Domingo Client Spotlight: Friends, Firsts, and a Big Week at Affordable Art Fair NYC
Affordable Art Fair NYC - March 18-22 2026
There are some projects that feel less like work and more like watching your worlds collide in the best possible way.
This week, Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2026returns to the Starrett-Lehigh Building from March 18-22, bringing together 90 galleries from New York, across the U.S., and around the world. For me at Domingo, the fair is always a highlight but this year feels a little more personal. Three of our clients are part of the story this edition - Affordable Art Fair itself, alongside two galleries we’re lucky to work closely with, Brandt Gallery and Warnes Contemporary.
They come from very different corners of the art world, an international fair platform, a Columbus gallery helping shape the cultural energy of its city, and a Brooklyn space with roots that stretch back to the English countryside. But what connects them is something simple that reflects Domingo’s values too - a real belief in artists and the communities that form around their work.
So ahead of the fair, we asked Michelle Brandt, Victoria J. Fry, and Erin Schuppert a few questions about their work, their artists, and what it means to show at Affordable Art Fair right now.
Michelle Brandt, Mark Hatcher, and Charles Hillman
For Michelle Brandt, founder of Brandt Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, this marks the gallery’s first time participating in Affordable Art Fair NYC.
If you know Michelle, you know she doesn’t do anything halfway. Over the past few years she has moved the gallery into a new space, launched the project platform Pecha Projects, and built one of the most respected gallery programs in Columbus while simultaneously helping shape the cultural landscape of the city itself.
She’s worked closely with city leaders, museums, and developers on major initiatives across the city including helping bring Current, the massive sculpture by Janet Echelman, to the Columbus Arts District. This spring she was also named an Inspiring Woman by Columbus Monthly / CEO Magazine.
In other words, when Michelle says she’s ready for New York, we believe her. Here’s a little interview we did for more insights into her plans for next week and the future of Brandt.
This is Brandt Gallery’s first time participating in Affordable Art Fair NYC. What made this the right moment to step into the fair?
We've had a lot of changes to our business in recent years, namely moving our physical location to a new space and launching a new project space, Pecha Projects. We've also seen the art consulting arm of our business grow exponentially, so we felt now was the right time to additionally grow our audience. We did our homework on AAF and felt it was an outstanding opportunity to feature several Brandt Gallery artists including Andrea Myers, Jason Morgan, Jane Carney and Dana Lynn Harper.
For those discovering Brandt Gallery for the first time at the fair, what should they know about the artists you represent and the kind of work you stand behind?
We are committed to contemporary artists who are pushing the boundaries of their chosen medium including painting and collage, hand-dyed paper and upcycled textiles, and sculptural objects. When discovering the artists we've chosen for AAF, I think one will find the work compelling not only in medium, but also in color, vibrancy, and craftsmanship. Furthermore, each selected piece will garner further investigation of subject matter and artistic process.
As a female founder navigating national growth, what does showing at Affordable Art Fair NYC signal about where Brandt Gallery is headed next?
We are confident our artists' works will have appeal outside of the Midwest. We feel our relationship with our artists is a partnership in which we work alongside them to identify the right opportunities for commercial growth and overall upward career mobility. Committing to this kind of partnership requires us to navigate national growth. We are excited to challenge what the NYC market might have in mind when considering the arts in the Midwest.
Victoria J. Fry
Founded by artist and gallerist Victoria J. Fry, Warnes Contemporary focuses on emerging and mid-career artists while creating a space that feels deeply rooted in community.
Over the past year, the gallery has been part of the Affordable Art Fair NYC fellowship program, a relationship that has brought new collectors, conversations, and momentum to the gallery’s programming.
This edition marks the culmination of Warnes Contemporary’s fellowship with Affordable Art Fair NYC. What has this program meant to you and your gallery’s growth over the past year?
That’s been an absolute joy to be part of the fellowship program at Affordable Art Fair NYC. When I applied with my gallery, Warnes Contemporary, I knew it would be an incredibly meaningful opportunity for us. I'm so grateful to Erin and the team for selecting us. The fellowship has allowed us to increase visibility not only for the gallery but also for the artists we represent. Over the past two editions, we’ve been able to significantly expand our collector base and cultivate many meaningful relationships. Last year was one of the biggest years of growth for our gallery, and participating in the fair played a major role in that.
