What The Other Art Fair does

The Other Art Fair, founded in 2011 and headquartered in London with a US headquarters in Santa Monica, operates a recurring in-person art-fair platform that connects independent and emerging artists directly with collectors. The company hosts 10 fairs per year across the UK (London) and the US (Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix), with each fair featuring approximately 120 artists and immersive installations, performances, and food and beverage. It has expanded to Australia with fairs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and reported its 2026 Los Angeles edition delivered a 41% year-over-year increase in sales and a 16% rise in average transaction value.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight and third-party dependent: the company uses its own Wordpress/SVG website for artist applications and fair information, Eventbrite/Universe for ticketing, Square for point-of-sale payment processing at fairs, Google Analytics for traffic analytics, and Saatchi Art (a Leaf Group sister company) as the online storefront for fair artists via "Online Studios." There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed. Revenue is generated through three streams: artist booth fees (US $2,050–$5,670; London £1,630–£2,250, plus local taxes) collected on a deposit-plus-balance basis, an 18% commission on all onsite art sales (plus post-fair orders within one month), and visitor ticket sales through Eventbrite. Supporting programs include New Futures (free exhibition space and mentorship for underrepresented emerging artists), Artisan Edit (smaller 8x8 craft booths at select fairs), and The Other Open (curated emerging-artist showcases).

The Other Art Fair is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leaf Group Ltd., a Santa Monica-based diversified media and marketplace operator whose other brands include Saatchi Art, Society6, and Deny Designs. Customer segments are deliberately fragmented: independent/emerging artists seeking accessible exhibition space and collector access, plus a long tail of art collectors and art enthusiasts ranging from first-time buyers (prints from ~$100) to experienced collectors (limited editions $300+, small originals $400–$500). The company maintains an artist community of over 3,000 alumni from more than 20 countries, which functions as a referral network and talent pipeline for new fairs and sub-brands.

Name

The Other Art Fair

Legal name

Other Art Fairs Ltd.

Website

https://theotherartfair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Other Art Fair, founded in 2011 and owned by Leaf Group Ltd., operates 10 annual in-person art fairs across the UK, US, and Australia, connecting roughly 1,200 emerging independent artists per year directly with collectors through booth fees, an 18% sales commission, and ticketing, with online distribution via Saatchi Art.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Fair Events

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Art fair events
• Artist exhibition platforms
• Contemporary art market
• Emerging artist showcases
• Art sales commissions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Artist Booth Fees: Artists pay booth fees to exhibit at fairs, with prices varying by city and booth size. Fees are typically split into deposits (30% to secure place) and remaining balance (70% due 6 weeks prior to fair). Stand prices range from approximately $2,050 to $5,670 in US cities and £1,630 to £2,250 in London.
2. Art Sales Commission: The company takes an 18% commission on all art sales made onsite at the fair, covering processing fees and complimentary wrapping for buyers. This commission also extends to post-Fair orders taken within a month of the fair closing if the customer found the artist at a fair.
3. Ticket Sales: Visitor tickets sold through Eventbrite/Universe platform for fair admission. Ticket prices vary by day (Opening Night vs General Admission) and timing (advance vs on-site).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Other Art Fair operates a recurring in-person art fair platform, hosting 10 annual fairs across the UK and US, each featuring approximately 120 independent artists. Artists pay booth fees to exhibit, and the company takes an 18% commission on all artwork sold onsite or within one month post-fair. The platform connects emerging independent artists with collectors through immersive fair experiences complemented by an online presence via Saatchi Art.

Product overview

The Other Art Fair operates as a unified event-based platform combining in-person art fairs with supporting digital infrastructure. The core product is the physical art fair experience (featuring 100+ independent artists per event across UK and US cities including London, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Dallas). Supporting offerings include the New Futures program (emerging artist support with free exhibition space and mentorship), Online Studios (virtual artist storefront via Saatchi Art), Artisan Edit (specialty craft booths), and The Other Open (special feature applications for select fairs). The fair takes an 18% commission on all onsite art sales plus post-fair orders within a month of closing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New Futures: A program designed to launch the careers of emerging artists through prizing that includes free exhibition space and mentorship

