The art world has seen a cooling trend in recent years, but the print market is bucking the trend. Two major print fairs, held in New York last month, have shown that the demand for prints and multiples is still strong. The International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA) Print Fair, held at the Park Avenue Armory, saw record-breaking attendance, while the Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair (BFAPF), held at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, made its debut with a successful VIP opening. IFPDA Print Fair Highlights
The IFPDA Print Fair is considered the gold standard for fine art print collecting. The fair attracted over 21,000 visitors over four days, with more than 5,000 guests attending the opening night alone. The event saw a 26 percent increase in advance ticket sales from last year. The fair continues to be a magnet for serious collectors and institutions, with major figures such as MoMA’s director Christophe Cherix, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Nadine Orenstein and Constance McPhee, and the British Museum’s Catherine Daunt in attendance. Artist Lineup
Notable artists attended the fair, including Marilyn Minter, Lothar Osterburg, Yashua Klos, Polly Apfelbaum, and Mickalene Thomas, who created a special installation at this year’s edition. Larry Gagosian was also spotted at the fair. Galleries and Publishers
The fair brought together top-tier galleries such as David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, and Pace, as well as independent publishers like Black Women of Print and Mixografia. The fair’s programming, featuring conversations with artists like David Salle and Terry Winters, emphasized the historical depth and contemporary relevance of printmaking. Sales Highlights
There were no shortages of notable sales. Pace Prints sold a screenprint on canvas by Jean Dubuffet for a six-figure price. Hauser & Wirth sold a new editioned mural by Rashid Johnson for $150,000. Carolina Nitsch Contemporary Art sold works by Johnson, Louise Bourgeois, Alyson Shotz, Kiki Smith, Nari Ward, Thomas Schütte, and Donald Judd at prices ranging from $5,000 to $140,000. Massachusetts-based Hill-Stone gallery sold a woodcut by Friedrich Capelari for $30,000. Thomas’s Installation
Commissioned by the IFPDA and produced by the family foundation of ARTnews Top 200 Collector Jordan Schnitzer, Mickalene Thomas’s site-specific l’espace entre les deux transformed an entire space into an immersive collage of prints and cast-pulp paper. Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair
Across the East River, the Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair debuted with a VIP opening at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus. The fair featured 41 print-focused galleries, 28 self-representing artists, and seven academic print departments. Quotes from Industry Experts
What makes prints so appealing is their blend of magic and science, artist Crystalle Lacouture told ARTnews. Prints offer a democratic medium for artists to experiment and expand their practice without financial burden. Praise Shadows founder Yng-Ru Chen noted that prints allow art dealers to open up their program to different audiences, making it more inclusive for people to collect. Market Trends
Market reports confirm that prints and multiples have been a bright spot amid a broader slowdown in the art world. Art Basel and UBS’s 2023 global collecting survey found that Gen Z buyers allocate more of their art budgets to prints than any other generation. High-net-worth individuals increased their acquisitions of prints and multiples by 35 percent in 2023, with these works now making up 24 percent of their collections, up 16 percent from the previous year. Sales Growth
Sales in the print sector grew by 18.3 percent in 2023, even as the broader market contracted. ArtTactic reported that the prints market is showing signs of growth, driven by younger collectors and new buyers. Conclusion
The print market is thriving, offering both established collectors and newcomers an accessible entry point into the art world. As collecting habits shift, the print market is not just surviving—it seems thriving. With its diverse range of artists, galleries, and institutions, the print market is poised to continue growing and expanding in the coming years.
| Top 5 Sales Highlights | Price | Artist/Gallery |
| Site de Mémoire III | $150,000 | Pace Prints |
| New Editioned Mural | $150,000 | Hauser & Wirth |
| Works by Johnson | $5,000-$140,000 | Carolina Nitsch Contemporary Art |
| Woodcut by Friedrich Capelari | $30,000 | Hill-Stone gallery |
Market Insights
• Art Basel and UBS’s 2023 global collecting survey found that Gen Z buyers allocate more of their art budgets to prints than any other generation. • Sales in the print sector grew by 18.3 percent in 2023, even as the broader market contracted. • The prints market is showing signs of growth, driven by younger collectors and new buyers. Artist Insights
• Artist Crystalle Lacouture emphasized the appeal of prints as a democratic medium for artists to experiment and expand their practice without financial burden. Collector Insights
• Molly Steiger, a senior vice president at Sotheby’s and global head of its prints department, pointed out that the market for prints seems booming, with the same artists selling prints for a much lower price point than their works in other mediums. • Sarah McMillian, a prints specialist at Swann Auction Galleries, noted that the growth in the prints market is coming from newer, younger buyers who are interested in traditional prints, even Old Masters. Awards and Recognition
• The IFPDA Print Fair was recognized for its success, with record-breaking attendance and notable sales. • The Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair debuted with a successful VIP opening, featuring 41 print-focused galleries, 28 self-representing artists, and seven academic print departments.
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