How has the fair helped inform your plans for what’s coming next at Warnes Contemporary?
Having the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with collectors at the fair has inspired us to expand our programming at the gallery. Since we began participating in the fair, we’ve introduced more programming around our exhibitions, including workshops, curator walkthroughs, and most recently our first fundraiser in support of The Brave House in New York City. The experience of meeting so many new people through the fair really reinforced the importance of creating in-person opportunities for our community to gather and connect at our gallery space in Brooklyn.
How has your vision for Warnes Contemporary evolved since joining the fellowship, and how does this presentation reflect that evolution?
Since joining the fellowship, our vision has continued to expand, particularly in terms of the artists we work with and the audiences we’re reaching. The fair has helped us better understand what resonates with collectors today while still staying true to our commitment to supporting emerging and mid-career artists. We’ve continued to discover and work with new talent, and this presentation reflects that evolution by showcasing artists whose work feels both fresh and aligned with the gallery’s broader vision.
Warnes Contemporary
Victoria’s sensitivity to place, to artists, to the stories behind the work is exactly what makes fairs like Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2026 feel different. Yes, it’s a place where collectors discover new artists and galleries expand their reach. But it’s also where conversations start between artists and audiences, gallerists and collectors, people who’ve been in the art world for decades and those just beginning to step into it.
To talk a little more about this year’s edition, we also asked Erin Schuppert, Director of Affordable Art Fair New York City, what she’s most excited to see on the fair floor. From specific works she’s looking forward to seeing visitors respond to, to how galleries like Brandt Gallery and Warnes Contemporary are growing through the fair, she shared a few highlights ahead of opening.
Are there one or two specific works from these presentations that you’re especially looking forward to seeing collectors respond to - and what stood out to you about them?
In Brandt Gallery’s stand, I am really excited to see the work of Jason Morgan in person because I think his hyperrealistic style will draw visitors in and his playful subjects will delight them. The painting The Tango Lesson, featuring a dinosaur and a gourd on what appears to be a sort of twinkling stage is humorous, but really beautiful.
Jason Morgan, The Tango Lesson, 2025, Acrylic On Canvas, 18x24, $3,500
When I visit Warnes Contemporary’s stand this edition, I am looking forward to seeing visitors react to Jalena Hay’s work. Her works are not pre-planned and her process is all about using color and line in the present moment to explore memory and sensation. When you are in front of her work, it resonates on an emotional level, even if you aren’t quite sure how to define what you are seeing.
Brandt Gallery is participating in the fair for the first time this edition. What are you most excited for them to experience as they introduce their artists to the Affordable Art Fair NYC audience?
I may be a little biased (ok a lot!), but I think our audience is the best in the world because they are so engaged, curious, and full of joy! New Yorkers love a good conversation about arts and culture, they love learning new things, but they also know what they like and are confident in their tastes. For a first-time exhibitor like Brandt Gallery, this is an opportunity to make tons of new, authentic connections with both very experienced art collectors and visitors who are new to the art world.
Warnes Contemporary has been part of the fair’s fellowship program over the past editions. From your perspective, how have you seen the gallery grow during that time?
Having Warnes Contemporary in the Fellowship Program has been such a joy! I have seen so much growth from the curatorial approach to the sales strategy on the fair floor to the actual results. Their art sales increased by an impressive 77% in their second edition compared to their first.
From my perspective, one learning was curating the stand for the Affordable Art Fair specifically vs like they would in the gallery. They did this beautifully last edition by mixing up scale and price points and presenting fours artists instead of two. This is what the Program is for - a chance to try strategies and learn over the course of three editions without the huge financial risk. Warnes Contemporary is a perfect example of a gallery who has taken full advantage of the opportunity!
A huge thank you to Erin, Michelle, and Victoria for sharing their perspectives on this edition of Affordable Art Fair New York City.
For me at Domingo, supporting the fair itself while also cheering on friends and clients like Brandt Gallery and Warnes Contemporary is a reminder of why we love working in this world - the artists, the galleries, the conversations, and the communities that form around them.
If you’re in New York, stop by the Starrett-Lehigh Building and experience it for yourself. I’ll be there and would love to say hello. DM for VIP passes x