For the first time since 2019, the LA Art Book Fair is returning to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Little Tokyo. The fair features publications and zines from over 300 vendors and is run by New York-based nonprofit and art bookstore Printed Matter.
The event centers handcrafted goods from independent and small publications, says Lindsay Preston Zappas, founder and editor in chief of Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles and author of KCRW’s Art Insider newsletter.
Typically, the fair draws in 5,000-8,000 visitors per day and includes a robust schedule of programming — so Zappas suggests wearing comfortable shoes, bringing plenty of water, and registering for the fair in advance online. She says that attending the fair is a good way to support publications that contextualize individual artists and their art.
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“It's a niche side of the art world, but it's definitely a huge part of the ecosystem, and something that's really integrated into the larger kind of gallery and exhibition world,” Zappas says.
The LA Art Book Fair kicks off Thursday night and runs through Sunday, August 13. You can reserve your tickets and find out more about the Art Book Fair here.