Combine Art Fair 2021

Within the Vancouver art ecosystem, there are many interdependent parts: artists, collectors, galleries, non-profits and institutions. All are needed to thrive and to keep the ecosystem healthy. Galleries are vital  during the nurturing phases of artists, as well as exposing young collectors to new audiences. The four galleries featured in COMBINE Art Fair provide an access point for new art that is being made on the West Coast while keeping the conversation going with the more seasoned collectors who want to continue learning about new voices in the local scene (and beyond).

COMBINE, held in collaboration with Griffin Art Projects—an important collector-driven institution on the West Coast—is an event where galleries combine in support of collectors of contemporary art by coming together in the same space at the same time.  COMBINE offers a new collaborative model where multiple Vancouver galleries will be housed under one roof. The project began at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, as a way to respond to the challenges of attending national and international events, and has evolved over the course of the past eighteen months, as we look to contribute to the arts ecology nationally and locally, by exploring new art fair models and models for collaboration.

The long-term aim of this initiative and our work as collaborators, is to foster the development of confident collectors in the city, who use their own instincts and insights as they navigate the art works they encounter and acquire. We wish to promote awareness of the importance of the patronage of collectors in supporting artists (and their galleries) in Vancouver. Although galleries represent artists at every stage of their career, both artists and gallerists benefit from support at the early stages Ultimately, we are all here, collectors and galleries, to support artists who serve our community.

Griffin will be partnering with four Vancouver gallerists to host the first fair on Vancouver’s North Shore onsite throughout the residency spaces from December 2 to 5, 2021, for this collaborative venture. All of the galleries are under a decade old. Wil Aballe Art Projects, Unit 17, Monica Reyes Gallery and Franc Gallery will work with Griffin to create this Art Fair, who offer fresh perspectives on contemporary art and collecting. The galleries will be located in the two studio areas while Griffin will curate an exhibition of gallery artists in the ‘bedroom’ space that will be transformed into a small gallery for this occasion. The overall project is intended to create an exciting new Art Fair event that supports our local art community during these extraordinary and continually evolving times, while suggesting a new model for the future.