The Esther art fair, founded by Estonian dealers Olga Temnikova and Margot Samel, is holding its second edition at the Beaux-Arts Estonian House in Manhattan through May 10. The boutique fair features 25 galleries from the US, Europe, and Asia, including James Fuentes, Sargent’s Daughters, Pangée Gallery, Kogo Gallery, Ivan Gallery, Sophie Tappeiner, and Bank. New additions include on-site fashion designers Julia Heuer and Laivi creating custom t-shirts. Participation fees have risen from $1,500 to $2,500, allowing the founders to hire staff, but the fair remains vulnerable to global shifts such as US trade policies and immigration crackdowns that affect art shipping and artist travel.
Esther matters because it represents a growing model of small-scale, curatorially driven art fairs that offer affordable entry points for international galleries amid an increasingly expensive and uncertain art market. The fair’s focus on Estonian identity and its founders’ dual roles as gallerists in Tallinn and New York highlight how regional art scenes can gain visibility in a global context. The concerns raised about US trade wars and artist mobility reflect broader anxieties affecting the art world, making Esther a microcosm of current geopolitical pressures on cultural exchange.