Megan Galardi, director of Blah Blah Gallery, launched a new art fair called Elsewhere in Philadelphia, held at the YOWIE boutique hotel. The fair deliberately limits scale, with booth fees capped at $2,500 and artwork prices at $25,000, hosting 26 exhibitors from Philadelphia, London, Canada, and across the U.S. The event featured solo booths, two-artist displays, and group shows, including a special exhibition by Dr. Darla Migan titled “Found Her! Found Her!” that used unconventional spaces like hallways to explore Black feminist aesthetics.
Elsewhere matters because it challenges the dominance of large, expensive art fairs by offering an intimate, curator-led model that prioritizes experimentation and accessibility. Galardi, inspired by small fairs like Arrival Art Fair and Neighbors, positions Philadelphia as a crucible for artistic possibility rather than a rival to New York. The fair’s low-cost structure allows galleries to take risks, making contemporary art more approachable for visitors and fostering a sense of community and discovery.