This year’s edition of The Art Show, an annual art fair held by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) in New York since 1988, has been called off by organisers in what was termed a “strategic pause” in an email sent to ADAA members this week. The news was first reported by Artnews.
“This is a pause, not a cancellation of the fair,” a spokesperson for the ADAA told The Art Newspaper in a statement. “This decision was not a response to financial pressure, nor was it a reflection of exhibitor interest—our members remain deeply engaged and committed.”
The ADAA says it will use the time to reassess and strengthen The Art Show’s fair model. All exhibitors have been contacted, and organisers have outlined next steps for refunding exhibitor fees, a spokesperson told The Art Newspaper. The fair will reconvene in 2026, organisers told members in their email, adding the pause “allows us to evaluate how best to support our members, partners and the broader arts community in an evolving cultural and market landscape”.
In April, the latest Art Basel/UBS Art Market Report found that global sales of art and antiques fell for a second consecutive year in 2024, by 12% to an estimated $57.5bn. Regarding art fairs, specifically, the study found that while dealers reported sales increased slightly year-on-year, the share of sales made at fairs and other live events still don’t match what they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Art Show was slated to begin on 28 October with a benefit preview to raise money for Henry Street Settlement, an organisation based on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that supports social services, arts and healthcare programmes for New Yorkers. Instead, the ADAA is now directing donations to an online fundraising campaign. Having raised more than $38m for Henry Street Settlement over three decades, The Art Show has been the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser.
“That chapter has come to a close, and we are grateful for the impact we achieved together,” the ADAA spokesperson said in a statement about its partnership with the Henry Street Settlement. “As the cultural landscape shifts, the ADAA is evolving to meet the moment—refocusing our philanthropic efforts to support a broader, national arts ecosystem.”
Last year, the ADAA launched a new programme at The Art Show called Spotlight On…, intended to highlight member gallery stands from cities outside of New York.
