ART Santa Fe 2007, the biennial art fair in its seventh incarnation, proved beyond uncertainty that Santa Fe, New Mexico, is no wasteland of “southwestern” art, but a thriving international contemporary arts destination. The fair was held in temporary quarters across the street from SITE Santa Fe, the only venue to host international biennial exhibitions in the developing art district known as the Railyard (with the old Santa Fe train depot at its heart). The setting, a Butler-style building that houses El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, enjoyed a cosmetic enhancement after a façade competition brought in entries from around the world. Still, ART Santa Fe altered more than a building during its four-day period this July 12—15.

With a turnout of some 5,000 people over three days—not including the hundreds in attendance at Thursday evening’s champagne vernissage—the feeling was fresh. Liberated from the old convention center (a dismal space, long ago a high school gymnasium) in the downtown area, the entry to El Museo was transformed by a façade designed by a team of Washington University graduate architecture students chosen from an international competition. But the whole fair seemed under the grips of a kind of excitement that was noted by gallerists as well as attendees.

Art Santa Fe attendees view the entries for the El Museo facade competition.

Nancy Hoffman declared that her New York gallery “had a positive experience at the Santa Fe fair, which has its own spirit and composition. We found an eager and interested audience with a great response to the range of work in the stand, as well as to the special [Project Space] installation of Jesse Small's mixed media video installation with cloud transformer robots.”

 

Jesse Small’s mixed-media installation in the Project Space, Courtesy Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York

Galleries came from across the nation and Europe to participate in ART Santa Fe and consistently reported a positive experience for them and for their audiences. Julie Baker, whose gallery in Nevada City, California, carries the work of emerging artists, stated that “ART Santa Fe was great for us. We met top-quality collectors, sold almost all of the work we brought, and received great attention for the artist we presented. There is a strong and growing contemporary art collector base in Santa Fe with a sophisticated enthusiasm for the arts.”

Julie Baker Fine Art in the Project Space, installation by artist Lucrecia Troncoso

Cleveland gallery owner Steve Hartman of Contessa Galleries was “extremely impressed with the wide geographical reach of the show.” Asked if Contessa will participate in the next ART Santa Fe, Hartman replied, “Absolutely—with a new convention center being built, that’s a tremendous asset and draw [for the next fair]. The director and staff did a tremendous job…very professional, with phenomenal speakers, parties, and visitors lounge for us. The local people were also very welcoming, thanking us profusely for coming.” Among Santa Fe gallerists, Sidney and Michelle Monroe of Monroe Gallery of Photography asserted that they “had an excellent experience at ART Santa Fe. Attendance was good. Our sales were very strong and surpassed our expectations.”

A good deal of the ambient enthusiasm was no doubt generated by Saturday evening’s speakers. Thomas Krens of the worldwide Guggenheim Foundation and renowned architect Frank Gehry spoke of the “Bilbao effect,” leading many in the audience to speculate that a possible “Santa Fe effect” could be in New Mexico’s future. The Krens / Gehry evening was produced by ART Santa Fe Presents, a Santa Fe-based not-for-profit organization.

Frank Gehry and Thomas Krens, with moderator, Tim Rogers from the Museum of New Mexico, at Santa Fe's Lensic Center for the Performing Arts.

The fair’s director, Charlotte Jackson, and staff have proven that they know what they’re doing. The eighth ART Santa Fe proved prominent among art fairs, as the outlook for ART Santa Fe continues to radiate health and prosperity.

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