Dec. 29, 2005 

CONTEMPORARY ART FAIRS AND BIENNIALS 2006
A new year means a whole new host of art-world events for the art lover’s calendar. Herewith, a brief survey of the top contemporary and modern art fairs and international festivals for the first half of 2006, with a few of the top antiques fairs thrown in for good measure.

JANUARY
Art Miami
Jan. 6-9, 2006
Now in its 16th year, Art Miami attracts some 125 galleries from 26 countries. The 2006 version seeks to broaden its audience with "Free-day Friday," an initiative which makes the fair free to the public on its opening day. The fair also includes the standard Art Miami programs like "Currents," designed to expose visitors to cutting-edge art trends.

San Francisco International Art Exposition
Jan. 13-16, 2006
75 galleries from around the world come to the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, with the focus shared between established blockbuster artists and up-and-comers. The show is organized by Thomas Blackman Associates.

Palm Beach 3
Jan. 13-16, 2006
Bringing together contemporary art, photography and decorative arts dealers, the 2006 iteration of Palm Beach features approximately 110 galleries of all types at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Seattle Print Fair
Jan. 14-15, 2006
Prints from the 15th century to the present at the Seattle Center, sponsored by the International Fine Print Dealers Association and featuring 18 dealers, in a soiree that is now in its 6th year.

London Art Fair
Jan. 18-22, 2006
100 galleries pack London’s Business Design Center in a fair dedicated to modern and contemporary British art.

New York Ceramics Fair
Jan. 18-22, 2006
40 international dealers in ceramics at the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts in New York, offering exquisite examples of decorative art objects from the earliest Classical periods to contemporary Studio Pottery, porcelain, glass and enamels.

Photo L.A.
Jan. 19-22, 2006
Billed as the "largest photography exhibit in the United States," and including an opening night reception hosted by Diane Keaton, Photo L.A. attracts 70+ galleries to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The fair is organized by Los Angeles dealer Stephen Cohen, and also features an extensive schedule of photography panels and lectures.

The American Antiques Show 2006
Jan. 19–22, 2006
A show of 45 leading dealers in Americana, organized by the American Folk Art Museum under the direction Karen DiSaia. This year the show returns to its original location at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, after appearing in 2005 at the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle.

Winter Antiques Show
Jan. 20-29, 2006
Keeping the faith since 1955, the Winter Antiques Show at the Seventh Street Regiment Armory attracts more than 25,000 visitors over its 10-day run. This year, the fair includes ca. 70 galleries with a focus on both fine and decorative arts. The opening night party, sponsored by Elle Décor, benefits the East Side House Settlement in the Bronx.

San Francisco Fine Print Fair
Jan. 21-22, 2006
A show of 18 print dealers at the Fort Mason Center, sponsored by the International Fine Print Dealers Association. The gala preview benefits the acquisition fund of the Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts.

Los Angeles Art Show
Jan. 25-29, 2006
Now in its 11th year, the Fine Art Dealers Association Los Angeles Art Show presents more than 50 U.S. dealers -- ranging from Bobbie Greenfield and Lawrence J. Cantor to Tasende and Wooster Projects -- at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The gala opening benefits the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Art L.A.
Jan. 26-29, 2006
With some 52 galleries participating, Art L.A. fills the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium with fine art. The opening night gala benefits MOCA Contemporaries. Art L.A. is one of four fairs organized by L.A. dealer Stephen Cohen.

Outsider Art Fair
Jan. 27-29, 2006
This fair brings together some 34 specialists in Outsider Art to hawk their wares at the Puck Building in New York, sponsored by Sanford L. Smith & Associates.

Arte Fiera Bologna
Jan. 27-30, 2006
This year, the Bologna Art Fair presents 200+ Italian and foreign galleries to the Bologna Exhibition Center, and includes a special section for new international galleries in the Le Corbusier-designed "Esprit Nouveau" hall, a section on the emerging art markets of Eastern Europe, and more.

Los Angeles Fine Print Fair
Jan. 28-29, 2005
Sponsored by the Graphic Arts Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the International Fine Print Dealers Association, the print fair brings 25 dealers with works from the 16th century to the present to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

FEBRUARY
The National Black Fine Art Show
Feb. 2-5, 2006
The 10th anniversary edition of the fair, located at the Puck Building in SoHo in Manhattan, presents African-American fine art from the 19th century to today, with 36 galleries participating from all over the U.S. The gala preview benefits the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Palm Beach!
Feb. 3-12, 2006
100 international dealers specializing in fine art and decorative objects, from tribal art to 20th century furniture, at the Palm Beach Convention Center.

