IFPDA Print Fair 2026: Sales, Attendance, Drawings Shift

The 2026 IFPDA Print Fair ended Sunday at the Park Avenue Armory with its strongest attendance to date, but the more revealing story was not simply the crowd size. It was the fair's quiet shift in identity, as the organization behind it continues to broaden its scope from prints alone to the wider field of works on paper.

More than 21,000 visitors came through the fair over four days, including about 5,000 on opening night, according to organizers. Ticket sales rose 20 percent from last year, a sign that the market for editions and works on paper still has momentum even as many dealers remain cautious about costs and margins.

That momentum was visible on the floor. After a membership vote last year, the group formally expanded to include drawings dealers and adopted the name International Fine Prints and Drawings Association. The change reflects a larger shift in collector and institutional behavior, even if the fair itself still feels rooted in the familiar rhythms of the prints market.

Some exhibitors embraced the broader mandate. Hauser & Wirth presented more than 30 prints and works priced from $5,000 to $250,000. Two Palms, the New York multiples printer, sold out an edition of 28 Cecily Brown etchings at $7,500 each and placed cast-paper works by Mickalene Thomas at $80,000 apiece. Elsewhere, dealers reported six-figure sales of works by David Hockney and Rashid Johnson at Galerie Maximillian, alongside steadier movement in lower-priced material.

That range helps explain why prints have remained one of the more resilient corners of the market. For younger buyers and collectors priced out of painting and sculpture, editions by blue-chip names can offer a more accessible entry point. The growth has often come through volume rather than trophy prices, with many works changing hands at levels that still feel attainable.

At the same time, the economics are getting harder. The latest UBS Art Market Report notes that rising costs have made fairs more difficult to sustain for dealers working at lower price points, especially in prints and photography, where thin margins depend on steady sales. Yet prints and multiples have also gained ground, accounting for roughly 12 percent of dealer sales by value, even as works on paper overall have slipped slightly.

The fair's programming underscored that broader ecosystem. More than 100 curators attended a newly launched summit, while artists including Julie Mehretu, Hank Willis Thomas, and Derrick Adams took part in events across the week. A benefit also honored Christophe Cherix, the Museum of Modern Art's director since September and its former chief curator of drawings and prints.

For IFPDA executive director Jenny Gibbs, that mix was intentional. She said collectors and institutions are increasingly moving fluidly between editions and unique works on paper, treating the category as a continuum rather than a set of rigid divisions. For now, the fair's record turnout suggests that the market is still strongest where accessibility, connoisseurship, and institutional interest overlap - even as its boundaries continue to widen.

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