A New Art Fair Promoting Collaboration and Community to Launch in Los Angeles
**Santa Monica Post Office: A Fresh Perspective on the LA Art Fair Scene**
A new addition to Los Angeles’ vibrant and rapidly growing art fair ecosystem is capturing the attention of the art world. The debut edition of the *Santa Monica Post Office Art Fair* will run from February 20–22, 2024, coinciding with other major art events like Frieze LA, Felix, and the Spring/Break Art Show. Housed in a historic 1938 Art Deco building in Santa Monica, this fair brings a refreshing approach to a market often criticized for being prohibitively expensive and overly corporate.
### **The Vision Behind the Fair**
The brainchild of gallerist Chris Sharp, who opened his eponymous gallery in Los Angeles in 2021, Santa Monica Post Office aims to disrupt the conventional art fair model. Sharp’s ambition was simple: to create a platform focused on community, affordability, and collaboration rather than sheer commercialism.
“Every few years, a couple of galleries will get together to invent a new fair because the current fair system has become too corporate,” Sharp told *Hyperallergic*. “I wanted to create something by galleries for galleries — more about community, more collegial.”
This sentiment resonates with many galleries and art spaces struggling to afford participation in flagship fairs like Art Basel and Frieze. Booth fees at these larger events can range anywhere from $10,000 on the low end to upwards of $50,000, depending on the scale and location. By contrast, the exhibitor costs for Santa Monica Post Office are substantially more accessible: $6,000 for galleries and just $2,000 for project spaces.
### **A Thoughtfully Curated Event**
Sharp’s vision of intimacy extends to the fair’s structure: 28 galleries, both American and international, will feature single-artist presentations. This focus on dedicated solo exhibitions reflects an effort to prioritize artistic integrity over larger commercial projects.
Participants in the inaugural edition include established names like Sprüth Magers and PPOW, as well as emerging spaces such as House of Seiko and Ehrlich Steinberg. Notably, the lower cost of entry has inspired a sense of experimentation and risk-taking among exhibitors. As Cole Solinger, founder of House of Seiko, noted, “The cost doesn’t feel like a risk. My year won’t be destroyed if this display doesn’t perform well. The metrics of success are more open-ended.”
Exhibitors are also looking forward to a more inclusive and casual networking environment. For example, PPOW gallery co-founder Wendy Olsoff likened the fair to past events like *Seven*, a Miami-based fair born out of frustration with the exclusivity of Art Basel. “This is a good time to do something out of the box,” she said.
### **An Affordable and Accessible Experience**
Not only are booth fees lower, but public entry prices will also be more accessible, with general admission tickets priced at just $10. This affordability contrasts sharply with some larger fairs, where ticket prices can be three to five times as expensive.
“What I love most about this fair is how it levels the playing field,” said Tabitha Steinberg, co-founder of Ehrlich Steinberg. “In a city like LA, with its burgeoning art scene, there’s a real need for smaller-scale, community-focused fairs like this.”
### **The Rise of Alternative Art Fairs**
The launch of Santa Monica Post Office speaks to a larger trend in the art world: a surge of interest in alternative and independent fairs. In recent years, cities like New York have also seen the rise of grassroots events such as *That ’70s Show* and *Esther*. These fairs challenge the dominant model and foster a different kind of engagement between artists, galleries, and audiences.
In LA, the timing of this new fair seems almost serendipitous. Over the last decade, the city’s art scene has exploded, with a proliferation of local galleries, international expansion into the area, and the establishment of new art institutions. However, the rising costs of operating within this booming ecosystem have left some smaller galleries struggling to thrive.
### **A Collaborative Spirit**
“Santa Monica Post Office feels like a breath of fresh air in a dense art fair calendar,” said Charles Smith, founder of Cruise Control Contemporary, a participating gallery based in Cambria, California. Reflecting on the fair’s location in an old postal building, he added, “There’s symbolism here. The postal service’s ‘too big to fail’ mentality parallels the current state of major art fairs. This alternative approach represents a kind of reset.”
Sharp emphasized that while the fair is a commercial endeavor, its purpose is rooted in connection, collaboration, and fostering creativity. “What I’m most looking forward to is connecting and relating with others that care about what I care about,” he said. “It’s that simple for me.”
### **Looking Ahead**
The Santa Monica