Affordable Art Fair Spotlights Austin’s Creative Community Through Local Partnerships and Programming
Back for its second year, the fair pairs 55 international galleries with Austin collaborators like Four Hands, Kido, UMLAUF and more
Art is an integral part of Austin’s DNA and woven into the identity of the city. Yet, for so many, art can feel out of reach. Perhaps it feels expensive, unrelatable, untouchable or for the elite. One organization is on a mission to change that: the Affordable Art Fair.
Returning to Austin for its second year on May 15-18, the 2025 Affordable Art Fair will feature 55 galleries from all around the world at the Palmer Events Center. And, it has something for everyone, with pieces ranging from $100 to $10,000.
“The founder of the Affordable Art Fair, Will Ramsey, wanted to make art accessible to everyone and remove the stigma that art fairs are high-end or scary, where they don’t have the prices on the wall or you can only get in if you’re already a collector,” said Cori Teague, Director of the Austin Affordable Art Fair. “Ours is the opposite of that. We look at the Affordable Art Fair as a gateway into art collecting. We want to both foster collectors who are new to the art world, as well as seasoned collectors.”
Partnering with the Austin community
At the heart of the Affordable Art Fair is its partnership with the Austin community. The Fair will feature collaborations with Four Hands, Kido, Marco Fine Arts, UMLAUF and Austin Fair Services to not only enhance the Fair experience, but also elevate these local businesses and grow their exposure within the art community.
“We can’t host the Affordable Art Fair without our community partners,” said Teague. “It’s not just about having another fair. It’s nice for people to see names that they know and for them to see the communal businesses that provide the local side of art.”
For example, Four Hands has an art department that partners with many of the galleries that will be on display at the Fair. The furniture store is creating two luxurious on-site lounges for visitors to relax. Outfitted with Four Hands pieces, the spaces will also feature designers who can help guests visualize how artwork might look in their own homes and elevate the design of a space.
Kido will host “Family Hours” during the Fair (Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), featuring kid-friendly crafts, self-portrait sessions, little crowns, a flower-making sculpture and more. The Affordable Art Fair partners with Kido year-round to create artworks that go on display ahead of the event.
“When families have time to go to an art fair, we want to help make it accessible to them,” said Teague. “We want to start collectors at a young age and give them a place to start.”
Affordable Art Fair partners with Austin Art Services to provide on-site wrapping and shipping for any art sold at the Fair, making it a one-stop shop for everything art while on-site. Marco Fine Arts serves as the official framer both before the big event and at the fair.
Lastly, the Fair partners with UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum to sponsor its annual garden party.
“You can’t have art without museums,” said Teague. “We want people to gain exposure to other parts of Austin. We love showing them museums where they can see the arts every single day if they want to.”
What to expect at the Affordable Art Fair
Transparency is central to the Affordable Art Fair, with all prices clearly marked and a focus on supporting artists. Teague notes that while other art fairs may showcase both living and deceased artists, they only showcase living artists so they can support the current art ecosystem.
“We want to invest in artists while they’re working so they can continue to be creative and develop both their style, as well as their careers,” said Teague. “And, we also want to help support these galleries that can be the professional space and side of the art industry that Austinites can tap into.”
While the Affordable Art Fair started 26 years ago in the United Kingdom, there are now 18 running editions of the concept spanning 15 cities. New York City was the first American city to host the Fair, with Austin following four years later.
“Austin was an obvious choice for our second American destination,” said Teague. “It’s a melting pot of people from both coasts and it’s a creative city.”
The 2025 Affordable Art Fair expects to host nearly 12,000 people as it welcomes 55 galleries from across the world. 17 of those galleries are specifically from Austin (25 total from Texas) and 10 are from international destinations. The Fair features a diverse line-up of galleries to account for visitors’ varying art preferences, including Laura Rathe Fine Art, Markowicz Fine Art, Galerie Duret, and more, including four Australian galleries and a Spanish gallery. Artist B. Shawn Cox designed the art for the campaign.