"We have worked toward making Armory Arts Week the biggest art week in New York," says Armory Show executive director Katelijne De Backer. "Thanks to coinciding with the opening of the Whitney Biennial, and the ADAA Art Show and Sotheby’s contemporary auctions moving to our dates, this year confirms our success."

The Armory Show, now in its 12th edition, is known for offering a few surprises each year. This time around, it’s presenting a section showcasing 21 galleries from Berlin. The group — which includes dealers like Johann König and Barbara Thumm, who is bringing new work by the Berlin-based painter Valerie Favre — represents what De Backer calls "a cross-section of what’s happening" in the city’s art scene.

Local dealers, however, have long been the Armory’s backbone, and this year’s 211 exhibitors on Pier 94 will include a contingent of young, first-time participants from the Lower East Side, among them Lisa Cooley, Eleven Rivington, and Simon Preston.

Taking over the adjacent Pier 92 for the second year in a row, the Armory Modern consists of 71 galleries, including Alan Koppel, Hirschl & Adler Modern, and Mary-Anne Martin Fine Art.

Lucy Mitchell-Innes, who was appointed president of the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) last September, is looking forward to the 2010 edition (the 22nd) of the organization’s annual fair — not least, she says, because whenever the Art Show has coincided with the Armory Show across town, as it does this year, attendance has increased by 25 percent. (A few intrepid galleries, like David Zwirner, Greenberg Van Doren, and Paul Kasmin, are taking booths at both events.) Mitchell-Innes is also excited about the loosening of some rules for this edition. For the first time, dealers could apply to participate in the adaa show upon their induction into the institution, instead of waiting until they’d been members at least two years. "It’s a difficult economy, and we wanted to shake things up," says Mitchell-Innes. As a result, the 70 exhibitors include some recent inductees, such as Marianne Boesky (who has left the Armory Show).

The Art Show has been making a mark with booths given over to solo exhibitions. This year there are 22 of them, including William Kentridge at the booth of Marian Goodman; April Gornik at first-time exhibitor Danese; and Martin Kippenbergers self-portraits at David Nolan.

And Don't Miss

2010 Whitney Biennial
Whitney Museum of American Art
Through May 30

AUCTIONS
Phillips de Pury & Co.
Contemporary Art, Parts I and II: March 4 and 5
Now: March 6

Sotheby’s
Contemporary Art

March 9
Christie’s
Impressionist/Modern: March 10
First Open Contemporary Art: March 11

FAIRS
Scope New York
March 3 through 7
Lincoln Center Damrosch Park
Around 50 exhibitors

Pulse Contemporary Art Fair
March 4 through 7
Pier 40
330 West Street at West Houston Street
Around 56 exhibitors

Volta New York
March 4 through 7
7 West 34th Street
88 exhibitors

Red Dot Fair
March 4 through 7
Skyline Studios
500 West 36th Street
45 exhibitors

NEW THIS YEARIndependentMarch 4 through 7548 West 22nd StreetFounded by New York dealer Elizabeth Dee and Darren Flook of London’s HOTEL Gallery, this fair debuts with around 30 dealers and nonprofits. Dee and New York’s Bortolami are among exhibitors doing double duty at the Armory, while others, such as Stuart Shave, of London, have defected from the larger fair. Also look for the Approach, Daniel Buchholz, Maureen Paley, Sutton Lane and White Columns.

"All Around Town" originally appeared in the March issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's March 2010 Table of Contents.