By Natalie White

The Affordable Art Fair which has run in Singapore for the last 7 years, offers a newly-popular art shopping format in which art collectors and new buyers can look to enter the market through less intimidating and accessible marketplaces.

The organizers are set to hold its Spring Edition for the third year at the F1 Pit Building from 22 to 24 April.

The more intimately-curated programme for this season features more than 40 new and returning galleries and over 300 local and foreign talented artists, with almost half of the participating galleries from Singapore and a quarter of the galleries exhibiting with the fair for the first time.

Says Fair Director Alan Koh, "As rents and overheads rise in the most expensive city in the world, art fairs such as Affordable Art Fair continue to offer a sustainable option for galleries to promote artists and their works to thousands of potential buyers in just one weekend."

"This is illustrated to us by the fact that more than 75 per cent of our galleries this Spring are returning galleries."

As part of its pledge to charitable giving, the Charity Feature Wall returns to showcase artworks by 40 selected new artists. Last year's wall garnered S$29,500 for a chosen charity.

This year's wall, titled 'Let Art Speak' with artwork priced at S$500 will see 50% of monies raised going the Woodbridge Hospital Charity Fund, and the remainder going back to the artists who created and have graciously donated their pieces.

An Art Education Programme open during public days will offer interactive workshops and art tours while the Children’s Art Studio, hosted by Little Artists Art Studio, will provide a range of free, fun-filled workshops designed for children aged four and up to harness their inner creativity. Parents can find the opportunity and freedom to browse the galleries whilst their children are occupied with hands-on activities to printmake, paint and draw with charcoal.

To kick off the weekend, an AAFter Glow Evening will take place on Friday night, 22 April from 6 to 10pm and will feature live art performances in a fun atmosphere with F&B partner Bistro 1855 Restaurant offering a range of delicious bites and wine that night and throughout the weekend.