Fair Enough? Dealers Grumble, Organizers Ante Up for ’94
More than 180 dealers exhibiting at three international art expositions vied for attention and sales last weekend. And as they started to dismantle their booths earlier this week their responses to the three-ring art circus varied depending on which fair they were participating in and how much art they sold. However, many agreed that the multiple-fair scenario complicated matters for both dealers and buyers, who had to make the rounds before making decisions–if any were made–about purchases. David Juda of Annely Juda Fine Art in London suggested that Chicago’s reputation as a locale for art fairs would inevitably suffer if the current situation continues. “There aren’t enough top art dealers in the world to support even two fairs at one time,” he says, “and if you have a weak situation, people will not come.”
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The big loser last weekend appeared to be John Wilson, whose 14th annual Chicago International Art Exposition, according to several dealers participating in the event, was a ghost town most of the time. Late Sunday afternoon at Donnelley Hall Art Expo’s wide aisles were practically empty, and most dealers were sitting quietly in their booths. More important, exhibitors at Wilson’s event complained of extremely sluggish sales. But Art Expo director Laurie Wilson says contracts are being handed out for next year’s event, which will mark the fair’s 15th anniversary and its return to Navy Pier.
With art priced higher than that at Wilson’s or Blackman’s event, Art Chicago dealers not surprisingly had to work harder to drum up business. “Cautious” was one word dealers repeatedly used to describe the crowd. Among the more successful at moving their inventory was Chicago’s Zolla/Lieberman Gallery. But Galerie Gerald Piltzer from Paris had a tough time trying to sell some of its extremely pricey pieces, including a Jean Dubuffet painting with a $1.2 million price tag. David Lester said the fair would stay at the ExpoCenter next year, but he was negotiating with Merchandise Mart executives to obtain additional exhibition space.
