The NY Art Book Fair is coming soon. Check it out and you will be glad.
Preview Events:
Thursday, September 19, 6–9 pm
Friday, September 20, 12–7 pm
Saturday, September 21, 11 am–9 pm
Sunday, September 22, 11 am–7 pm
at PS1 in Long Island City, NYC
The NY Art Book Fair is the largest event of its kind in the world, drawing hundreds of independent publishers, zine makers, rare book dealers, and artists’ edition houses to MoMA PS1’s sprawling galleries. Since its founding, the fair has grown into a four-day destination that pulls crowds from well beyond the usual gallery circuit. First-timers tend to show up on Saturday and stay for hours.
Long Island City itself has become a draw. The neighborhood around PS1 is dense with studio spaces, converted warehouse apartments, and a rotating cast of pop-up bars that cater to fair week foot traffic. On any given evening during the fair, the surrounding blocks fill with attendees splitting their time between book launches, rooftop drinks, and online gambling real money sessions on their phones while waiting for a table. The energy carries a festival quality that extends well past closing time at PS1.
What makes the fair worth attending is the sheer range of material on offer. You will find hand-bound letterpress editions sharing table space with risograph zines, photobooks from emerging collectives, and out-of-print monographs priced for serious collectors. Conversations with the makers happen at every booth, and most of the work is priced accessibly enough to walk away with a full tote bag.
For anyone in or near New York during the third week of September, this is one of the easiest cultural recommendations to make. Admission is free, the space is open and walkable, and the work on display covers ground that no commercial bookstore or gallery show can match.