Mark your calendar for this coming weekend: The best the international art world—and select local galleries—have to offer will be on display at the Saratoga City Center. From July 18-21 and for the second year in a row, the venue will be hosting the REVEAL International Contemporary Art Fair. “We’re excited to report that our exhibitor’s mix this summer will include approximately 20 percent returning galleries, with the balance being new to the REVEAL,” says Susan Murphy, REVEAL’s marketing and creative strategist. “Fairgoers will find something new and exciting each time they attend. We continue to have an international presence with galleries from Toronto, Paris and Tel Aviv, to name a few.”
Last year, REVEAL made quite a splash, as the first-ever contemporary art fair of its kind to come to the Spa City. This year, REVEAL is upping the ante, with the introduction of a number of new events. Opening the weekend will be a Platinum VIP & Press Preview on Thursday, July 18 from 5-10pm, which will offer a private first look (and first opportunity to buy pieces of art) to fair sponsors, partners, city officials and media members. It will also include a champagne reception.
On Friday, from 9-11am, The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College will host an exclusive first look for REVEAL VIP ticket-holders of its new exhibition, Beauty and Bite, before it opens to the public, as well as a private tour of the museum and collections, led by Ian Berry, Dayton director of the Tang, and Rebecca McNamara, the Tang’s Mellon Collections curator. Later that day, from 2:30-3:30pm, Kelly Kocinski Trager, arts attorney, professor and owner of Trager Contemporary, will present Understanding Expression, a talk discussing the interpretation of contemporary art through an individual lens. Also on Friday, from 2-5pm, REVEAL is offering free admission to art consultants, interior designers, realtors, architects and anyone acquiring art for a home or office; and from 5-8pm, the same for young professionals, ages 21-40, looking to further their understanding of contemporary art and culture.
On Saturday from 1-4pm, REVEAL will present Art Unites, bringing together members and staff of museums, galleries, arts organizations and cultural institutions to celebrate the extraordinary artwork of more than 150 international artists, complete with live music by musicians from The Albany Symphony. During that time, the Tang’s Berry, along with Elaina Richardson, president of Yaddo, will speak about their institutions and how they support artists all over the world in a talk, entitled Making a Place for Art, from 1:30-2:30pm.
Lastly, on Sunday, a closing celebration from 4-6pm will celebrate the fair’s exhibitors, artists, sponsors, partners and collectors. Regular fair hours are 11am-8pm on Friday and Saturday and 11am-6pm on Sunday. For more information and to purchase VIP tickets, which cost $50 apiece, click here.
