Standing in front of a piece of visual art, such as a painting or sculpture, can be a transcendent experience. One minute, you’re trudging through the mental wilderness of everyday existence – the bills, the responsibilities, the mind-numbing routines – and then, suddenly, you’re lifted up and out of yourself by the creative exploits of a fellow human.
Maybe you’re swept away by its soul-stirring beauty. Maybe it’s joyful, or quirky, or haunting. Or maybe what you feel is a surge of anger, a prick of sadness, or a wave of disgust. That right there is the incredible, essential power of art. It can evoke the whole spectrum of emotions, and in doing so provide a visceral awakening that is as transformative as it is strangely ecstatic. It expands our perception of our inner and outer worlds, inspires us, challenges us – and it’s a great conversation starter to boot.
But let’s be real: for those of us who don’t know a lot about art, or where to find the kind of art we like, the prospect of solemnly shuffling around a gallery can be intimidating and less than thrilling.
And that’s exactly what makes the Affordable Art Fair such a game-changer. This carnival of colour and creativity has bars, cafés and a DJ pumping out feel-good tunes. It also has 50 galleries showcasing thousands of contemporary artworks, specially selected to appeal to modern audiences of every background and budget.
Making art accessible (and affordable) for all
The global phenomenon that is the Affordable Art Fair is almost a quarter of a century old. The first one was held in London in 1999, with the goal, according to Australian Fair Director Stephanie Kelly Gordine, of “making sure that everyone feels they can be an art owner and bring art into their home”.
It’s since grown into the largest fair organisation in the world, and although it has evolved over the years, its core values of “accessibility and diversity” remain unchanged.
“We’ve got 50 galleries onsite, so you might not love one gallery’s style, but you’ll probably love two or three others,” Kelly Gordine says. “It’s that idea of making sure that there’s art for all tastes and all budgets. Art for all, really. There are sculptures, paintings, prints, lithographs, installations – everything.”
An explosion of colour, excitement and movement
The atmosphere of these fairs is anything but stuffy and sombre. When asked what visitors can expect from the event, Kelly Gordine likens it to “walking into a candy store, with an explosion of colour, excitement and movement”.
In a nutshell, “People come in, they grab a glass of champagne, they get the book, they wander around. We’ve got music playing, we’ve got bars and cafés. It’s a chance for you to immerse yourself in the art world, in a really fun and accessible and welcoming way.”
There are loads of things to see and do. The “Young Talent” section, for example, is a favourite of collectors – an opportunity to test their eye and spot the next generation of emerging talent. And at this year’s upcoming Sydney event, TAFE will be running an art lab, while in Melbourne, in late August, there will be a creative hub – “so artists young and old can come and get their hands dirty and go back to making,” Kelly Gordine says.
But this “art day out” is just as fun for families and people who know next-to-nothing about art as it is for aficionados, she adds. Because, regardless of your level of knowledge, there’s this wonderful sense of being “part of an art tribe”.
Event planning is a creative challenge
Kelly Gordine thinks she has the best job in the world, because every Fair is “like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, or your own recipe”. As an event organiser, she explains, she has to work with the constraints of the venues and get creative in figuring out:
– How to build walls?
– What artists to include?
– What galleries to include?
– How to place them together?
– How to attract an audience?
– And how to make sure the audience is in the right mindset?
“Every day is different, and what you do, and the decisions you make, have such a big impact on whether the event is successful,” she says.
So, what is the secret to making sure her audience is “in the right mindset”?
“It’s just making sure that people feel like it’s uplifting,” Kelly Gordine says. “You’ve got great music; they get a welcome at the door – smiling security guards, you know? Every morning it’s my job to go and perk up the security guards and make sure everyone is smiling. Because it’s not just the team – it’s everyone onsite that is the face of the Fair.”
In events, you’re selling a dream
Kelly Gordine compares working in the events industry to “selling a dream”, and says that to make that dream a reality, you’ve got to be able to understand not only what it looks like, but also:
– What are the measures of success?
– What is going to make that event work long-term, year after year?
– And what is your business model? (Or, where are you getting your revenue from?)
“It’s about making the right decisions for the long term,” she says. “And those decisions might be hard in the short term. It might mean you don’t hit budget in the short term. But you’re going to make the event stronger and live longer.”
“Any fair organiser’s best friend”
Kelly Gordine has been with the Affordable Art Fair for 10 years, and over that time she has used a lot of different ticketing systems. She says her team started using Eventbrite when they first came to Australia for the Melbourne Affordable Art Fair in 2019, and that they transferred all of their Asian Fairs onto the platform in 2021.
“What I love about Eventbrite is that it’s one ticketing system – so we can manage our paid tickets, our complimentary tickets, we can manage our different partnerships that have tickets, and everyone has a code so you can easily track and report,” Kelly Gordine says. “I also like the system because it can profile your audience with a few simple questions, and we can integrate it into our CRM system easily.”
Meanwhile, the favourite Eventbrite feature of her colleague Miranda Smith, an Australian Marketing Execute of the Affordable Art Fair, is “definitely the event dashboard”.
“I love the way that it’s laid out – it gives me every piece of information that I need for every single day of our campaign,” Smith says. “But also the extensive reporting system is any fair organiser’s best friend, because we can easily filter and analyse data and we can get a very insightful look at where our ticketing is, but also break down our bistro data – and it’s fantastic.”
There’s nothing like seeing art in the flesh
At the end of the day, the way we present our homes and workspaces not only establishes a certain “vibe”, but also speaks volumes about our core values and priorities. Do you want the message you’re sending, to yourself and to the world, to be a generic and mass-produced “no comment”? Or a unique, considered reflection of your essential nature?
To put it another way, “Art should be emotional,” Kelly Gordine says. “You should buy art because it makes you feel something.” And to get “that first big kick of emotion”, and to really visualise how the artwork is going to look in your space, “there’s nothing like seeing it in the flesh”.
Feeling inspired by Stephanie’s story? Check out more of their upcoming events and start planning your next immersive event here.
