What is Printed Matter?
Founded by artists and artworkers in 1976, Printed Matter is the world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to the distribution, understanding and appreciation of artists’ books and related publications. Our two-story facility in Chelsea, New York, is home to our bookstore, exhibition space and administrative offices. We offer a unique venue for the public to engage with more than 15,000 artists’ books by artists and publishers from around the world. In addition to our NY and LA Art Book Fairs, we offer a wide array of free programs and services, including exhibitions and events; a publishing program; bibliographic services; consultation for museums and libraries; class visits and hands-on workshops; and a new Printed Matter Publisher Work Grant in partnership with Wagner Foundation that offers significant capacity-building funds to artist-publishers. Visit printedmatter.org to browse our catalogue and learn more about the many ways we serve artists, publishers, and the public.
Visit printedmatter.org to browse our catalogue and learn more about the many ways we serve artists, publishers, and the public.
What is the NY Art Book Fair?
Initiated in 2006, Printed Matter’s NY Art Book Fair (NYABF) is one of the leading international gatherings for the distribution of artists’ books, celebrating the full breadth of the art publishing community. A signature program of Printed Matter, this weekend-long event furthers the organization's mission of supporting the distribution, understanding, and appreciation of artists’ books by offering an opportunity for global artist-publishers to find new audiences for their work and engage in a dialogue with the public, as well as to build relationships and share resources with their peers.
The Fair hosts nearly 300 exhibitors from around the world, including a broad range of artists and collectives, small presses, institutions, galleries, antiquarian booksellers, and distributors. NYABF draws tens of thousands of visitors each year, including artists’ book professionals, high school and college students, and audiences from every corner of the cultural sector.
This year’s NY Art Book Fair marks an exciting and long-awaited return to MoMA PS1, our venue partner from 2009–2019, a pivotal decade in expanding the Fair’s reach and impact, establishing NYABF as a cornerstone for the distribution of artists’ books and the preeminent gathering point for celebrating the form.
Who is eligible to apply?
Printed Matter’s Fairs strive to showcase a range and scope of artists’ books and publishers. Breadth in both the publication format and how you publish (e.g. collective, institutional, DIY, small press), as well as international representation, scale, and identity, are taken into consideration during the application review process.
To be eligible to apply:
- You must publish, sell, and/or distribute art books or artists’ books.
- The majority of your books must be available for sale, although you may include some free items (i.e. digital works, zines, stickers, etc.).
- You must have a publishing practice, whether large or small in scope. We are looking for demonstrated dedication to bookmaking and an engaging catalog of published works. This Fair is generally not suitable for showcasing a single title or single book project.
How do I apply to the NY Art Book Fair?
Our application is on Submittable. There is no fee to apply. You must create a free account to submit. Please make sure your account is connected to an active email address. The application deadline is Monday, June 2, 2025 at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time.
What makes a good application?
Your application should include:
- A clear and concise description of your practice or project. Please tell us what kind of work you make, what communities you’re a part of (if relevant to your practice), what past fairs or exhibitions you’ve participated in, and what makes your publication practice unique or special.
We encourage applicants to emphasize new work and/or inventory, and share with us generous responses relating to their interest in participating. If you’re an exhibitor who has participated in many past Fairs, please be sure to share why you’d like to be a part of this one. While we cherish our long-time exhibitors, we also want to make sure we continue to offer new opportunities for artists’ book makers who may not have exhibited before. In reviewing applications a variety of factors are considered in order to expand representation with a focus on identity, geography, scale of publishing operations, and through the welcoming of first-time exhibitors.
- Strong images or videos of your publications. You can upload up to 8 files. This can include images of groupings of books, individual books, spreads, detail shots, and photos of past art book fair presentations. Recommended JPG file size: 72ppi and no more than 1000px on the long side. Recommended MP4 length: 3-5min.
- Creative ideas for presentation. Give us a sense of how your books will be displayed. If you are applying for an exhibitor table with an accompanying wall, share how you’d like to use the space. You can also share details or anecdotes from past experiences tabling at book fairs and how this may shape your presentation for NYABF 2025.
- Feature artists’ books, catalogs, monographs, periodicals, zines, or related printed material. Again, NYABF 2025 is book focused. You are welcome to include other related media such as limited art editions, prints, apparel, performance, original artwork, etc., but these should not be foregrounded in your presentation.
We encourage applicants to emphasize new work and/or inventory, and share with us generous responses relating to their interest in participating. If you’re an exhibitor who has participated in many past Fairs, please be sure to share why you’d like to be a part of this one. While we cherish our long-time exhibitors, we also want to make sure we continue to offer new opportunities for artists’ book makers who may not have exhibited before. In reviewing applications a variety of factors are considered in order to expand representation with a focus on identity, geography, scale of publishing operations, and through the welcoming of first-time exhibitors.