This week marks the opening of the 13th edition of the San Francisco Art Fair. The expo formerly known as Artmrkt San Francisco, helped the city’s rapidly growing art market. Today, San Francisco is trying to win the tech elite who left during the pandemic, and the mayor promotes the city’s culture is a reason to return this week. We sat down with director Kelly Freeman to learn more about the fair and the cultural life of the city.
The art market is now in a curious place! What do you think of this fair?
I’m cautiously optimistic, and if you know me, it shouldn’t be shocking. In my opinion, the San Francisco Art Fair embodies the art world’s ability to adapt and thrive with the ever-changing global market. Current economic unpredictability can create opportunities: for discovering, new relationships, and for enhancing the Bay Area art ecosystem. We will enter this year with a lot of vitality. The expo doubled on the Bay with 88 exhibitors and 45 cultural partners, and it is a time to showcase the resilience and innovation of this community.
Overall, what is the San Francisco art market like? Can you compare it to Los Angeles or New York? What types of people like to buy in San Francisco?
The market in San Francisco feels very community-oriented. The Bay tends to attract curious, dedicated collectors who want to support artists who reflect the values of the region, whether it is social impact, environmental awareness or experimental practice. The focus is not just on price points, but on accessibility, cultural depth and commitment to support a wide variety of media and artists that reflect the unique features of the Bay.
This marks the 13th Expo. What did you learn during that time?
A key lesson in the past 13 editions is the importance of keeping locked in with San Francisco’s evolution. The fair develops with the city’s artistic changes, moving from gallery to historic community and welcomes new innovative exhibitors. We learn that facilitating the creation of environments where emerging voices can interact to create truly dynamic experiences. This proves our commitment to being a showcase, a community center that constantly reinvents itself to reflect the vitality of the city.
This year’s fair focus is East Bay’s creativity, curated by Brock Brake of PT.2 Gallery. Can you tell me more about this section and East Bay creativity more broadly?
East Bay has always been a powerful country in community-driven creativity. In the curation of a special part of this year, Brock Brake has been a well-deserved spotlight for artists like Alicia McCarthy and Ryan Whelan, reflecting the authenticity and collaborative energy of Oakland and beyond. We are also excited to work with institutions such as NIAD and the Berkeley Museum of Art to demonstrate East Bay’s contribution to the Broad Bay Bay Area Arts ecosystem.
I’m sure it’s hard to choose, but what visitors should not miss out on this year’s Outstanding Booth Speech?
it yes It’s hard to pick, but I want to focus on some outstanding speeches, especially among our first-time exhibitors. Jessica Silverman’s booth features Clare Rojas and Chelsea Ryoko Wong, two artists whose practices are deeply rooted in the Bay. Speaking of East Bay, Wong currently hosts a beautiful exhibition at the Auckland Museum. Don’t miss it either: Anthony Meier introduces Saif Azzuz and Jesse Schlesinger and Micki Meng’s moving project, created by artists, activists and environmentalists to support land conservation. She confirmed the contribution of SFMOMA Director Chris Bedford; SFMOMA Board Chairman Bob Fisher; ICA San Francisco Director Ali Gass (all of whom were involved.
See also: MASP’s extension opens floor for curatorial experiments
Relatedly, this version of programming feels very powerful. “Motherhood and Art” sounds like a fascinating panel. What other highlights are there in the expo’s programming aspect?
The Motherhood and the Arts group is one of my favorite conversations I hosted this year. It highlights the artist’s browsing in the dual identities of maternity and production. We have worked with Katie Hintz-Zambrano, Mother Magazinein order to adjust the panel – she has long advocated for her mother’s creative work. Here is a discussion we proudly propose: personal, urgent and often overlooked.
Apart from that, we are exploring other timely and thought-provoking topics like how artificial intelligence changes artists’ studios, how institutions that collect black art and how they focus on historically excluded groups to cope with current political moments. Together, our programs reflect the commitment to not only displaying artworks, but also the critical dialogue that shapes its future.
Could people be surprised by what they know about the San Francisco art world?
It’s not just survival – it’s thriving. San Francisco has lost its creativity, but when you spend time in the city, you will find that this is far from the truth. Artists here are innovating, collectors are emerging, institutions (small and small) are pushing the boundaries. It is a vibrant inclusive ecosystem that has access to art and reflects the cultural tapestries of the region. The fair becomes a real celebration of this vitality, fostering local talent and sparking new dialogue.
