Founder Ryan Stanier on The Other Art Fair’s first foray in Dallas

Patron: How do you differentiate The Other Art Fair from other fairs and what is your mission? Please share the 101 with our readers.

Ryan Stanier: The defining factor of our fair is the way in which we interact and include our artists. Artists are involved in the entire process of the fair from start to finish; they represent themselves and are present during the event creating a more personable selling experience. This engagement gives artists the tools to market themselves, enabling them to propel their careers beyond the fair. 

Patron: The Other Art Fair mounts in hotspots all over the globe. How did you tailor the fair specifically to the Dallas audience? How many exhibiting artists may we expect and what percentage are local artists? 

Ryan Stanier: Over a third of the artists are from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It was very important to us that we included local artists as part of the lineup. This anchors the fair in the city and builds a connection to the local art scene, which in turn brings the attention of our wider network to the local artists. The selection committee is a key factor in this effort. We ensured that there was a strong connection to the Dallas/Fort Worth community that understands the personality of the local art scene. 

Patron: Take us through your artist selection. How did you select the jurors and what are your directives to them? Do your curators have a hand in the selection? 

Ryan Stanier: Our main directive is that our artist selection committee possesses world-class experience working with emerging artists. Our fair director Nicole Garton spent a lot of time in Dallas getting to know the local art community prior to the fair, getting advice and guidance from some of Dallas’ key players in the arts and culture scene. In addition to the local selection committee members, Rebecca Wilson, Saatchi Art’s Chief Curator, is also part of the selection process as she is an expert in the emerging art market with over 15 years of experience in this industry.

Patron: Describe the overall visitor’s experience at The Other Art Fair. 

Ryan Stanier: The Other Art Fair provides a creative and non-intimidating environment for visitors to enjoy and discover emerging art. From the moment you enter the fair you are immersed in a space that captures all art mediums and sources of creativity from the food to the music and of course the artists themselves. This year, we are happy to share we’ve partnered with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE who will be offering complimentary gin cocktails provided and co-hosting creative workshops for visitors to enjoy.

You can quietly walk around and peruse the artwork or get involved with activities and interactive installations at your pleasure and pace.  Overall, we want to create an experiential event that leaves fairgoers inspired to be creative in their daily lives long after they leave the fair.

Patron: Will you tell us a little bit about your participatory workshops and activities for fairgoers?

Ryan Stanier: The fair boasts a huge selection of activities, a number of which are hosted by our partner BOMBAY SAPPHIRE. The ‘Stir Creativity Workshops’ are led by a number of leading influencers as well as local talented artists and makers.  They range from Ink painting on alternative surfaces, yoga and art workshops: dyed and coiled bowl weaving, paper embroidery, and modern calligraphy to name a few. These workshops aim to awaken your inner creativity and in each you come away with something physical you have created. 

We have an exciting installation by Artist Dan Hillier titled The Earth Cube which will be an immersive space for people to take some time out from the hubbub of the fair. He’ll be showing two large new figurative works based on nature archetypes, alongside other objects and items. The work is being made in the spirit of questioning whether we can reconnect our modern selves with the natural world, and the great mystery from which everything arises. 

The Other Art Fair considers the whole family so we have Kids Create workshops available for children to enjoy while you enjoy the fair.

Our charity partner The StewPot will also be displaying  a number of pieces of work from their art program. Finally, we will be providing free fair tours led by our team of Saatchi Art Curators for those wanting some guidance as they explore the fair.

Patron: We’ve been reading about these astronaut helmets that are traveling from LA to Dallas. Will you tell us about these? 

Ryan Steiner: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar mission, which saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men to land on the moon, the fair presents ONE SMALL STEP. Curated by Ben Moore, this special exhibition will feature 12 artists, in-line with the 12 men who have walked on the moon since 1969. 

Each artist was selected to transform an astronaut helmet. The participating artists include: Unskilled Worker, Mr Brainwash, Nick Dillon, Dan Baldwin, Philip Colbert, Hayden Kays, RYCA, Ben Moore/ Time Gatenby Collab, Ben Moore/ Vital Hydrographic Collab. All proceeds from the sale of the helmets via our online auction at Paddle 8 will go to MAG (Mines Advisory Group) whose mission is to clear landmines and unexploded bombs from conflict-affected communities, where one small step can be the difference between life and death.

Any artists you are especially excited about—ones to watch?

Louisana-born but residing and working in Dallas, Jammie Holmes is a painter to watch. His paintings tell stories of his life and memories of his childhood, simultaneously shedding light upon wider conversations of contemporary politics, race and religion. He considers his artwork to be a mouthpiece for the people he grew up with who are unable to express themselves and their stories. 

Lisa Krannichfeld’s work is also incredibly prevalent. She has a distinctive fluid style in which she uses a mix of mediums, predominantly traditional Chinese ink. Her work tackles issues of gender inequalities, domesticity, and feminism while displaying women as powerful, transcending the images of women we generally see in the media. Her paintings feature vibrant and intricate prints on both clothing and décor. These patterns have come to be a distinguishing personal element of her work. 

Evan Ishmael is an artist based in New York City and a seasoned exhibitor at The Other Art Fair. With a background in sculpture, he approaches painting through a sculptural guise. He focuses on form and materiality and pushes the boundaries of paint by layering different materials and using obscure painting techniques. 

Dallas-based artist Desiree Vaniecia is making waves. She has worked as a middle and high school teacher as well as being involved with The Cedar Unions residency. She describes her work as nostalgic, feminine and simplistic. She considers race and feminity and where they meet in her distinct paintings.