Felix Art Fair Opens in LA
The Felix Art Fair opened in Los Angeles today, providing a platform for contemporary artists and galleries to showcase their work. The event offers attendees a chance to explore a diverse range of modern artistic styles.
The fair was co-founded in 2018 by collector and former TV executive Dean Valentine along with brothers Al and Mills Morán of the local Morán Morán gallery. Their stated goal was to move away from the impersonal, convention-center model and "make art fairs fun again." Felix's format is a throwback to the more intimate hotel-based art fairs of the 1990s, particularly the Gramercy International Art Fair once held at the Chateau Marmont. Instead of booths, galleries exhibit works inside the hotel's rooms, suites, and poolside cabanas, creating a unique viewing experience. The venue is the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, a Los Angeles landmark that hosted the first-ever Academy Awards. The hotel's storied atmosphere and poolside culture are considered integral to the fair's identity, which aims to be social and prioritize conversation. The name "Felix" is a nod to three sources: the classic cartoon character Felix the Cat, the influential French art critic Félix Fénéon, and the Latin word for "happy." Now in its eighth edition, the 2026 fair emphasizes "discovery," featuring over 20 first-time exhibitors. It also includes more than 20 returning galleries from around the world, with participants hailing from cities like Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Milan, London, and New York.
