Sunday, April 29, 2007

IT'S HARD, TRYING TO RUN a commercial gallery in Washington. Try to get the attention of art lovers and you're competing with the city's great museums, which are better places to see art than any gallery could ever be. Try to get the money of art collectors and you're competing with New York, where there's more art to see. In an attempt to remedy the situation, many local galleries, as well as some from farther off, are participating in this weekend's ArtDC. It's a commercial fair meant to inject New York-style fun and energy -- and trade -- into the local scene. You have to hope it does the job for our long-suffering dealers' bottom lines. And some collectors may enjoy the one-stop shopping it offers -- fairs give the chance to see more art, faster. But, as with every such event, ArtDC's temporary booths and mercantile buzz can't do the art itself any favors. The fair continues through tomorrow in Hall E of the Washington Convention Center.

-- Blake Gopnik

Open today 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and tomorrow 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $12; $5 for students and seniors; free for children under 12. Call 866-727-7953 or visithttp://www.dc-artfair.com.