquiring, learning about and discussing the art and continue to be a must-attend event during Aspen’s world-renowned ArtWeek,” said Tim von Gal, CEO of the fair, in a statement.