Interview with Superfair Director Alex Mitow: The Superfair has been described as “the art fair for all of us.”

Superfair director Alex Mitow.

By NOAH BECKER April 17, 2025

The Superfair has been described as “the art fair for all of us.” What inspired you to create such an accessible, inclusive art experience—and how do you keep that spirit alive as the fair grows?

When I was in my mid-20s in New York, my partner and I would go to galleries for the typical Thursday opening scene. Nobody was facing the art, and nobody was there to talk about or sell it to us. Even if someone had been there, as young guys we were invisible. Even if/when we could afford a piece, it felt like a see and be seen world and not a friendly marketplace to buy and sell art. I grew to hate that experience. It was hard to separate the content from the feeling of being there, one of exclusion, and one I didn't like.

I think artists are way more savvy than people give them credit for. Artists are creatives but they also deserve to be compensated for their work, to meet people who love their work enough to pay for it, and to have access to the least amount of barriers to doing so. People as a whole love art more than they're given credit for. Everyone goes to museums, puts things on their walls, but the entire art institution is built to create some kind of false barriers that inflate prices and keep a silly system afloat. I grew to hate all of that.

We built our fair as a way for those two underestimated groups - folks who love art and could afford a piece, and would prefer talking to an artist directly; and artists who take their careers as seriously as you would any other business, while also making really boundary-pushing, highly personal art - to meet in one room.

We relaxed all of the norms around art buying environments, streamlined the process, and made it a hell of a lot easier to either exhibit or buy art. The spirit grows with each show: as we grow our artist community grows, people who were 20 when we started are now 30 and have some change in their pockets to start collecting. In every city, our packing station (free to artists and buyers) is always busy. The sound of the packing tape ripping off the roll is music to my ears.
 

Artist Traci Johnson at Superfair.
 

With over 150 artists in the 2025 cohort, how do you and your team approach curating such a diverse and international lineup while maintaining a cohesive, exciting experience for visitors?

A lot of that is down to Sharone Halevy, a multi-fair exhibiting artist who came on last year as our in-house curator and fair manager. Sharone hosts one on one meetings with all of the artists to go over their plans and make sure that they're maximizing their space. Sharone also collaborates with Andrea Caldarise, another artist who's now on the team in charge of partnerships and visitor engagement, to curate really excellent installation spaces. In New York we've got installations by fiber artist Traci Johnson, a generative, interactive work by Miami artist Karelle Levy, and a project curated by Arts Gowanus.

We keep the focus on art of course, but we've also got locally sourced F&B on tap, with natural wines curated by Orange Glou (an LES boutique specializing in orange wines), suds by Bronx Brewery, a special off-site discount + secret menu for fair attendees at the Kings County Distillery (located at the entrance to the fair, where your Uber drops you off - shout out to Andrea for setting that up!), and coffee + bites by Elm Roastery out of Queens and healthy bowls by Sobol.

We've really upped the ante on F&B partners, and a lot of that is due to Carolina Ulloa on our team, who's been diligent about sussing out the best options, starting those conversations, and securing top tier F&B. My dream (that's coming true) is that you can spend an entire afternoon or evening at Superfair without having to leave, and be totally engaged the whole time. Check out some artists, drink a cool natural wine, buy some art, have a bite to eat. Then pop over to Kings County for a nip on your way out. That's what it's all about.
 

Supeerfair vibes.
 

You’ve launched Superfairs in six cities already. What’s unique about the NYC edition at the Duggal Greenhouse, and how does the venue shape the overall vibe of the event?

We've actually been in 9! Our current fair cities are Houston, Austin, New York, DC, and San Francisco. New York is our oldest market, DC is our second, and SF is our third (but has grown to be a primary market for us.) Austin and Houston are new and we're excited for them. We've done fairs in Miami, Savannah, Los Angeles, and Seattle too. Those are on hiatus for the 25/26 season but we're also evaluating venues and possibilities.

