Your Guide to Affordable Art Fair Sydney
Doors to Affordable Art Fair Sydney open 15 - 18 June, 2023! Explore our top things to do during your arty day out with family and friends.
Miranda Smith
Wednesday 10 May, 2023
There is so much to see and do at Affordable Art Fair Sydney (15 – 18 June, 2023) at Royal Randwick Racecourse. Whether you have 2 hours, or 2 days at the fair; read on for our guide to making the most of your arty adventure.
1. A diverse range of artwork spanning across styles and mediums
You asked, we listened. The return of Affordable Art Fair will feature even more art with 56 galleries from across Australia and beyond all under one roof. Prepare to experience thousands of artworks from hundreds of artists, with each original artwork priced between AU$100 and AU$10,000. With everything from hand-tufting to pixel art, you’re sure to find that perfect artwork to take home with you.
Can’t wait to take your artwork home? Take advantage of our complimentary wrapping services provided by Grace Fine Art throughout the duration of the fair.
2. Artists in Action
Want an inside look at the magic that goes into artmaking? Head upstairs to see artists demonstrating their techniques in live painting sessions for you to enjoy. This year, Ethan James Kotiau will be joining us live onsite as he forges a style unique to his two ancestral tribes. In his work he thoughtfully uses traditional elements in a contemporary way, to provoke a feeling of nostalgia and optimism. Phoebe Stone will give us a look at her signature urgency when painting her domestic scenes. She uses oil pastels to explore the beauty and delight to be found in a well balanced coming together of composition, colour, pattern and texture.
Don’t worry – if you fall in love with their artwork, you can buy it for yourself at the Sketch Co. Gallery stand.
3. Breakfast with Home Beautiful Editor in Chief Elle Lovelock
Join Elle Lovelock, Home Beautiful’s Editor in Chief in an intimate group breakfast at Affordable Art Fair Sydney on Friday the 16 June as she shares her tips and tricks to having art in your home. From bold abstracts to understated still lifes, art can make a house a home. With guidance on how to pick the size of an artwork, to how to decide on a colour palette – this is the perfect way to start your art collecting day at Affordable Art Fair.
Spaces are limited for this exclusive event, so snap up your ticket now and don’t miss out.
4. The TAFE NSW Art Lab
This year we look forward to partnering with TAFE NSW and Derivan Matisse to bring you The TAFE NSW Art Lab, A Creative Playground for All Ages. Get ready to view live mural painting alongside five fabulous workshops for all to join. Read on to hear more about each workshop and the must-see mural.
Chromatic Contemplation: Delving into Emotion and the Human Experience Through Colour Mural Activation
This mural examines the human experience, using abstract and representational imagery. Artist Katrina Hill will create the artwork on a large canvas measuring 8m by 1.5m. The mural will be created in collaboration with a TAFE student team.
In addition to the mural activation, multiple workshops will take place, providing opportunities for creative expression, skill-building, and socialisation.
The Enchantment of Colour: A Creative and Playful Workshop for Kids
Join the TAFE NSW team for a drop-in colour study workshop for kids that delves into the enchantment of colour and its emotional impact. Participants will receive a watercolour postcard kit that includes an A5 postcard with graphics inspired by the mural’s themes of human experience and high-quality watercolour dot cards in a split complementary colour scheme. This drop-in space is designed to encourage children to express themselves creatively through colour and explore how colour can convey different emotions and moods.
Details
The Enchantment of Colour (Ages 6-12)
• Date: 16 – 18 June
• Time: Drop-in throughout the day
Hue You Are: Gelatine Monotype Printing
Ready to delve into the wonderful world of printmaking? This workshop is a gelatine print workshop with master printmaker Andrew Totman and Eliza McInnes from Derivan Matisse. Participants will have the opportunity to try gelatine monotype printing, a printmaking technique that creates beautiful prints with rich colour and depth, and each one is unique!
Details
Hue You Are: Gelatine Monotype Printing
• Date: 16 – 18 June
• Time: 11am – 12pm
Shape Shifters: A Creative Screen Printing Experience
In this exciting screen printing workshop, participants will learn to use torn paper to create unique colour and shape combinations in their prints. Plus, every participant will receive a tote bag featuring their one-of-a-kind design!
