Art Fairs in Los Angeles Offer Alternative Spaces for Emerging Artists
Yesterday, instead of attending Frieze’s VIP opening, I decided to explore two alternative art fairs in Los Angeles: the Post-Fair and the Other Art Fair. The Post-Fair, held in a repurposed Art Deco-style post office in Santa Monica, aimed to challenge the exclusivity of traditional art fairs by offering affordable entry fees. With 29 galleries and project spaces participating, this fair provided a refreshing change from the typical art fair experience. On the other hand, the Other Art Fair, now in its 13th edition in Los Angeles, showcased the works of 140 independent artists who engaged directly with visitors, allowing them to purchase art pieces on the spot.
At the Post-Fair, galleries lined the wooden corridors of the space, with PPOW showcasing artist Harry Gould Harvey IV’s new large-scale works. Harvey’s use of simple materials like matte board and found wood from abandoned mansions transformed into ritual objects that serve as sources of personal reflection. One of his standout pieces, “Fools Rush In Where Angels Fear To Tread” (2025), pays tribute to late artist Wallace Berman and his impact on the West Coast art scene.
Visitors at Good Weather gallery were captivated by Dylan Spaysky’s three-dimensional hanging works, which featured framed mirrors backlit by night lights. Each mirror was embossed with characters or sets from early Disney films, reflecting Los Angeles’s rich film history. Another highlight was Angela Anh Nguyen’s gun-tufted textiles at Harlesden High Street, which explored American culture wars and online media through unique tufting techniques.
The Other Art Fair in Atwater Village featured a diverse range of artists, including Eden Miller and Jess Lin. Miller’s dreamlike paintings depicted seraphim in the form of pelicans and winged fish, while Lin’s works explored her Taiwanese-American identity through surreal compositions. Additionally, the fair included a two-person show curated by Feia Studio and pop-up portrait photography sessions by Anna Marie Tendler.
Both the Other Art Fair and Post-Fair offered a vibrant and supportive community for emerging artists, providing an alternative to the traditional blue-chip art fair circuit. These events celebrated the real stars of the show: the artists themselves, and highlighted the importance of supporting and promoting emerging talent in the art world.
