The Women in Art Fair (WIAF) is set to launch in London this October, coinciding with the city's bustling autumn art season, with a dedicated focus on “redressing the gender imbalance in the art industry” and will give women and those identifying as women "an opportunity to show their work and contribute to the developing exchange of ideas around gender, sexuality and culture", according to WIAF’s website.
Scheduled from October 11 to 16, WIAF will coincide with Frieze London and Frieze Masters, taking place at Westminster's Mall Galleries. Jacqueline Harvey, the fair's director, emphasises the urgent need for the art industry to confront its gender underrepresentation issue: "The [art] industry needs to have a real look in the mirror at its under-representation of women; the gender imbalance is sector-wide: from commercial representation for artists, sales at auction and acquisitions in museums, as well as pay and job opportunities."
This challenge extends across various facets of the art world, encompassing artist representation, auction sales, museum acquisitions, pay equity, and job opportunities. Shockingly, a report from 2019 revealed that a mere 2% of the $196.6 billion spent at auctions from 2008 to 2019 went toward works by women artists.
WIAF's layout comprises three distinct sections. The West Gallery will feature a 21-booth art fair housing top-tier international galleries. Booth fees range from £5,000 to £10,000. The complete list of participating galleries will be unveiled in September, with ticket sales commencing on 1st September.
In the East Gallery, visitors can explore a predominantly selling exhibition titled "Unnatural Women." This exhibition, curated by Rowena Easton, spotlights emerging and established female artists examining humanity's complex relationship with nature. Prominent artists such as Paula Rego will engage in a dialogue with contemporary talents like Marcelle Hanselaar. Additional featured artists include Abigail Norris, Olivia Bullock, and Angelina May Davies.
The North Gallery will host a selling exhibition centred around the theme "The World is a Family," showcasing works by contemporary female artists selected through an open call that closes on August 21.
Beyond exhibitions, WIAF will offer diverse programming, including panel discussions in collaboration with partners such as the Arts Club, Number 22, and Young Masters. The fair also plans a grand opening reception and after-party.
Comparing WIAF to Frieze, Harvey contends that “Frieze is a great art fair, and we really enjoyed the Spotlight selection of female artists last year. However, their fair model does not really allow for fair women artist participation”.
This viewpoint is shared by WIAF organisers, including Sigrid Kirk, co-founder of Awita, a nonprofit supporting women in the art world, which is partnering with the fair. She acknowledges the entrenched gender bias within the art market and questions whether segregating women artists from the marketplace is the most effective approach, but she sees it as a powerful call to action. Kirk adds, “By 2025, it is estimated that 60% of the UK's wealth will belong to women who will want to buy art by women. In terms of a market for art by women, this presents an undeniable growth area and one commercially savvy galleries are heeding.”
WIAF was initiated as a project in 2018, and its initial fair attempt was halted due to the pandemic. It has received development funding from the Arts Council via the British Library Business and IP Centre, with sponsorship from the luxury British construction firm Chartwell Group.
If you’d like to know more about WIAF, head over to their website.
Main Image: 'Luminary Drawings Portraits of Film Directors by Nina Mae Fowler', Courtesy of WIAF