To promote sustainability and creativity, we encourage attendees to bring an old t-shirt to upcycle with their new design
Details
Shape Shifters: A Creative Screen Printing Experience
• Date: 16 – 18 June
• Time: 2pm – 3pm
Express Yourself: A Playful Face Painting Experience
Let your imagination run wild in this playful and creative face-painting workshop, led by the talented Diploma of Live Production students from Enmore TAFE. Choose from a range of designs or create your unique masterpiece.
This drop-in workshop is suitable for all ages and is the perfect way to express yourself and have fun in the TAFE NSW Art Lab.
Details
Express Yourself: A Playful Face Painting Experience
• Date: 16 – 18 June
• Time: 1pm – 2pm
Glitz and Glam: A Creative Fascinator Making Experience
Step into the world of glamour and glitz in this creative fascinator making workshop.
Led by skilled students from the TAFE NSW Millinery short courses, during this workshop you’ll have the chance to experiment with glitter glue, fabrics, and other materials to create a dazzling fascinator that will make you stand out from the crowd.
Details
Glitz and Glam: A Creative Fascinator Making Experience
• Date: 16 – 18 June
16th June: 6pm – 7pm
17th June: 4pm – 5pm
18th June: 4pm – 5pm
5. Take a walk in the ARTPark
Alongside our fabulous galleries, we’re bringing a selection of Australian sculptures to the lush lawn of Royal Randwick Racecourse. Affordable Art Fair is proud to partner with the ARTPark to bring Australian sculptures for you to experience while at our fair. Get up close to a diverse range of artworks by sculptors specialising in traditional mediums and methods, including carving and forging.
6. Keep an eye out for our Under $1,000 hot pink stickers
Affordable Art Fair champions a core ethos of accessibility and transparency. We are delighted to bring you a special collection of artworks priced under AU$1,000. These affordable and impressive artworks will be marked with a hot pink sticker. Keep your eyes peeled as you walk around the fair!
7. Discover: Young Talent
Affordable Art Fair Sydney is proud to reintroduce its much-anticipated Discover: Young Talent platform, showcasing five unrepresented artists who have been selected for their innovative and exciting approach to their practice.
This curated selection of young artists offers an ideal opportunity for collectors to snap up their artwork early and discover exciting new talent and techniques. Our rising stars are Emma Sheehan, Jessica Smith, Sean Crowley, Xanthe Muston and Hannah Lange.
To read more about each artist, head over to our introductory blog!
8. EVOLVE: Young Talent
Our new EVOLVE platform will provide a space at the fair for a former Young Talent exhibitor to return with a new collection of work. This year, Melbourne artist and crowd favourite Alice Oehr will show her work in Sydney for the very first time in her Still Life Salon!
Alice is highly regarded for her iconic and lively artworks that incorporate her love for food, pattern and collage. Her artwork is sought after both nationally and internationally alongside her work as an author-illustrator which includes the recent Still Life Drawing (Hardie Grant, 2021) and Off to the Market (Scribble, 2022).
At Affordable Art Fair Sydney, Alice will present a body of work that is new to Sydney as well as create a beautiful Still Life installation that will inform her exciting drop-in workshops for art-lovers of all ages to enjoy. You won’t want to miss her affordable artworks or engaging workshops during your visit!
9. Indulge in our food and beverage offerings!
Whether you are looking for a glass of bubbly to wander the gallery stands with, or prefer to power-up with a flat-white, the fair will provide the goods to ensure that you don’t suffer from art ‘fair-tigue.’
10. Buy your tickets online, or at the fair!
Whether you’re in the mood to plan ahead, or be spontaneous, we’ve got your back! Snap up your tickets online and enjoy our 25% off Advanced Ticket sale.
If you want to purchase your tickets on arrival, head on over to our ticket desk which is powered by our friends at Square. Whether you want to pay with your card or mobile device, we can take your payment quickly to maximise your time in the fair aisles.
With so much to see and do, what are you waiting for? Secure your Advanced Tickets and sign up for fair updates to receive all our exclusive arty news, offers and inspiration.
Main image: ARTPark Sydney, 2022.