Marking a milestone: 25 years of Affordable Art Fair

There’s nothing quite like an anniversary to make you start reminiscing. As Affordable Art Fair turns 25 years old this October, I hope you’ll allow me a moment to reflect on the ride we’ve been on…

I have always loved art. As a youngster I visited galleries wanting to educate and immerse myself in it. This was fostered by an inspirational art teacher of mine, John Booth, who told me that my rather boring drawings were ‘really, really good Ramsay!’

I remember being frustrated by how exclusive commercial galleries felt. There was no pricing and there was little information about the artwork or artist.

Art brings so much to people’s lives but so many people were being excluded!

I wanted to change that. After I left the army in 1996, I set up my first gallery, Will’s Art Warehouse, in a bid to make art-buying more inclusive.

The response was overwhelmingly positive – people loved the informality, the support, and the education. Encouraged by this success, I decided to take it a step further and voila, Affordable Art Fair was born!

The first Affordable Art Fair opened in Battersea, London in 1999. A lot has changed since then, not least Battersea itself. In the week of the fair, I lost half a stone running around like a mad-arsed fly. I was so nervous that we weren’t going to have enough exhibitors but somehow, amazingly, it worked, and we welcomed 10,000 people through the doors.

Fast forward to 2024 and although I’ve lost some hair in the intervening years, we now host fairs in 14 cities around the world. What’s wonderful is that they each have elements that make them unique. We don’t just drop a carbon-copy into each location. We make sure each fair reflects the personality of the city and the local art scene. Staying relevant is vital to us, so we’re always seeking out exciting new galleries and progressive artists.

I feel very strongly about supporting living artists – you don’t need the money if you’re dead! Over the years, we’ve had the enormous privilege of working with thousands of emerging artists, alongside the galleries that support them, and being part of their journey to success. I love hearing how sales at a fair encouraged an artist to go full-time or rent a studio. Some artists have even gone on to hit the big-time and become household names.

So, please, be an art philanthropist and support the artists whose creativity inspires you! Don’t be afraid to ask about the artist, it helps you to appreciate their work on a deeper level. And do ask if you can pay by instalments – many collectors started this way.

Since the beginning, it was important to me to ensure that each of our fairs gave something back. All our fairs have a charitable element, whether that’s supporting young artists, providing art education, or helping art therapy charities.

We’ve always donated stand space to emerging artists as this is crucial in making sure we are showcasing the very best talent working today.

I’m immensely proud to say that over the last 25 years, we have provided over £2.3 million worth of stand space, £1.5 million worth of support to arts charities and £3.1 million worth of art education.

What unites all of our fairs is our mission to make art accessible and affordable to all. Anyone should be able to own and enjoy art which is why everyone is welcome at an Affordable Art Fair – from first-time buyers on a strict budget to fledgling collectors with a little bit more cash to splash. It has been wonderful watching people discover the joy of collecting art for 25 years. I get the same buzz today as I did back in 1999.

I’m proud that Affordable Art Fair has helped open-up the art market. Of course, there’s still lots of work to do to democratise the art world, but with each new fair we’re getting a bit closer. I’m excited to keep improving what we do and bringing a bit of the Affordable Art Fair magic to new cities around the globe.

From me and my tremendous team, thank you for being part of our journey – here’s to the next 25!