Drawing Now Paris

What Drawing Now Paris does

Drawing Now Paris, founded in 2007 by Christine Phal, is the first contemporary art fair in Europe exclusively dedicated to drawing. The organization operates a single annual flagship event at the Carreau du Temple in the Marais district of Paris (4 rue Eugène Spuller, 75003), bringing together approximately 70–71 international galleries from 13 countries and around 300 artists over a four-day run consisting of an invitation-only VIP preview followed by three public opening days. The 19th edition took place in March 2026, and the 20th anniversary edition is scheduled for March 17–21, 2027.

The core product is the fair itself, organized across four curated sectors — General, Inception (emerging galleries), Process, and Digital — and supported by a programming suite including Prix Drawing Now, Talks et Performances, Parcours Parallaxe, Parcours Art Faber, and Programme Curare. Ancillary revenue and engagement layers include the Drawing Society membership program and the Drawing Friends supporter tier, which provide year-round touchpoints with the collector, gallery, and institutional community. Technology footprint is limited to a conventional website, social media channels (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn), newsletter, and a press-relations operation with coverage in Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, Le Journal des Arts, Beaux Arts, and The Art Newspaper.

The business model derives revenue from gallery/exhibitor participation fees (applications for the 20th edition close September 25, 2026), implicit commission on art sales transacted during the fair (documented sales of 15–20+ works per successful booth at price points of €4,000–€50,000), and VIP preview access for invited collectors and institutions. Partnerships with C-E-A (Curare program), Université Paris Panthéon-Assas (Art Faber collective), and Frac Champagne-Ardenne (Parallaxe sector), as well as co-organization of Paris Gallery Weekend 2026, extend programming reach. The organization runs on a lean 7-person team with no disclosed external funding or institutional ownership.

Name

Drawing Now Paris

Legal name

Drawing Now Paris

Website

https://drawingnowartfair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drawing Now Paris is an annual art fair founded in 2007, the first in Europe exclusively dedicated to contemporary drawing, held at Carreau du Temple in Paris and serving international galleries, collectors, and institutions through a curated four-day event supported by year-round programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Fair Services

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Collectibles & Hobby Shows (MPAGAFAN)

Keywords

• Contemporary art fair
• Drawing exhibitions
• Art gallery events
• Curated art programs
• Fine art marketplaces

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor/Gallery Fees: Galleries pay fees to participate in the fair. Applications are open with deadlines (September 25, 2026 for 20th edition). Fees fund the event operations and venue.
2. Art Sales Commission: Gallery testimonials indicate successful art sales during the fair (e.g., 15 pieces sold by Galerie Nathalie Obadia, 20 drawings by Katarzyna Wysiołek). The fair likely takes commission on transactions.
3. VIP Preview Access: Preview day on March 17, 2027 by invitation and VIP pass only, suggesting premium ticketing or invitation-only format for early access to collectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Drawing Now Paris organizes an annual contemporary art fair held at Carreau du Temple in Paris, exclusively dedicated to the medium of drawing. The fair brings together 70+ international galleries presenting approximately 300 artists across four curated sectors (General, Inception, Process, Digital), supplemented by a prize, talks and performances, curatorial pathways, and an exhibition. Galleries apply via a selection process and pay participation fees; collectors and institutions attend to view and acquire works.

