The Royal Watercolour Society Gallery will host the new Little London Art Fair.
Little London Art Fair (LLAF) runs from May 15-19 at the Royal Watercolour Society Gallery in Whitcombe Street between the Mall and Trafalgar Square.
Organised by dealers Mark and Mel Ponting of Blondes Fine Art, it hosts nine participants specialising in 20th century and Contemporary art. Rather than the traditional stand set-up, each exhibitor is allocated a wall across two floors of the venue giving the event a “more domestic feel” according to the organisers.
For many of the exhibitors it offers a chance to exhibit in London and fills a gap left by Connect Art Fair, which is not due to take place in its March slot.
“Realistic price”
Mark Ponting said he wanted to stand at a fair in the capital for a realistic price and is enthusiastic about the venue. He told ATG: “It’s a really nice space, not too big. Some of the big art fairs today are just too corporate.”
The model keeps costs low, he added, with each dealer paying £1500 to take part and, thanks to the set-up at the gallery, no need for stand fitting or lighting costs.
Ponting cites the Eye of the Collector fair (held this year at the Garrison Chapel at Chelsea Barracks from June 26-29), which is also organised without stands at architecturally interesting places, as being similar in spirit to the new event.
Though there are no firm plans yet, he adds that he would be willing to run the fair again in future years. At the moment, “getting it off the ground is a full-time job but everybody is helping out where the exhibitors have expertise”.
As well as Blondes Fine Art, exhibitors are Neil Schofield, Quat Fine Art, Middlemarch Fine Art, Panter and Hall Decorative, White Space Art, Thomas Spencer Fine Art, Kynance Fine Art and Oriel Fine Art.
Blake’s heaven
The fair is working with the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, which will be offering some of the artist’s works at the fair.
The charitable organisation is due to open a national centre for illustration in Islington in late 2025, showcasing illustration from around the world and an archive of more than 40,000 works by Blake.
