About
AI-generated Art Storage images created by Adobe Firefly
Zero Art Fair is conceived by artists Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida.
Zero Art Fair is an experimental way to match artworks with people who want to live with art but can’t necessarily afford it. Developed by artists Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida, the fair uses a ‘store-to-own’ contract to offer artworks free of charge, but with strings attached.
The contract includes a 5-year vesting period before ownership is automatically transferred to the new owner. During that time, the contract grants the artist the right to sell the work, borrow the work for exhibition, or under certain conditions request the return of the work. It also grants the borrower a right of first refusal and a prorated discount on the retail price, if another collector expresses interest in buying the work. After ownership is transferred, the contract grants the artist 50% of the sale price if the work is later sold, and a 10% royalty in perpetuity on subsequent resales. Originally developed for William by NYU Professor Amy Whitaker and artist Alfred Steiner, the contract is designed to allow artists to give their work away without letting go of its potential value.
Early funders who contributed $500 or more will receive earliest access to the works in the fair. For those with the means, supporting Zero Art Fair is a great way to help others discover art they want to live with. The fair will run for three days using the contract to transfer works at no charge.
If you're a patron looking to help provide funds to make the fair happen, please look at the ways you can contribute. If you're interested in helping us out on the ground before and during the fair, please fill out our participation survey to see how you could help! As the fair approaches we will be updating our FAQ section below. If you have any other questions, please email us zeroartfair@gmail.com.
OUR ADVISORY BOARD
Our advisory board includes people who have shared their expertise and experience to help us develop and produce the fair. The board continues to grow, and if you are interested in helping continue to help guide Zero Art Fair, please contact us.
Franklin Boyd, Attorney
Manon Slome, Co-Founder, No Longer Empty
Jessica Hargreaves, Co-Founder/Director, Mother-in-Law’s
Kianga Ellis, Kianga Ellis Projects
Micaela Martegani, Executive Director and Chief Curator, More Art
Magda Sawon, Founder/Director, Postmasters NYC
Alfred Steiner, Attorney and Artist
Adam Simon, Artist, founder Fine Art Adoption Network
Mark Tribe, Artist
Amy Whitaker, Professor, NYU
Edward Winkleman, Author and Private Dealer
Lauren Wittels, Partner, Luhring Augustine Gallery
We have a long history of creating socially engaged art and an equally long history of making more artwork than we sell.
Contact us at zeroartfair@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram @zeroartfairs
Press Inquires: katrina@bluemedium.com
Artists make a lot of work. Unfortunately, we don’t sell most of it.
The art market is built on a myth of scarcity and a highly choreographed limiting of supply. We know that contemporary art is far from scarce.
Since most people who love art can’t afford the high prices, a lot of art is left out of sight.
Through Zero Art fair, people can take possession of artwork without buying it,
becoming art collectors
in the process.
Our platform allows artists to give their work away
without giving up on future sales.
This is all enabled by our contract.
The contract allows artists to legally transfer ownership of an artwork after a vesting period of 5 years.
If an artwork transferred through Zero Art Fair is ever sold,
the artist receives 50% of the first sale price.
Our contract also grants artists 10% royalty rights
on all future resales of the work.
Zero Art Fair is not a substitute for the art market
It’s an experimental intervention into a system that doesn’t work for most artists or art lovers.
Everyone deserves to live with art.
It's that simple.