50 Foot Woman By Monica Mangano is just $1500 (All Photos By Gail)

I’ve been attending NYC’s biannual Affordable Art Fair for the past ten years, with the exception of 2020, when both the Spring and Fall fairs  — like everything else — were preempted by Covid.  Since that Year Without Art, the AAF has come back bigger than ever! This season, the art seemed especially vibrant and varied, and I had a fantastic time, strolling from floor to floor while sipping a free Hard Iced Tea from the open bar and checking out all of my favorite art and art peeps. Please enjoy my photos from a really good first night at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

Possibly my favorite piece from the entire fair is Lost Friendship by New York-based Japanese artist, Yusuke Okada ($5,000 at Eleventh Hour Art of Brooklyn). This fun-yet-melancholy-inducing painting reminded me of many friendships I’ve lost for seemingly no reason and had to let go and just move on from. I especially love how he has added the warning “Do Not Chase,” which you often see on flyers that people put up for lost dogs. Heavy.

Here’s another piece by Okada, Sad Vacation (also $5,000) which does what art should to do by encouraging imaginative extrapolation in the viewer. So great.

The Pastel Worm (2024) by Dan Life was created by applying crystals and clay on cast resin. His cute little self sells for $8,000 at Phillip Michaels Art of NYC.

I love art that looks like functional objects, so I was really charmed by Nicole Maloof’s Forbidden Candy Jar Series III (2024) ). Her ‘candies’ are Plastic Autosoft 90 Infusion Set molds in a lidded glass jar. Through her artistic practice, Nicole addresses the realities of living with type 2 Diabetes in intriguing, humorous and ironic ways. This unique piece is just $1,000 at Treat Gallery of NYC.

Every time I see the famous Original Melting Pops series by sculptor Betsy Enzensberger she has changed it up just a bit, to keep things new and fun. Here, we see her creating ‘Designer’ pops in your favorite luxury brands. Irresistible!

The price of these luscious lollies remains very affordable though at just $300 – a pop! Spotted at KW Contemporary Art of Maine.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Probably no one under age sixty would mistake Occupato, a unique ceramic sculpture by Giorgio Laveri, for a working telephone, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be an excellent conversation piece! It’s yours for $4,500 at Palma Arte, Italy.

I sure do love these assorted “fashion headpiece” sculptures that resemble foods by designer Maor Zabar. Sadly, the fuchsia gazing balls are just display props and not part of the works themselves! Spotted at JJ Contemporary Art of NY.

I always like to give a shot-out to Emanuel Fremin Gallery of NYC, whose artists never fail to turn heads. This vibrant 3D sculpture is called Dots  by Michael Gitter, and is priced at $6,000. The biomorphic dots remind me of the early work of artist Omar Chacon.

One of my favorite modern surrealists, Cristina Vergano, was there with new works that continue her theme of “seeing.”  Strange Things are Happening  ($1,200) is influenced by her original sculpture which I saw during a visit to her NY studio last winter. She is so creative.

Cristina’s series of hyper-realist eye paintings are created on and framed by vintage china plates other tabletop items that she sources herself, so every piece is one-of-a-kind. With prices ranging between $750 and $2,600, her artworks are very affordable and highly collectible. She is represented by the Leonard Tourne Gallery of NYC.

How cute are these little bird sculptures by artist Dean Patman? Answer: So Cute! These birds comprise a colorful billiard ball for the body, with wings, feet and tail crafted from sterling silver tableware. Super adorable and priced to own at just $300 each, at Cameron Contemporary Art of Hove, UK.

Detail from Concentration Blue by New York-based French sculptor Gaelle Hintzy-Marcel. $4,500 at Insight Artspace, a digital gallery that exhibits and promotes the works of female artists. Nice!

Love by Philippe Berry sells for $10,000 at Galerie Duret, Paris.

Would you categorize this whimsical piece as a work of eggpressionism? Actually you’re not far off. Eggspression #6 by Sarah Shinhyo Kim ($1,650) is a fun piece that would brighten anyone’s day. Spotted at Agora Gallery of NY.

Possibly the most affordable artwork at the entire fair is this tiny Shark floating on an unfired crockery shard, by the amazing F. Lennox Campello. Priced at just $25, why did I not buy this one? I have the regrets, for sure. Spotted at Alida Anderson Art Projects.

Hey, do you remember back in the day when you could see a band like Queen or the Rolling Stones for under $10.00? If not, then you are not old like me! I did actually attend Queen’s A Night at The Opera tour in 1976 and I think the face value of the ticket was $5.50! Good times. Anyway, if you or your grandparents were at any of these shows, these large-scale reproductions of vintage concert tickets would be a cool souvenir, am I right? These were spotted in the Bruce Lurie Gallery, but I failed to note the artist or prices of these works, so I’m afraid you are on your own.

Palate Cleanser: Because Not All of the Art is on the Walls.

Pink Meringue Cake by Lori Larusso (acrylic and enamel on a wood panel) is $2,400 at JJ Contemporary Art. Delicious.

Ian Bertolucci’s Star Chaser will set you back just $3,500 at Signet Contemporary Art of London. Fun!

And while we’re looking at art that reminds us of the great Jeff Koons, here’s a fantastic Balloon Dog as depicted in As Above So Below (2023) by Karen Hackenberg. You would not even believe how long I had to wait for a group of oblivious Art Hipsters to move away from the front of this piece before I could get the shot. It was just ridiculous, but worth it. If you look closely, you will notice that the dog is made from green plastic soda bottles, which is an important comment on our environment and the crisis of ocean pollution. Priced at $12,000 from Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery of London.

This piece, entitled Sea Spire (2023) is also by Karen Hackenberg and, like the one above, it is oil-on-canvas and not a photograph or — god forbid — AI. Holy cow, this woman is talented! Hand over $9,250 and Sea Spire  goes home with you!

Frogs of Wall Street, a limited edition fine art print based on a painting by Swedish artist Lisa Törner is super fun! There are 15 prints in the series, selling for $1,950 each. Visit Lisa Törner Art for more information.

Here’s a lovely sculpture that would be fun to own but not much fun to dust: Anna Kruhelska’s Constant Change #100. I like it. Muriel Guépin Gallery in downtown Manhattan can sell you this for $8,700.

OK, lets wrap this up with the Worley Gig award winner for Pinkest Art at the Fair: It’s Lucinda Metcalfe’s painting appropriately entitled Flamingo Pool, brought to you for the price of  just $7,700 courtesy of Tag Fine Arts of London.

Thanks for reading, see you in the fall!