FAD caught up with Maria Jenson Founding Director of ArtPadSF just ahead of the opening of the 2013 fair to see how the fair has developed and what to look forward to this year ..
1 So is ArtPAD still focused ann the fun/entertainment/ socialising side of art? Is it still a Fair rather than a market ?
This is where the fair has evolved the most. Fun and excitement are still important ingredients but this year the real catalyst is commerce. We launched in 2011 with much fanfare and reverie and this was the dominant theme. Sales was not at the forefront of the production. In 2012 we were fortunate enough to begin a relationship with SFMOMA as our major cultural partner. This immediately shifted our focus towards developing a refined overall aesthetic in terms of the exhibitors and programming. This year our relationship with SFMOMA is another degree deeper and additionally we have two key tech partners on board – Tumblr and Google. We’re experiencing the flowering of quite a few nice cross-collaborations at the fair linking the worlds of art and technology. I’m very influenced and inspired by the success of The Bay Lights. The project is an iconic statement about the Bay Area and its tremendous capacity to collaborate across disciplines. At ArtPadSF this year we are engaging the people who are creating the new economy; the people from the world of tech and the world of art. This creates a dynamic marketplace in the art fair setting.
2 You seem to have more features this year , was this conscience decision?
Yes, absolutely. I believe our visitors and collectors are stimulated by experiencing dynamic programming, which is developed to enrich the overall art fair experience and offer fairgoers’ a further reason to stay and engage with art beyond the commerce. Art fairs can become very dull affairs really quickly if the moments of respite are non existent.
And which ones are you most looking forward to?
I am very intrigued by the Andrew Benson performance video piece that takes place opening night. There are also a couple of other amazing video pieces featured at the fair, there’s a very intriguing dance performance, a sound installation, and of course the annual return of the synchronized swim team.
3 Your Digital/ Video quota of art seems to be higher this year , am I right in saying that ?
Yes – we’ve rented a 10k lumen projector to really blast it out on the 6 story video wall. So this piece of tech sparked more interest in developing our video programming.
4 Any update on ArtPadLondon ?
Expanding to another US city is under heavy consideration but mum’s the word for now. Suffice it to say ArtPad will have an additional home in another city, but not London. Yet.
5 Was 2012 a good year for sales ?
Yes – much better than our launch year. We were told about some really great sales in the 40k range. Our trend is upward and we’re confident this year will follow the vertically oriented trajectory.
6 When’s the best day to visit ArtPadSF to buy art ?
Any time during our open hours. I’ve seen sales transact at the top of the day, middle of the day and long after sunset. ArtPad is a very spontaneous place. It’s designed to work for anyone’s schedule.
7 have you any cool features for kids/family this year ?
Being a parent I’ve often been challenged when attending art fairs with my 6 year old. Last year he spent most of the time in the on-site pool as there wasn’t anything for him to do. I realized how many people brought their kids to the fair and decided I had to address this. This year we are very fortunate to have LittleCollector on board as an exhibitor. They are going to take young kids on tours of the fair, offer them a creative zone to hang out in while the parents stroll, enjoy a cocktail, and there will also be a panel about developing the next gen art collectors. I am looking forward to seeing whole families taking in the fair and having individual and mutual experiences.
8 Finally (Almost) if you had $247,000 to spend on art what would you buy ?
This amount buys a lot of wonderful emerging art, and I would buy a piece from each exhibitor at ArtPadSF.
9 Finally what’s next for you ?
I’m excited about the growth of ArtPadSF and the impact it’s had on the SF art scene. The fair has attracted a great deal of participation from New York to LA and I predict that next year there will be international participation as well. I am also working on launching two separate projects in two US cities. They are art events on a larger scale than ArtPadSF and both are gaining interest and traction, which inspires me as an entrepreneur.
ArtPadSF Thursday May 16th – Sunday 19th at the Phoenix Hotel 601 Eddy St.San Francisco, CA 94109 www.ArtPadSF.com