ARCO ‘06
Feb. 9-13, 2006
Ca. 230 international galleries from 30 countries come to the Madrid for the yearly art fair in the Spanish capital, with work ranging from the historical avant-garde to contemporary cutting-edge projects. This is the fair’s 25th year.

The AIPAD Photography Show 2005
Feb. 10-12, 2006
The 26th incarnation of the Association of International Photography Art Dealers’ show brings 82 international exhibitors to the 7th Regiment Armory in New York.

Art Rotterdam
Feb. 16-20, 2006
Held in the Cruise Terminal in Rotterdam and featuring 82 galleries (predominantly from the Netherlands, but with participants from France, Italy, the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere), Art Rotterdam is highlighted by the Illy Prize for most promising artist.

Kunst Köln
Feb. 23-27, 2006
Ca. 120 galleries, focusing on editions, Art Brut, post-1980s art and photography, at Cologne’s Rheinhallen Trade Fair Centre.

The Art Show
Feb. 23-27, 2006
Organized by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) at the Seventh Regiment Armory, the exhibition brings together 70 art dealers to exhibit paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and photographs by artists of all periods. The opening night gala benefits the Henry Street Settlement.

MARCH
Works on Paper
Mar. 2-5, 2006
Another link in the chain of fairs sponsored by Sanford L. Smith & Associates, Art on Paper is in its 18th year as the "original" art on paper fair. In 2006, it features some 67 galleries specializing in everything from fine Japanese prints to American modernism. A preview benefits the Citizens' Committee for Children.

2006 Whitney Biennial
Mar. 2-May 28, 2006
Titled "Day for Night," and organized by Whitney curator Chrissie Iles with Walker Art Center chief curator Philippe Vergne, the much-anticipated 2006 exhibition focuses on the concepts of spectacle and artifice, with sections devoted to "Uncertain Identities and Unfixed Images," "Shock and Awe," "Lavish Abandon," "An Archeology of the Present" and "Screen Life." 

The Armory Show
Mar. 9-13, 2006
150+ galleries, hailing from as far off as Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Sydney and New Delhi, crowd piers 90 and 92 on the Hudson River for the show that is one of the centerpieces of the New York art season.

Scope New York
Mar. 10-13, 2006
Held at 636 Eleventh Ave., this annual hotel fair promises lots of up-and-coming artists, plus a section on "Culture on the Verge."

Pulse New York
Mar. 10-13, 2006
Located at the 698th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue and 26th Street (home to the legendary 1913 Armory Show), Pulse promises a range of contemporary art dealers from around the world.

TEFAF Maastricht
Mar. 10-19, 2006
The European Fine Art Foundation fair in Maastricht, founded in 1985, brings together 203 art and antiques dealers from 14 countries, specializing in everything from the best Old Masters and decorative arts to high-end contemporary art.

Art Frankfurt
Mar. 16-19, 2006
This yearly fair, subtitled "The European Fair for Young Art," is held at the Frankfurt Exhibition Center.

MiArt
Mar. 20-April. 2, 2006
Milan's 11th International Modern and Contemporary Art Fair -– MiArt –- is divided into three sections: "Modern art," "Contemporary art" and "Anteprima art" (the last for galleries that specialize in artists under 35), along with a section titled "Art & Co," for galleries that specialize in design and the applied arts.

Salon du Dessin
Mar. 22-27, 2006
30 galleries (16 French and the rest international) come together for the preeminent fair for Old Master drawings at the Palais de la Bourse in Paris, now in its 15th year.

4th Berlin Biennale
Mar. 25-May 28, 2006
Curated by Maurizio Cattelan, Massimiliano Gioni and Ali Subotnick at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, the Berlin Biennale has the theme of "Of Mice and Men" and is installed at a variety of venues along a single street in Berlin's Mitte district. The show includes contributions from at least 60 artists, including Marin Creed, Tacita Dean, Bruce Nauman and Anri Sala.

9th Havana Biennial
Mar. 27-April 27, 2006
Organized by the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, the Havana Biennial features a broad selection of work by artists with cultural roots in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The International Asian Art Fair
Mar. 31-April 5, 2006
43 Asian art dealers from Europe, Asia and the U.S. come to the Seventh Regiment Armory in New York City for Brian and Anna Haughton’s tenth annual International Asian Art Fair. The gala preview benefits Asia Society.

APRIL
MIFAS The Milano International Fine Art & Antiques Show
Apr. 2-10, 2006
43 galleries at the Palazzo per le Belle Arti ed Esposizione Permanente in Milan, in a fair that is predominantly Italian in composition, specializing in fine art and antiques.

Arteaméricas
Apr. 8-11, 2006
At the Coconut Grove Convention Center in Miami, Arteaméricas attracts 50 galleries from 18 countries in the Americas, Spain and France, and showcases some 200 Latin American artists.

