In the fast-paced art world, acronyms have become an essential part of daily conversation among dealers, collectors, and museum professionals. From major art fairs like Art Basel Miami Beach to influential organizations representing galleries and museums, these abbreviations save time and have become so ingrained in art world culture that professionals often use them without thinking twice.
Just as everyday Americans use NASA instead of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or call AAA (triple A) for roadside assistance rather than the American Automobile Association, the art industry relies heavily on acronyms to streamline communication. Understanding these abbreviations is crucial for anyone wanting to navigate the contemporary art scene successfully.
AAM represents the American Alliance of Museums, founded in Washington D.C. in 1906. This comprehensive organization represents not only traditional art and history museums but also science centers and zoos, boasting approximately 4,000 institutional members and more than 25,000 individual professionals and volunteers. Meanwhile, AAMD serves as a more specialized group - the New York-based Association of Art Museum Directors represents around 200 institutions ranging from the Ackland Art Museum at UNC Chapel Hill to the Yale University Art Gallery in Connecticut.
ABMB stands for Art Basel Miami Beach, one of the world's most significant art fairs featuring approximately 285 exhibitors. This acronym is closely related to ABHK (Art Basel Hong Kong), though Art Basel in Basel doesn't commonly use the abbreviation ABB. The Miami Beach edition continues to draw international attention as a premier destination for collectors, dealers, and art enthusiasts.
ADAA represents the Art Dealers Association of America, established in 1962 as a New York-based nonprofit organization. With over 200 member galleries across nearly 40 US cities, ADAA organizes an annual New York fair recently rebranded from "The Art Show" to the "ADAA Fair" at the Park Avenue Armory. This organization plays a crucial role in supporting commercial galleries across the United States.
AIG, or Art Intelligence Global, represents a high-powered advisory firm with offices in New York and Hong Kong. Established in 2021 by former Sotheby's executives Amy Cappellazzo and Yuki Terase, the company has been expanding despite market contractions, recently adding Matt Bangser (formerly managing partner of Blum) as senior director and Sotheby's veteran Sebastian Fahey as chief operating officer in Asia.
AIR stands for Artists in Residence, Inc., established in 1972 as the first not-for-profit, artist-directed and artist-maintained gallery for women in the United States. Its founding members included notable artists like Dotty Attie, Judith Bernstein, Agnes Denes, and Howardena Pindell. Interestingly, Pindell originally suggested calling it EYRE Gallery in tribute to Charlotte Brontë's beloved character Jane Eyre.
ARCO represents the Arte Contemporáneo fair in Madrid, which will celebrate its 45th edition in 2026 with approximately 200 galleries participating. The fair recently lost one of its founding figures when German-Spanish dealer Helga de Alvear, who helped lay the groundwork for the fair's establishment, passed away this year at age 88.
FIAC belongs to art fair history - the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain launched in 1974 and served as France's premier art market event at Paris's Grand Palais for decades. However, in 2021, it lost its coveted slot to what was initially called "Paris by Art Basel" and is now simply known as "Art Basel Paris."
IFPDA originally stood for the International Fine Print Dealers Association when founded in 1987 as a New York nonprofit promoting fine prints as original works of art. Just last month, the organization rebranded as the International Fine Prints & Drawings Association. Its annual spring fair will feature 77 exhibitors and, for the first time, will include dealers specializing in artists' drawings.
LGDR had a brief but notable existence when New York dealers Dominique Lévy, Brett Gorvy, Amalia Dayan, and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn formed a gallery in 2021 to combat mega-galleries. After Rohatyn departed after two years to resume operating Salon 94 gallery, the remaining principals dropped the acronym and now operate as Lévy Gorvy Dayan.
MBS refers to Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman al Saud, who made headlines by purchasing the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction - Leonardo da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi" for $450.3 million at Christie's in 2017. He has since implemented Vision 2030, aimed at opening Saudi Arabia from its previously culturally isolated position, including initiatives like Art Week Riyadh and the Islamic Arts Biennale. However, he also carries a less flattering nickname, "Mister Bone Saw," following US intelligence agencies' reports that he ordered the murder and dismemberment of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
NADA represents the New Art Dealers Alliance, a New York-based nonprofit founded in 2002 that represents commercial art galleries. Like ADAA, it organizes closely watched annual art fairs in New York and Miami while also coordinating year-round programming in locations as distant as Paris and Warsaw. The organization operates LUNCH (Located Under NADA's Central Headquarters - an acronym within an acronym) as its Lower East Side exhibition space.
PDS represents the newest entry on this list, formed just this month by Arne Glimcher (CEO of global mega-gallery Pace), dealer Emmanuel Di Donna, and former Sotheby's private sales expert David Schrader. This joint art gallery will open on New York's upscale Upper East Side in 2026. According to Glimcher, the founders hope their collaboration can signal a way out of the "low margin, high overhead arms race" resulting from an obsession with competition.
PP.O.W. (styled with dots, not periods) represents a New York gallery that based its name on the initials of co-founders Penny Pilkington and Wendy Olsoff (with Olsoff's initials reversed). When establishing their East Village gallery, other dealers were choosing unconventional names like Gracie Mansion (a playful reference to the New York mayor's residence), inspiring Pilkington and Olsoff to create their own distinctive identity.
TEFAF stands for The European Fine Art Foundation, established in 1988 to represent dealers in fine art, antiques, and design. Its flagship event, TEFAF Maastricht, takes place in the Dutch university city and features thousands of years of art history. In 2016, the foundation expanded to offer TEFAF New York, focusing on modern and contemporary art and design. Both fairs are renowned for multimillion-dollar offerings and major museum acquisitions.
ULAE represents Universal Limited Art Editions, founded in mid-century America by Russian-born Tatyana Grosman. The organization began when Grosman, working from her Long Island cottage publishing illustrated books and reproducing paintings by artists from Marc Chagall to Grandma Moses, was encouraged by a MoMA curator to collaborate with artists on creating original prints. Major figures including Helen Frankenthaler, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Cy Twombly were among the first to work with Grosman, and MoMA continues to acquire the first print of every ULAE edition, maintaining this important artistic legacy.