Product overview

Drawing Now Paris is a single unified product — an annual international art fair exclusively dedicated to contemporary drawing, held at the Carreau du Temple in Paris. Founded in 2007, the fair serves as the primary platform for connecting galleries, artists, collectors, and art professionals. The offering is structured around the main exhibition featuring over 70 international galleries, organized across four distinct sectors (General, Inception, Process, and Digital), complemented by curated programs including the Prix Drawing Now prize, Talks et Performances, Parcours Parallaxe, Parcours Art Faber, and Programme Curare. A membership program called Drawing Society provides ongoing engagement with the fair's community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drawing Now Paris Art Fair Annual international art fair exclusively dedicated to contemporary drawing, held at Carreau du Temple in Paris. Reunites over 70 international galleries presenting approximately 300 artists across four sectors (General, Inception, Process, Digital). Designed for galleries (exhibitors) and art collectors, institutions, and the general public (visitors).
• Prix Drawing Now Annual prize awarded during the Drawing Now Paris fair, recognizing excellence in contemporary drawing practice. Targets artists working in drawing and the galleries that represent them.
• Drawing Society Membership program supporting Drawing Now Paris, providing exclusive access to events, programming, and year-round community engagement for art professionals, collectors, and enthusiasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71 galleries from 13 countries participating in 2026 edition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Paris Gallery WeekendcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 May 2026Co-organized with Paris Gallery Weekend 2026 (May 29-31, 2026), bringing together 73 galleries in Paris and Île-de-France. Drawing Now Paris announced and promoted the event to its community. Free weekend event featuring vernissages, performances, conferences, and artist encounters.
• C-E-A (Cercle des Critiques d'Art)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Curare curatorial program, examining contemporary forms of drawing across Inception, Process, and Digital sectors of the fair. Curators Domitille Bertrand and Lucie Ménard co-developed the program.
• Université Paris Panthéon-Assas (Art Faber Collective)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt Faber collective, an international collective initiated by the university, organized a circuit dedicated to representations of the economic world, exploring labor, production, and societal dynamics.
• Drawing Lab ParisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDrawing Lab Paris invited Drawing Now community to the inauguration of exhibition 'Une fenêtre contre le temps' during Paris Gallery Weekend 2026.
• Frac Champagne-ArdenneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector Bérénice Saliou of Frac Champagne-Ardenne co-curated the Parallaxe sector highlighting women artists for whom drawing is a central practice.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Drawing Room London: London-based art fair exclusively dedicated to contemporary drawing, the most directly comparable event to Drawing Now Paris in terms of medium-specific focus, format, and target gallery/collector base.
• Outsider Art Fair: New York-founded niche art fair that has expanded to Paris; shares Drawing Now's model of curating a focused segment of the contemporary art market with strong editorial and collector engagement.
• 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair: Specialized contemporary art fair with a Paris edition, comparable to Drawing Now in operating a focused, curated fair format targeting a defined segment of the market with international gallery participation.
• PAD (Paris Art + Design): Paris-based art fair focused on design and modern collectible works, comparable to Drawing Now as a themed art fair running in Paris with a curated exhibitor selection and collector-oriented preview format.
• Paris Photo: Annual photography-focused art fair held in Paris, operating a similar medium-specific curatorial model with VIP preview days, sector segmentation, and international gallery participation at the same Paris ecosystem.
• Art Paris Art Fair: Spring contemporary art fair held annually in Paris at the Grand Palais, the most direct generalist contemporary art fair competitor operating in the same city and season as Drawing Now Paris.

Broad incumbents

• Art Basel: The largest global art fair brand with editions in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong; competes for the same international gallery customers and high-end collector base, though Drawing Now occupies a much narrower, medium-specific niche.
• Frieze: Major global art fair and media brand with editions in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Seoul; comparable as an art fair platform targeting top-tier international galleries and collectors, with much broader scope than Drawing Now.
• FIAC / PARIS+ (by Art Basel): The historic Paris contemporary art fair now relaunched as PARIS+ by Art Basel at the Grand Palais; the dominant generalist contemporary art fair in Paris and the principal competitive alternative for both galleries and collectors.

Others

• Drawing Center New York: Non-profit institution dedicated exclusively to the exhibition of drawing; not a competing fair but the leading curatorial authority on contemporary drawing and a natural cultural ally for Drawing Now's programming and Prix Drawing Now.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DRAWINGNOWPARIS
• Facebookfacebook.com/Drawingnowparis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drawing-now-paris
• Instagraminstagram.com/drawingnowparis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Drawing Now Paris