Internationally, art fairs are becoming one of the highlights of the serious art collector's year. Audiences see them as a supercharged environment for sampling the latest and dealers love the business they do. Indeed, some say about 25 percent of their sales happen at their stalls at the fairs. But we're not talking amateur art here. At the third Auckland Art fair to be held at the Viaduct in May 2009, the 40 exhibiting dealers are the real heavy hitters of the scene, from both sides of the Tasman.
The Auckland Art Fair grows in stature each year. The record number of premier Australian galleries exhibiting, and the expected large number of Australian collectors attending, in 2009 is testimony to the interest in our artists Australian collectors have.

New Art Now serves as the catalogue for the fair (which always kicks off with a glamorous opening-night vernissage featuring a keynote speaker) and is also a fantastic way to be informed on trends, issues and themes in contemporary art on both sides of the Tasman. The six essays (three by leading new Zealand art writers and curators, three by Australians) especially commissioned for the book offer a sparkling, lively and expert survey of the scene.