Dealers Rethink Strategies for Art Fairs

If you want a quick snapshot of how contemporary art fairs have changed in recent years-moving from a clubby way of sharing resources to an essential part of how galleries do business-New York's Armory Show fits the bill. In 1994, it debuted in a run-down hotel as the Gramercy International-a scrappy gathering of dealers trying to drum up business during a tough art market recession. By 1999, the little enterprise had metamorphosed into the slicker, more professionalized Armory Show, and in 2007 it was bought by the trade show corporation Merchandise Mart Properties (which also owns Art Chicago and the International Antiques Show, among others). Read More