For the first time in several years, the Armory Show and the ADAA Art Show will not open in the same week. The Armory Show has pushed back its dates, opening to VIPS on 7 March. NADA and Independent have followed suit (they open 8 March), but the ADAA Art Show has been unable to change its slot and will open to invited guests a week earlier on 27 February.
The Armory Show informed the ADAA of its scheduling decision around four months ago, but the latter had already rented its space in the Park Avenue Armory, according to ArtNews.
Adam Sheffer, the president of the ADAA, told the media outlet: “After the ADAA and our partners at Henry Street Settlement confirmed the dates for the rental of the Park Avenue Armory for the 2018 fair, the Armory Show informed us that their leadership had decided to push the fair back a week for the first time in many years.” The ADAA has been held in the bridge week between February and March for more than 20 years.
However, Benjamin Genocchio, the director of the Armory Show, said that representatives from all the fairs had discussed by email in March the possibility of rejigging the calendar. According to emails obtained by ArtNews, Genocchio informed the ADAA of the date change on February 24, but a subsequent email from the ADAA’s executive director, Linda Blumberg, led to confusion over whether the ADAA would actually move its dates to coincide.
The Armory Show has traditionally opened the day after the ADAA’s preview, although there have been exceptions over the years.