Art for all,

The art market has experienced a great growth in numbers of art fairs during the last two decades. Consequently the market segmented into niche fairs that respond to the more specific demand of the public. The Affordable Art Fair (AAF) has been the answer to the exclusion of the lower end of the market, providing art for an ‘affordable’ price in a non-exclusive atmosphere. The lower end of the art market and art fairs are subjects, which are not yet fully explored and understood, especially not in combination with each other. This thesis serves to fill that gap in the literature and questions what determinants have contributed to the success of the AAF. The research focuses on the satisfaction of both the visitors as well as the attending galleries with the AAF in Maastricht; by measuring the intention to return and the intention to recommend the event. In total 359 visitors and 24 galleries have collaborated in the research. Expected was that the lower prices would result in higher sales in comparison with other fairs. Yet it was found that the number of sales for the galleries was disappointing and a large number of visitors still consider the prices for the art pieces too high. Nevertheless, the overall satisfaction of both parties is positive and the success can above all be subscribed to the non-exclusive atmosphere.