The LA Art Show (www.laartshow.com), LA’s largest and longest-running fair, returns for its 31st edition with more than 90 exhibitors from around the world, led by director and producer Kassandra Voyagis. This year’s fair features international highlights including Ireland’s first participant, Dublin’s Oliver Sears Gallery and Palm Beach’s Provident Fine Art with a solo presentation of Sylvester Stallone’s abstract works. Highlighting the dynamic intersection of music and contemporary art, this year’s fair will feature works by two notable British musicians: Paul Simonon of The Clash and Chris Rivers of Heaven’s Basement.

The fair will debut its new Latin American Pavilion, curated by Marisa Caichiolo-who was recently selected to co-curate Chile’s pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Centered on themes of memory, migration and identity, the pavilion explores representation, provenance and the evolving trajectory of Latin American art. “At a moment when immigration issues continue to disproportionately impact Latin American communities, it is especially important to provide a platform for these artists,” says Caichiolo.

The fair’s signature non-commercial platform, DIVERSEartLA, curated by Marisa Caichiolo, returns with “The Biennials, Art Institutions and Museums in the Contemporary Art Ecosystem,” exploring how contemporary art evolves through global biennials and museums, and how the two complement and challenge one another. The platform highlights their shared role as engines of artistic innovation, public engagement, and cultural dialogue.

LA Art Show takes place January 7 – 11 at LA Convention Center (1201 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, 90015) and tickets start at $40 with the American Heart Association serving as the charity beneficiary, receiving 15% of proceeds from every ticket sold for their Life is Why ™ campaign.  

We sat down with Kassandra Voyagis who is the Producer and Director of the LA Art Show, and asked some questions about the Fair and art in general:

Art in LA? Does LA have its own idiosyncrasies? What are the distinctions from New York, Paris or Miami? 

Yes, I really notice that the scene in Los Angeles is interdisciplinary, experimental, and shaped by film, music, design, and technology, with an emphasis on collaboration and process.

The city’s scale allows for ambitious, risk-taking work that’s harder to sustain elsewhere while being rooted in diversity, global influences, and storytelling, LA’s art world is less about a single aesthetic and more about the many voices that reflect the dynamic and diverse host community.

LA is an important global arts destination and – as the City’s largest and longest-running fair – we are proud of the pioneering role with played in that. Artists and galleries from all over the world now understand the importance of showing in LA. For example, attending for the first time, Art of Contemporary Africa is presenting works from Dr Esther Mahlangu who is a globally acclaimed visual artist and much-loved cultural ambassador of the Ndebele nation. She was born in 1935 and has made a valuable contribution to contemporary art over 8 decades. This year’s fair will also see the first gallery from Dublin along with a growing presence from the U.K. and South Korea, amongst other countries.

Switzerland’s LICHT FELD Gallery will present the first public showing in more than 40 years of Karl A. Meyer’s woodcut prints, created during his transformative 1980s period on New York’s Crosby Street among the era’s most influential artists – work that fills a notable gap in the art history of that time. Corridor Contemporary will showcase internationally renowned Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri, celebrated for his large-scale, cinematic portraits of young women set against lush, evocative landscapes.

“The (art) scene in Los Angeles is interdisciplinary, experimental, and shaped by film, music, design, and technology, with an emphasis on collaboration and process.”

Has AI had any influence or involvement with the art movement? Or technology in general.

Yes, technology, including AI, is increasingly present at the LA Art Show, reflecting Los Angeles’ position at the intersection of art, innovation, and entertainment. Several exhibitors and DIVERSEartLA projects incorporate digital tools, data, mixed reality, and AI-driven processes, using technology not as a novelty but as a creative medium to explore perception, identity, and environment.

From immersive and mixed-reality installations to works that use biometric data, image processing, and algorithmic systems, the fair highlights how artists are engaging with emerging technologies to expand storytelling and audience interaction. This approach aligns with LA’s broader creative ecosystem, where art, film, tech, and design naturally intersect.

The LA Art Show was among the early major international art fairs to meaningfully feature NFTs and blockchain-based art during COVID when artists and galleries were not able to travel. This early inclusion reflected our willingness to engage with emerging technologies and evolving art forms, positioning digital and NFT-based works alongside traditional media and reinforcing the fair’s role as a forward-looking platform responsive to shifts in how art is created, collected, and experienced.

