This year Art Santa Fe celebrated its ten-year anniversary. We were pleased to once again present this well-established event to the international contemporary art community as well as Santa Fe's own art world, now the second largest art market in the country. Art Santa Fe hosted exhibitors and visitors from across the U.S. and around the world. Adding to the excitement of commemorating ten years, ART Santa Fe held the 2010 fair in the new Convention Center in the heart of downtown Santa Fe. This new facility boasts 72,000 square feet including 40,000 square feet of state-of-the-art event space. Courtyards and plazas add to the Santa Fe charm of this new "green" conference center.
The champagne-tinged, high-stakes world of international art fairs provides heady, glamorous fare for serious collectors and scene-seekers alike, but Art Santa Fe went one step further. Art Santa Fe provided a total experience that included not only a high class mix of excellent contemporary galleries from all over the globe, cutting-edge art installations, and emerging artists and dealers, but it di so in a unique setting that offered visitors the ultimate arts and culture experience.
Inside Art Santa Fe, viewers explored the best of the art world, with participating galleries from across the United States, China, Japan, Europe, and Latin America. Art Santa Fe's style offered a perfect balance of breadth and intimacy, allowing visitors to speak to dealers and artists while experiencing a full range of art in a comprehensible context.
Unlike other art fairs, the experience didn't stop outside the doors. A series of events took place in conjunction with ART Santa Fe, including our gala opening night Vernissage, and the prestigious Art Santa Fe Presents sell-out lecture that featured the renowned New York Times critic, Roberta Smith.
Art Santa Fe 2010 offered exhibitors and visitors the opportunity to enjoy the most beautiful time of year in this unique and interesting city, a city that Conde Nast Traveler magazine's 2009 Reader's Choice Awards named as the third best U.S. city to visit. Santa Fe's rich cultural mix included performances at the award-winning open-air theater of the world renowned Santa Fe Opera, with sunset and stars forming part of the backdrop; and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Numerous outdoor activities took advantage of our ideal climate and allowed visitors to enjoy the famed beauty of the New Mexico landscape.