It's what everyone was calling it anyway...
THE North’s largest art fair returns to Manchester Central on 12-14 October with a new name, Manchester Art Fair, and more exhibiting galleries and artists than ever before.
Following ten successful years, during which Northern art lovers and collectors have snapped up over £4m of contemporary art, Manchester’s Buy Art Fair has been renamed, simply, as Manchester Art Fair.
“There’s a beauty in transparent branding,” says its CEO, Thom Hetherington, “And we’re proud of our home city and have been informally known as ‘Manchester Art Fair’ for years anyway.
“Manchester Art Fair tells everyone exactly who and what we are and pays tribute to Manchester’s incredible cultural renaissance which has resonated around the world.”
The fair will feature 125 exhibitors showing thousands of original artworks for sale and an expanded fringe of events and arts & culture happenings around the city. It will continue to host its sister event The Manchester Contemporary, which offers work for sale from the most exciting, critically engaged, contemporary artists and galleries. Nathaniel Pitt, founder of respected gallery Division of Labour, has been appointed as the new curator for The Manchester Contemporary which will feature over 30 hand-picked exhibiting galleries
Hetherington said, “We are delighted that Nat has joined the fair as curator. He is both respected and connected within the contemporary art world, and his breadth of experience and energy and ideas will ensure that The Manchester Contemporary continues to develop and evolve.”
The fair's organisers say the ultimate plan is to create Manchester’s biggest weekend of arts and culture with exhibitions, special events and offers at cultural institutions, restaurants and bars across the whole city.
Manchester Art Fair begins with a VIP Preview at 5pm on Friday 12 October, before it opens to everyone on Saturday 13 October from 10am to 6pm and on Sunday 14 October from 10am to 5pm. Tickets are available now here. Manchester Confidential readers can save 20% on tickets by using promo code ‘MANCON’.
