Superfine brings collectible queer art to New York City

The mainstream art world hasn’t always embraced LGBTQ+ artists and their works. Enter Superfine, the traveling contemporary art fair where queer work is the star. Born in 2015 as a satellite of Miami’s prestigious Art Basel, Superfine has brought its bustling LGBTQ+ art marketplace to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Savannah, Washington DC, and New York City from May 2 to 5.

Taking the theme “Future Wonderland” for this edition, Superfine will span an entire floor of NYC’s One Five One skyscraper to showcase more than 130 LGBTQ+, women, and artists of color. 

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“We built Superfine to be a welcoming space where art lovers can enjoy art and collect it without the pretentiousness,” says Alex Mitow, who founded the art fair with fellow Brooklyn native James Miille. Ninety percent of the pieces are priced between $100 and $3,000, making this the ideal place to both shop for affordable artwork and support independent queer artists who haven’t yet been signed to a major gallery, the great majority of whom will be on-site during the fair.

Superfine is also super fun, eschewing the stuffiness of most art fairs with a lineup of hands-on live art demos, panel discussions, and cutting-edge performances, plus a thoughtful array of local food and beverages and a soundtrack of eclectic music.

Entry to Superfine is by timed ticket, which must be purchased in advance through Eventbrite. Each $20 ticket is good for one-time entry during the designated window. A $35 ticket will let you come anytime during general hours from Friday to Sunday, while a timed $45 ticket gets you into Thursday’s opening night festivities — and first dibs at the fair’s art, much of which will sell out. The $75 Supercharged All-Fair Access pass gives you and a guest entry to opening night plus reentry to the fair anytime you like over the weekend, as well as several other perks.

Plan an art-fueled weekend in New York City

After the fair, make an artsy weekend of it by heading downtown to the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, the city’s premier showcase for LGBTQ+ art, which currently has two shows on view. “The Plural of He” (through July 21) explores the life and work of Trinidadian-American poet and social justice advocate Colin Robinson via newly commissioned works by five artists. “I’m a thousand different people—Every one is real” (through January 5, 2025) presents a selection of works by queer and trans artists who have boldly defined art and life on their own terms, including Candy Darling, Genesis Breyer P. Orridge, Kia LaBeija, and Carlos Motta.

Related:

5 must-see queer artists on exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago’s gallery space spans 562,000 square feet, but a well-planned visit can reveal notable LGBTQ+ artists.

Grab dinner at the intimate HAGS in the East Village, which deftly blends fine dining with a decidedly fun and LGBTQ+ aesthetic — owners Camille Lindsley and Telly Justice are a queer couple, and the majority of their staff identify as queer as well. HAGS also proudly showcases the work of queer artists on its walls, not just in the tiny dining area but in the kitchen and gender-inclusive bathroom, too.

Rest in style by checking into the impeccably designed Hotel 50 Bowery, the hip JdV by Hyatt property at the heart of Chinatown. To create its vibrant, permanent art collection that spans the hotel, 50 Bowery partnered with Exhibition A, the online marketplace that’s transformed the way young collectors interact with emerging artists, many of them queer.

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