'The challenges the city is currently facing only strengthen our commitment to work alongside the community to rebuild and recover together,' a spokesperson said.
Frieze said today that the Los Angeles edition of its fair at the Santa Monica Airport will move forward as originally scheduled, running from February 20 to February 23. The news comes after L.A. has endured devastating wildfires for almost two weeks that have decimated whole neighborhoods and killed at least 25.
"The challenges the city is currently facing only strengthen our commitment to work alongside the community to rebuild and recover together," a statement from a Frieze spokesperson read. "We want to thank everyone for their patience as we took the time to consult widely and ensure we could responsibly deliver the event in a way that genuinely supports the local economy and the arts community."
Frieze's decision comes following heated debate among dealers about whether the February fairs in L.A. should proceed as planned. Yesterday, the Felix Art Fair, Frieze's main satellite, officially announced that it would go ahead in an Instagram post. A compact new fair, Santa Monica Post Office, said in an online town hall organized by the Gallery Association Los Angeles this week that it was moving forward. And so all three fairs are set with their original dates.
Though the decision to proceed has been questioned by some, many prominent Angelenos have provided statements in support of Frieze's decision to move forward.
Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, said, "Art is the lifeblood of Los Angeles's extraordinary creativity, and also of its resilience. We welcome Frieze as part of that resilience."
Lana Negrete, the mayor of the city of Santa Monica, said, "We know of Santa Monica artists and business owners who have lost their homes and that artists and businesses across the city are impacted. Art has the power to heal, and our community is open, strong and ready to welcome Frieze Los Angeles artists, galleries and attendees with open arms."
A total of 101 exhibitors are scheduled to appear under Frieze's tent at the Santa Monica Airport, which is about 12 miles south from the Palisades fire. The statement issued by Frieze said that the company is contributing to the L.A. Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, and that "together with our participants and partners, we are developing initiatives to aid recovery efforts and will share more details soon."
The fair, now in its sixth edition, launched in 2019 and has become known as a magnet for celebrity collectors and key curators from key California museums. Last year, "fast and furious" sales were reported, including a $415,000 painting by Firelei Báez, a six-figure Cristina BanBan painting, and two paintings by Mark Bradford for $175,000.