China International Gallery Exposition
Apr. 12-16, 2006
The third annual installment of CIGE takes place in the China World Trade Center in Beijing. This year, the young fair has added a Special Projects Area, an Interactive Dialogue Area and a VIP Room.

Art Brussels
Apr. 21-24, 2006
This show of 125 carefully vetted galleries from over 20 countries includes a program of "One-man Shows," spotlighting individual artists, and "First Call," a section bringing attention to rising art world stars.

México Arte Contemporáneo
Apr. 26-30, 2006
50+ galleries come together in Mexico City’s Centro Expo Reforma for the third annual installation of MACO.

Art Chicago in the Park
Apr. 28-May 1, 2006
To be held at Butler Field, Art Chicago in the Park will attempt to top the success of last year's fair, held -- appropriately for the "City of Big Shoulders" -- in an impressive 125,000 square feet art tent structure, the largest such structure ever erected for a contemporary art fair. The exhibition is put together by Thomas Blackman Associates, Inc.

The New York International Art & Antiques Show
Apr. 28-May 3, 2006
50 dealers from Europe and the Americas at the Seventh Regiment Armory, specializing in arts and antiques from the 17th-20th century. The show preview benefits Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.

NOVA Young Art Fair
Apr. 28-May 1, 2006
This independent fair is staged at multiple locations in the West Loop district of Chicago and organized by Bridge magazine.

MAY
Dak’Art 2006
May 5-June 5, 2006
A multipart show that is also dubbed the Biennial of Contemporary African Art, launched 12 years ago as an initiative of the Senegalese state, Dak’Art features an international exhibition of 33 artists and five designers from 15 African nations, three exhibitions on different themes curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Ivo Mesquita and Yacouba Konaté, and more.

Los Angeles Modernism
May 5-7, 2006
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium hosts 80+ galleries specializing in Pop, Ab Ex, art deco and all the other greatest hits of 20th century art.

The International Fine Art Fair
May 12-17, 2006
An annual event in New York since 1994, the IFAF focuses attention on work from the Renaissance to Modern Masters from ca. 50 dealers. The benefit preview on the 11th is for the Frick Collection. The show is organized by Anna and Brian Haughton.

Art Moscow
May 17-21, 2006
Art Moscow combines a commercial contemporary art fair, several noncommercial exhibitions and a program of lectures, seminars and master classes, all held at the Central House of Artists in Moscow.

Photo London
May 18-26, 2006
Photography and fine art at the Burlington Gardens of London’s Royal Academy of Arts, in a fair founded in 2004, with some 52 galleries.

Moscow World Fine Art Fair
May 22-29, 2006
80-plus international dealers in furniture, 16th-19th century art, Impressionism, modern art and more come together at Moscow’s newly restored Manege building, built in 1817 in honor of the fifth anniversary of the victory of the Russian troops over Napoleon. This fair is now in its third year.

CIRCA Puerto Rico '06
May 25-28, 2006
Puerto Rico's first international art fair brings 100 exhibitors -- galleries, museums, art schools, publishers -- to the new Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan

Korea International Art Fair
May 26-30, 2006
Ca. 120 galleries are expected for the 2006 Korea International Art Fair, this year with a focus on things French in celebration of the 120th year of amity between Korea and France.

JUNE
SOFA New York
June 1-4, 2006
Contemporary furniture and decorative arts at the Seventh Regiment Armory at 67th Street and Park Avenue in New York.

Biennale of Sydney 2006
June 8-Aug. 27, 2006
Curator Charles Merewether has been brought in to provide vision for this well-respected international showcase of contemporary art.

Summer Olympia Fine Art & Antiques Fair
June 9-19, 2006
Held at the Olympia Exhibition Halls in London, Olympia draws a staggering grouping of over 330 dealers.

Liste 06
June 13-18, 2006
Basel’s young art fair celebrates its 11th year at the Wartek Brewery building with a selection of 150 galleries that either have been in business for less than five years, or that feature artists under 40.

Art 37 Basel
June 14-18, 2006
The 37th installment of the classic contemporary and modern art fair in the Swiss Rhine city presents 270 modern and contemporary art galleries from around the world at the Messe Basel Messeplatz.

VOLTAshow02
June 14-18, 2006
Running alongside Liste and tagged "The Next Generation Art Fair," Basel’s new fair includes almost 25 hip young galleries in the Voltahalle on the Rhine.

Scope Hamptons
July 14-16, 2006
David Hunt, Franklin Sirmans and Edsel Williams (director of Fireplace Project in East Hampton) are among the curators taking part in this fair, which takes place at East Hampton Studios in Wainscott.

Contact wrobinson @ artnet.com