30-06-2025
Art for all: How this contemporary art event bridges communities
One of the things art adviser Sarah Birtles loves most is connecting a first-time buyer with an artwork they love. It's one of the reasons she finds it 'exciting' to be involved with the Affordable Art Fair.
'A father came with his daughter; her 21st birthday present from him was to start her own art collection. She bought a modest piece from us, under $500, but the glow on her face was really exciting,' Birtles says.
The Affordable Art Fair creates powerful engagement between the public, artists and galleries by democratising not only art, but also the purchasing experience. All artworks are priced under $10,000 and buyers can remove the canvas from the wall and take it home with them.
When Birtles first exhibited at the Sydney fair in 2022, she took the smallest booth she could, 15 square metres. That has since quadrupled.
'I just rostered myself on, foolishly thinking it would be very quiet. We were inundated. I had to call in three other staff members, and artists from Queensland and the Blue Mountains had to come and restock me,' she says. 'It was thrilling, everything you quietly hope for. People were genuinely excited to see artwork in real life again, having those conversations and hearing artists' stories.'
Finding global reach
As a Blue Mountains based gallery, Birtles credits the Affordable Art Fair with the global amplification of her regional business. Not only does she exhibit nationally, she is also part of the Affordable Art Fair Singapore.
'We add in excess of 300 new buyers to our database each fair,' she says.
'On our stand alone, there would be at least 25 people buying their first artworks ever. That's really special to me.'