Also, one year we did an entire focus on AI for our educational platform, DIVERSEartLA, so it’s a subject we’ve long been showcasing.

 How do subcultures—film, fashion, music, street culture—show up in the LA Art Fair, if at all?

They show up organically as Los Angeles is a city where subcultures constantly overlap, and that cross-pollination is reflected throughout the LA Art Show. Film, fashion, music, and street culture aren’t treated as side influences..they’re embedded in how artists work and how galleries present.

You see it in artists who move between music and visual art, in cinematic approaches to painting and photography, in fashion-driven aesthetics, and in street culture’s influence on materials, scale, and attitude.

The fair also embraces immersive installations, mixed media, and large-scale work, especially through our non-commercial platform, DIVERSEartLA, that mirror how culture is consumed in LA, visually, spatially, and collaboratively. Rather than fitting neatly into categories, these subcultural influences coexist, making the LA Art Show feel less siloed and more reflective of contemporary life in the city.

 What is the state of the art world and the art world in the Southland?

Los Angeles and its surrounding cities are home to a broad range of visual practices, from experimental media and conceptual work to painting, sculpture, performance, and public art. The scene reflects the region’s cultural diversity, with strong voices from Latinx, Black, Asian Pacific Islander, Indigenous, and immigrant communities shaping artistic dialogue in meaningful ways.

LA Art Show plays a key role in shaping and supporting both the global art conversation and the cultural life of the Southland by acting as a connective hub, bringing together artists, galleries, institutions, collectors, and the public in one of the world’s most culturally influential cities.

At a local level, the fair provides broad access to international art without requiring Angelenos to travel. It introduces Southern California audiences to global voices while also elevating LA-based artists, galleries, and collectors within an international context. This accessibility helps cultivate new collectors, supports emerging artists, and strengthens LA’s creative economy.

On a broader scale, the LA Art Show reflects and advances the evolution of contemporary art. Through our non-commercial platform, DIVERSEartLA, the fair goes beyond the marketplace to create space for education, critical dialogue, and experimentation, which is still rare among major art fairs. This year also marks the debut of the Latin American Pavilion, curated by Marisa Caichiolo, a significant milestone for the fair. The pavilion advances the LA Art Show’s global mission by showcasing emerging voices from across the American continent and deepening the fair’s international scope.
Finally, the fair’s commitment to nonprofit partnerships and community engagement, which is seen through our support and donations to the American Heart Association, underscores our role as a cultural citizen. Together, these elements make the LA Art Show not just a marketplace, but a platform that nurtures dialogue, inclusivity, and long-term growth within the Southland’s art ecosystem and the global art world alike.

What qualities make one artist more distinct than another? Do stars emerge from the show?

Distinct artists tend to have a recognizable point of view that feels authentic rather than derivative. This is often paired with strong craftsmanship, intellectual rigor, and the ability to communicate ideas that resonate beyond the studio. Equally important is an artist’s willingness to take risks and evolve, while maintaining a coherent voice over time. Context also matters: artists who engage meaningfully with cultural, social, or technological shifts often feel especially relevant and memorable.

Yes, stars emerge from the LA Art Show with one example that comes to mind is popular local artist, Robert Vargas, who was involved from the early days of the fair as an unknown artist who has since become famed for his distinctive and large-scale murals, which have helped energize the city’s public art scene.

The fair has long been a launchpad and amplifier rather than a hype machine. Many artists gain critical visibility and collector interest  through the show, sometimes marking a turning point in their careers.

I like to think of LA Art Show contributing to career momentum rather than instant celebrity. It creates conditions where artists can be discovered, contextualized, and supported within a broader ecosystem that values substance, diversity of voices, and staying power over flash.

Also, LA Art Show attracts many starts stars with one from this year’s iteration being Sylvester Stallone whose abstract art work will be featured in a solo presentation at Provident Fine Arts booth, making their LA Art Show debut from Palm Beach.

Kassandra Voyagis serves as the Producer and Director of the LA Art Show, which is recognized as the longest-running and most extensive contemporary art fair on the West Coast. With over 16 years of experience within the organization, she moved from the position of Executive Director to her current leadership role in 2021.