Lavender (2024) Glass Mosaic By Sarah Fishbein. $10,000 at Hudson River Art Collective (All Photos By Gail)

Do you love art? I sure do. Of all the art fairs in NYC — because there are a few –the Affordable Art Fair is by far my favorite. Not only does this vibrant gathering of contemporary art galleries from across the globe hit the town twice each year but, if you have even a couple hundred dollars in your pocket, you can easily go home with an original work of art to start — to add to — your own collection. Because collecting art is fun! Join me now, as we admire some of my favorite artworks from the Spring Affordable Art Fair, which took place in March. Let’s go!


Display Wall Featuring Tones in Trees ($ 2650 , Far Left), By Allison Rietta, at Spence Gallery of Toronto

I did the fair a little differently this time, opting to skip Wednesday evening’s lively-but- way-too-crowded Private View and go for a more relaxed vibe on Friday afternoon. It proved to be an excellent call. There were just enough fans and buyers mingling about the Metropolitan Pavilion to create an energetic atmosphere, but not so many that I couldn’t get unobstructed photos, which, let’s face it, is important.

Bad Astronaut By Cameron Forsyth at NYC’s Treat Gallery, $950

I generally start my art safari upstairs and work my way down to the main exhibit floor, but I always stop first at Treat Gallery — conveniently located adjacent to the stairs — to see their always fun display of Pop Art-inspired photography, sculptures and paintings. Check out this sweet 8-bit bear by Australian artist  Cameron Forsyth. This piece would especially brighten up a living room or child’s bedroom. See more of his art on Instagram!

I love how the shape of this wood block painting, along with the implied motion of the water in the background suggests the feeling of movement to the swimming Koi fish depicted in Pillow Talk by Daniel Kelly. It’s just $7500 at Tolman Collection of NY and Tokyo.

A collage of pop culture  images and slogans reminiscent of Jean-Michel Basquiat is one way to describe Vacancy (2024) by prolific local painter and designer Monica Mangano, aka NYC Mango. Very affordable at $800 from Art Bond NY, located in  Brooklyn.

Ah, the late, great Freddie Mercury — what a Rock God he was! I had to shoot this mixed-media homage, Freddie Sees You by Annette Back, from the side to avoid capturing myself in the reflection of his mirrored shades! Handwritten lyrics to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” fill in the pink background behind Fred, creating a very unique and collectible piece for any Queen fan. It’s a steal at just $650 from Hudson River Art Collective.

OMG, what could more fun  than this accidental diptych by Juliette Vaissiere.  Pop (left), depicts tall Cypress trees under a single pink ballon ascending into the blue, while Dive Bomber shows us a detail of that same pink balloon. Priced at $700 each — but you’ve got to  have both, right? —  at Harsh Collective, NY.

This amazing photograph is possibly my favorite thing in the entire show. The Lamp (2023) by Tis &  Vitaly is a giclee print on Hahneühle 300 satin baryta paper, which is maybe why it looks so glorious and other-wordly. It gives me all the feels for just $2500 at Galerie Mitobo of NY and Brussels.

Daniela Forcella is an Italian artist known for her Pop Art style, particularly her use of the “heart” motif.  Her vibrant Pop Hearts series was on display at Monogramma Arte Contemporanea (of Rome) with this Fuschia heart catching my eye, in particular. The work  features a multitude of polychrome resins suspended on a vintage mattress net, and encased in a plexiglass frame. Pop Hearts (2014) sells for a very reasonable  $2100.

Speaking of hearts, check out Red Heart, a lifelike resin sculpture by Giuseppe Amorese. A unique collectible for just $700, also from Monogramma Arte Contemporanea.

Wow, there is so much to unpack in To Bit Or Not To Coin by an artist who goes by Painting Queen. You’ve got the Bitcoin  — a clever Ponzi scheme run by scumbag billionaires (don’t fall for it) — Marie Antoinette, and Shakespeare,  all in one fabulous conversation-starter! Priced at $1600 (Bitcoin not accepted) from AC Latin Art of Argentina.