Your question is really good, because what I've learned after a decade at the helm of this thing is that the venue really dictates success in a city. If you can't get your hands on a venue where the cool factor reflects the talent of the artists we showcase, and is fun for people to go to, the ship is sunk before it leaves port.

I'm fully locked in for all venues through EOY 2026 and I couldn't be more psyched. Duggal gives us 85' ceilings and a window the size of 3 semi trucks looking out at the Williamsburg Bridge. You can chill up in the mezzanine lounge and grab an espresso while watching the show floor. That's great for artist experience too. You can't shut artists who've paid good money and prepared for months up in a basement. We love these big, airy venues that you walk into and immediately exhale your stress, and start having fun with art immediately.

Duggal Greenhouse.
 

As a longtime art collector yourself, what advice do you have for first-time buyers navigating The Superfair for the first time?

Buy something. There's literally no way you're going to walk through this entire show and not see something you want to take home. Don't get sticker shock. If you like something, talk to the artist. Offer to split payments up over time.

Offer a lower price and tell them how much you love it. More than money (money is great) an artist wants their work to go to a home that appreciates it. Ask if they have a smaller, similar work that you can afford. Or just spring for it and eat a few less overpriced meals over the next 6 months. Broiled salmon and veggies at home tastes a lot better when you've got an original painting on the wall.
 

ArtxBe
 

The Superfair blurs the lines between community event, art market, and creative happening. How do you balance the business of art with the joy and playfulness of discovery?

For me, as a collector, they're one and the same. I believe in well-directed retail therapy. Not spending money on garbage, but really intentional purchasing of things that make you feel good and at the same time support another person or entity who's doing the good thing, the right thing. I love museums and I love public spaces curated with art, but what I really love is going to a space where I can meet and interact with real artists, and have a chance to actually bring part of that magic home with me.

I'm a nut for it. I dive deep. When I go to art week in Mexico City, I dig through the fairs and gallery shows to find the artists I really love, then I go to their studios. This year I ended up in an artist's studio that was literally in a working high school. Like Monday through Friday, it's a high school. And some of the classrooms have been converted to artists' studios.

I've been to a lot of former schools/former hospitals/former warehouses that are now art spaces, but never one that was doing double duty. That was wild. So as a collector, diving into that well of curiosity is what you have to gain by going to The Superfair. Buy the ticket, take the ride. I think that's Hunter Thompson.
 

Superfair director Alex Mitow in action.
 

Can you share a moment or artist story from a past Superfair that really encapsulates the kind of magic you’re aiming to create with the event?

I'll give you two. A few years ago we had an artist called Rick Secen in our fair. Rick makes these really great oil paintings, often of NYC or other city scenes. They're dreamy canvases, really perfect for the city. He did our fair for the first time, I think fall 2022.

A few months later I'm crossing a street and a guy stops me, it's Rick. He's like "I just want to thank you for Superfine (our name then), I sold more paintings that weekend than the previous few months (I can't remember the exact amount of time, but the gist was he had a great show.)" Fast forward three years and Rick is now on our team, handling communications with artists.

Another one was my friend Raf who helped us out with audio visual set up in 2017, at our first NYC show. He came in just to do a job and support, and he and his wife ended up buying a bunch of art and becoming collectors. Last I checked they were still filling their home with original art and design. I have seen people take that journey so, so many times during the ten years we've been doing this, and every time I see it it just reinforces this original vision we had for an accessible, curated fair.
 

The Interknit.
 

You’ve worn many creative hats—curator, writer, producer, entrepreneur. How have those experiences shaped your vision for The Superfair, and what’s next for its evolution?

I'm pumped for the future. I dived into film development, production, and distribution a few years ago and have been building up that side of my world, as The Superfair roars into 2025 with new cities, a new brand, and a team full of energy to make this the best fair it can be. I'm really grateful for all of the experiences I've had, in the restaurant business way back, curating independent art shows and weird, fun public events, then a decade innovating art fairs.

I don't think from an art world perspective but from a people perspective - what do people want, and how do we best give it to them. I think holistically not only about the experience of going to a Superfair, but the people we bring on to carry the torch for the next decade. WM