What began in 1994 with just 14 galleries at the Pasadena Convention Center has blossomed into one of the West Coast's premier art fairs, attracting international creators and collectors alike. As the LA Art Show celebrates its 30th anniversary, its sister fair Art Palm Beach returns for its third year.
Beyond bridging the scenes of the opposite coasts, the annual events, both run by the Palm Beach Show Group, are bringing the international arts stateside, with nearly half of the 80 participating galleries in Palm Beach hailing from across the globe. “We’re thrilled to welcome galleries from so many different countries, bringing a truly diverse and exciting range of art and culture to Palm Beach," says Director Kassandra Voyagis, who is also heading up the LA Art Show, in a statement.
In LA, the fair is also promising its most diverse lineup yet, with over 100 participating galleries, museums, and nonprofits from Turkey, Spain, South Korea, and more. Over its three decades, as it has grown in size and scope, the LA Art Show has also stayed committed to its original diversity goal of offering art across price points and mediums, opening the doors to collectors of differing means and backgrounds. This year, those participating include Snisarenko Gallery from Ukraine, whose "She, Unbroken" highights the resilience of women artists who have lived through the war. From Switzerland, Licht Feld is showing a sculpture by Arch Hades, a multidisciplinary artist and 2021's highest-paid living poet in the world. The work draws from the line of poetry, "poems are like gravestones, marking where love lies."
The LA Art Show's non-commercial programming, DIVERSEartLA showcases eight installations that serve as a retrospective on the program itself. DIVERSEartLA emerged as a platform to elevate underrepresented voices in the art world, and the upcoming edition stresses the need for ongoing efforts. Notable exhibitions include Carlos Martiel’s Cauce/Riverbed, a performance art piece exploring immigration in America, and a monumental pride flag created by Leo Chiachio and Daniel Giannone in collaboration with 3,000 Angelenos, presented by MOLAA.
"[We] are very proud of the pioneering role we have played in the city’s emergence as a global epicenter of art and culture,” says Voyagis of the fair. “Diversity is our strength, and LA Art Show 2025 will transcend borders, showcasing the best in contemporary and modern art from around the world while also reflecting the vibrant and multi-cultural fabric of Los Angeles”
On the East Coast, Art Palm Beach's DIVERSEartPB begins at the front entrance, where visitors will encounter Viktor Frešo’s 30-foot bear sculpture, presented by Slovakia’s Danubiana Museum. The creature, itself a symbol of resistance, stands as a towering commentary on institutional power and shifting cultural tides. DIVERSEartPB will also feature collaborations with renowned institutions like the Boca Raton Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas, Culture Nomad Seoul, and ReflectSpace Glendale.
This year's theme is “Art Has the Power to Change the World,” and curator Marisa Caichiolo, also handling DIVERSEartLA, commented that the programming, "which feels particularly important right now, honors the creative contributions of our partners while emphasizing the vibrant evolution of DIVERSE as a vital presence in the art community." Elsewhere at the fair, works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró will be shown alongside pieces from Damien Hirst and Alex Katz, as well as the world premiere of South African artist Mark Eisen’s final series of stainless-steel sculptures, brought to Palm Beach by New York’s Modern Fine Art.
Art Palm Beach will take place from Jan. 22-26 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, while the LA Art Show is set to commemorate its milestone anniversary at the Los Angeles Convention Center from Feb. 19-23. In LA, two important partnerships are returning for another year: Athletes for Life™ will infuse their youth empowerment programs with a trip through the arts, while the American Heart Association will receive 15 percent of proceeds from ticket sales for their Life is Why™ campaign.