Palm Springs-based Original Melting Pops sculptress Betsy Enzensberger remains a fixture at every major art show across the country, because her sweet sculptures are in constant demand! As an ever-evolving series of works, Betsy’s blinged-out, hyper-realistic ice pops are a must-own for every collector (I’ve got mine)! Wouldn’t Aqua Sprinkle Pop (above, $650) be perfect for the fan of Tiffany jewelers? Heck yeah!

Betsy’s art is the Bomb (Pop) with prices ranging from just $300 (pocket change) to $1750,  at KW Contemporary of Maine.

Fly Free, Fine With Me by Riota Shiga reminds me of an illustration from a favorite children’s book, in that it tells so many stories. Add it to your own story for just $800 at Suomei M50 x Fucean of NY and Shanghai.

Second floor, accomplished! Let’s see what visual treats we can find downstairs!

Sunny Pig by Andrew Mockett is a screen printed woodcut with handprinted calligraphy – – so charming! Priced at $8000 at Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery of London.

Michael Watson’s Refraction III comprises assorted slender lengths of wood adorned with vibrant hues of spray paint — so simple, yet so elegant. $1500 at Established Gallery of Brooklyn.

Here’s the piece (far right) and a similar one displayed alongside more of Michael’s rad work, including these colorful bronze mirrored acrylic sheets called Interdimensional, which sell for $800  each. Wild!

Superman by Marco Lodolo is a steal at just $350 from Deodato Arte of Milan.

Reflection be damned! I had to include Joker by Zhang Nakchun, which you will see, on close inspection, is made up of tiny pieces of up-cycled, colored plastic! So super cool.  Price N/A , from Able Fine Art here in NYC.

Everybody loves to ‘pay homage’ to the great Japanese pop artist Yayoi Kusama these days, and Mark Ward has some fun with that in his painting Yayoi’s Pig , which will set you back $3500 at Byard Art of Cambridge, UK.

Also at Byard Art, we found these fantastic realist paintings of vintage toys by artist Ian Rawling, each selling for $2000. What was even cooler is the gallery had the original toys that served as the models on display in the booth.

Each painting included its twin toy in the purchase price. Very fun!

Here’s a pop cultural flashback for you: Rhyme Capsule (Hip Hop Mix) by David Schwartz. You can almost hear the beats for $3030 at Arteria Gallery, located in Quebec.

Our favorite local surrealist painter, Cristina Vergano, debuted a  new series at AAF, Lucky Monkey, with each small, gilt-framed canvas priced at $1200 from Tourne Gallery of NYC.

Heidi Von Faber stunned me with this gorgeous representation  of Red Currants and Jug II, which is worth even penny of  its $5950 price tag at Signet Contemporary Art, London.

East Village-based artist Walter Salas-Humara is quickly becoming as well-known for his colorful, primitive-style  paintings  of animals as he is for his career as a singer/songwriter/musician and founder of  the alt-country/rock band The Silos. Moon Gold, from his impressionist series featuring horses can be yours for just $2350 at Art Dog, London.

Barack Obama was the greatest President ever, and nobody paints him like F. Lennox (Lenny) Campello, whose whimsical representations of famous people rendered in graphite on unfired pottery shards are the best bargain at the fair! Case in point: Obama Flipping the Bird is just $195!

Even better,  a very recognizable Christopher Reeve (RIP) as Superman is just $95. You almost can’t afford not to buy it. Lenny is a great guy as well as a great talent and he is represented by Alida Anderson Art Projects of Washington, DC.

If I weren’t such a huge Art Nerd, I probably wouldn’t have recognized Andrew Mocket’s Tipu’s Tiger as having been influenced by the historical event that inspired this artwork  — on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But I am, and I did. It’s $8000 at Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery of London. I love it.

It’s not widely speculated as to whether or not The Beatles were  frying on LSD when they crossed Abbey Road, but if they had been,  Beetles by Bruce Reinfield recreates that scene as it might have looked through the eyes of the Fab Four. Flashbacks and more are just $6800 at Lurie Gallery of Los Angeles and Miami.

And that’s a wrap until we do this all over again in the fall. Thanks for coming along for the ride!