In exploring possibilities for expansion, TEFAF reached out to Artvest Partners in New York early in 2015. It was during the subsequent conversations that the opportunity for two annual TEFAF art fairs in New York in the Park Avenue Armory crystallized. Michael Plummer and Jeff Rabin of Artvest have very valuable insights and an understanding of the American art market and related events and activities in New York. Artvest has been working closely with the TEFAF leadership to bring TEFAF's unparalleled resources and expertise to create, for the first time, international fairs of the highest stature in the U.S.

Tom Postma Design, celebrated for its innovative work with leading museums, galleries, and art fairs, will be developing designs for the fairs that interplay with the spectacular spaces and, for the first time, create a fair that draws upon and unifies the Drill Hall and period rooms on the ground and first floors of the Armory.

"The TEFAF fairs will fulfil what we and many others feel is an unprecedented opportunity in the American art market given New York’s stature as the global capital of the art world. These two fairs will add a dimension to the art world in New York that has been much anticipated by dealers, museum curators and collectors alike." noted Michael Plummer, Principal of Artvest. "They will have an incredible impact on the city and the art world, across the country and beyond."
"Park Avenue Armory shares much in common with TEFAF-Maastricht including an aspiration for only the very best, a passion for preservation and restoration, and a deep appreciation for contemporary art. We are so pleased that TEFAF through its opening benefits will support the world-class unconventional artistic productions at the Armory," stated Rebecca Robertson, President and Executive Producer of Park Avenue Armory.’

The TEFAF art fairs will be held using the existing dates of Spring Masters by Artvest and of The International Show which was recently acquired by TEFAF in cooperation with Artvest. These acquisitions provide a foundation of relationships with US-based collectors and experience with New York-based fairs that will facilitate the rapid development of the new TEFAF fairs. The 2016 edition of Spring Masters in May will take place as planned under its original name and structure.

About TEFAF
Over the years TEFAF Maastricht has established an unsurpassed reputation as the world’s leading fair for art, antiques and design. It aims to strengthen this position by focusing on three core values – Excellence, Expertise and Elegance. These project and reinforce the character of a fair that defines excellence in art and attracts collectors, connoisseurs, curators and other art lovers from all over the world. TEFAF continually improves the breadth, quality and display of the items for sale, while at the same time presenting memorable exhibitions and taking ground-breaking initiatives that have changed the way the fine art world does business. The fair offers the best of 7,000 years of art history currently on the market. In addition to the traditional areas of old master paintings and antique works of art, you can see and buy at TEFAF Maastricht a wide variety of classical modern and contemporary art, photographs, as well as jewellery, 20th-century design and works on paper.

TEFAF Maastricht is unequalled in its standard of quality and in the methods it uses to establish the authenticity of every painting and object on sale. Participating dealers are only admitted after a strict selection process. TEFAF’s ground-breaking vetting system involves no fewer than 175 international experts in 29 different categories, who examine every work of art for quality, authenticity and condition. Highly sophisticated technical equipment, such as the advanced Hirox digital microscope and the portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, supports the vetting members’ personal expertise. TEFAF was also the first to introduce The Art Loss Register at the fair in 2000, this, the largest private database of stolen art, provides information about registered stolen art.

TEFAF's annual art market reports have provided invaluable insights on how the market is performing and how it is affected by globalization and other issues. Since 2000 fifteen reports into a variety of different topics have been published.

Modern and contemporary art is also vetted, a procedure that is by no means common at other general or specialist art fairs. It goes without saying that any stolen objects are removed from the fair immediately.