Products and services

• The Other Art Fair An in-person art fair experience operating across major cities in the UK and US (London, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Brooklyn, Dallas), each featuring over 100 emerging independent artists with immersive installations, performances, and interactive experiences alongside accessible art sales. Artists pay booth fees and the fair takes an 18% commission on onsite and post-fair sales.
• Online Studios An online platform integrated with Saatchi Art that provides a virtual space for fair artists to showcase and sell their work beyond the physical fair events, enabling year-round accessibility to the artist community.
• New Futures Program An emerging artist support program providing prizing including free exhibition space at The Other Art Fair along with access to networks and mentorship designed to jump-start careers of underrepresented emerging artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• L.A. edition achieved second-highest results ever, up 41% year over year in sales and 16% in average transaction value

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saatchi ArtcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSaatchi Art is the presenting partner for The Other Art Fair. This partnership provides the online platform for fair artists to maintain visibility and sales beyond the physical fair events. The Other Art Fair is presented by Saatchi Art both in naming and marketing.
• Own ArtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOwn Art is a programming partner for the London fair, providing interest-free art loans to help collectors spread the cost of purchases.
• Cass ArtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCass Art is listed as a partner for the London fair, supporting the artist community.
• Visual Artists Alliance (VAA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisual Artists Alliance is a programming partner for the London fair.
• KSS AudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAudio partner for the London fair providing sound equipment.
• Arts GowanusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArts Gowanus is the charity partner for Brooklyn, an art organization that has teamed up with Urban Folk Art for fair programming.
• Fika Fine Art ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWrapping and shipping partner for Brooklyn fair. Fika provides complimentary art wrapping for purchases and custom shipping quotes.
• WNYCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFriday Late Partner for Brooklyn fair, providing radio/media promotion.
• New SoundsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFriday Late Partner for Brooklyn fair, contributing to evening programming.
• Universe (Eventbrite)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party ticketing platform for fair visitor admissions, handling ticket sales, transfers, and day/time changes.
• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationPoint-of-sale payment processing for artwork sales and on-the-door ticket sales at fairs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Affordable Art Fair: Affordable Art Fair is the closest direct competitor: a global art fair circuit featuring original artwork under a price cap, targeting first-time buyers and collectors. Both companies pursue the same mission of making art accessible at transparent price points and compete for the same emerging artist supply.
• Superfine Art Fair: Superfine is a direct peer running curated, accessible art fairs in US cities (NYC, Miami, LA, DC) targeting independent emerging artists with transparent pricing. The model overlaps directly with TOAF's emerging-artist, accessible-price-point positioning.
• Moniker Art Fair: Moniker is an art fair focused on contemporary print and limited-edition work, hosting fairs in London during Frieze week. It overlaps with TOAF in serving independent artists at accessible price points but specializes in print-based work.
• Select Art Fair: Select Art Fair is a curated art fair held during Miami Art Week that showcases galleries and independent artists, with similar collector-engagement programming. Comparable in concept but focused on the Miami market and slightly more gallery-weighted than TOAF.
• Art on Paper: Art on Paper is an annual art fair in NYC focused on works on paper, featuring galleries presenting drawings, paintings, and prints. Competes for similar artists and collectors who value accessible pricing and direct artist-collector interaction at fair venues.

Broad incumbents

• Frieze Art Fair: Frieze operates major contemporary art fairs (Frieze London, Frieze New York, Frieze LA) that sit upstream of TOAF, working with established galleries and high-end collectors. Frieze is a key destination artists aspire to after graduating from TOAF, making them sequentially adjacent rather than directly substitutable.
• Art Basel: Art Basel runs the premier global contemporary art fairs (Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong). While positioned at the high end of the market and serving established galleries, it represents the top of the artist-career ladder where TOAF alumni aspire to reach - making it a sequential incumbent in the same ecosystem.

Others

• Saatchi Art: Saatchi Art is the presenting partner of TOAF and operates as TOAF's online sales channel. While not a direct competitor (it's an online marketplace), it is the most comparable business model for online emerging-art sales and a complementary channel for TOAF's artists.

Regional players

• FRESH Art Fair: FRESH Art Fair focuses on emerging artists in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona). Similar accessible emerging-art fair model to TOAF but with a regional Iberian focus, not directly competing in the same geographies as TOAF.
• New York Art, Antique & Jewelry Fair: A multi-category fair held in NYC that includes emerging and contemporary art among broader collectibles, comparable in concept to TOAF's multi-category local fair positioning but with a substantially broader collectibles scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheOtherArtFair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-other-art-fair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Other Art Fair