PLATFORM will create a necessary art fair for contemporary art galleries from the south. PLATFORM will exhibit important and relevant southern galleries representing emerging, mid-career, and mature artists. PLATFORM will engage in viable conversations with collectors, art enthusiasts and the public-at-large. Southern galleries in the current art fair model are rarely included in a substantial way in major market art fairs because of stereotypes and misconceptions. contemporary art galleries and artists from the South have been routinely left out of the conversation because we are viewed as less sophisticated and insignificant. PLATFORM marks the shift in the art World’s ever evolving focus. 2026 is the south’s time to show the World that southern artists are creating important work in the United States. new orleans will effectively join New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago as a major art city hosting exceptional galleries, informative art programming, and artists with a voice. Our primary focus is to build a community, fostering and nurturing strong relationships with collectors, auction houses and art museums. PLATFORM will be a catalyst to change the trajectory of our artists, galleries and institutions. PLATFORM will allow collectors unprecedented access to galleries and artists in an exciting and informative way attracting key influential persons and institutions. southern galleries and artists who participate in PLATFORM will gain critical exposure and begin a necessary dialog with art enthusiasts, critics and collectors interested in southern works of art. New York Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago all have strong and proven markets, but New Orleans and a few surrounding cities and states have the potential to be major art hubs making significant contributions to the landscape of contemporary art.