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“Where do art collectors gather in July but in the Hamptons?” Returning for it’s second year, Art Hamptons welcomed over 5,000 show attendees to four huge tents on the grounds of the Bridgehampton Historical Society during the weekend of July 10 to 13th.
After kicking off the event with a benefit party on Thursday night with proceeds donated to the American Heart Association, the show officially opened on Friday July 11th a. at 12 noon. The day was sunny and gorgeous, after a month of rain and cool weather. The opening day crowds at Art Hamptons were slow but steady. But as the weekend continued, sales appeared to be reviving, though not back to pre-2008 levels.
According to gallery organizers, Art Hamptons was kept to a size where the art can be seen and appreciated with most exhibits curated as to prevent visual overload and clutter. In contrast to Scope Hamptons, the show begins at Modern (1880’s) and leads to contemporary current work.
The organizers emphasized the differences between the two shows, and Art Hamptons and Scope couldn’t be more different. However, this viewer missed some of the excitement and energy of the contemporary fairs like Pulse, Scope and Red Dot. Isn’t possible to mix modern and contemporary masters and still achieve an engaging experience for art enthusiasts and collectors?
Many of the usual suspects and established galleries were represented, including Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, Gallery Henoch, NYC, Yang Yang Fine Art, Chicago, Waterhouse & Dodd, London, McNeill Art Group, Southhampton and about 55 galleries others including many local Hamptons and Manhattan Galleries and a handful of East Coast, Canadian, London and European Galleries. Not quite the international flavor of some the other popular art fairs, but then again, given the economy and expense, not a surprise.
Apart from the galleries that represent Modern Masters and museum-quality secondary market collections, many of the contemporary galleries played it fairly conservative and traditional this year. Not the excitement and energy some of us look forward to at an International Art Fair, but still worth exploring.
Many of the contemporary galleries seemed to “play it safe” displaying work that would appeal to a “vacation-oriented” or “beach-loving” crowd with an over-abundance of fairly traditional landscapes, waterscapes, nautical and “decorative” works.
Of course, there were some notable stand-outs in the sea of sameness, including work by Modern & Contemporary Cuban masters at the Cenuda Arte Gallery from Coral Gables, Florida, Villa del Arte Galleries from Barcelona, Spain, the work of Chinese painter, Yang Yang and the consistently strong exhibitions of Waterhouse & Dodd.
Many of the galleries represent high-end art with price tags that begin around $10,000 and reach into the million-dollar range. Original artwork by Picasso, Monet, Degas, Calder and “local” artists Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock and Esteban Vincente were on exhibit.
While Peter Marcelle Gallery's sale of an Andrew Wyeth landscape for $975,000 seems at this point to be the on-site show leader, Mr.Friedman expects other major sales to follow in post-show activity. Sculptor Hans Van deBovenkamp reported a large commission was secured. On site individual sales ranged from $10,000 to $100,00, most centering in the $30,00 to $60,000 range. Many galleries reported that total on-site sales well-exceeded $100,000 including Forum Gallery, Gallery Henoch, Waterhouse and Dodd Gallery, Throckmorton Fine Art, Gary Snyder/Project Space, and Eric Firestone Gallery.
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y., 7/13/09 -- ArtHamptons 2009 repeated the attendance level of 5,000 fairgoers compared to 2008, the inaugural year, with 68 galleries, up 33% compared to the number in '08, showing $200 million in art.
"The robust sales over the four-day event is a definite harbinger that art sales are finally reviving and stimulating," said Rick Friedman, founder of ArtHamptons. "The fish were biting, not like in 2008, but well enough to eat well. It reinforces that a good picture at a good price will always sell."
The Design Studio, Art Hamptons Satellite Show
Joan Daidone and Lisa Cooper collaborated with Eugenia Au Kim, Interior Designer and owner of The Design Studio in Bridgehampton for an exhibit Directly across from Art Hamptons on Main Street. “Deep Dive: Journey beyond the Surface” features contemporary women artists exploring the mystery, magic and transformational qualityies of water, both real and imagined. Three of the artists are from the West Coast and are being exhibited in the Hamptons for the first time.
Image Credits: Klari Reis, Hypochondriac 150, mixed media, steel rods, petri dishes, 60 in. diameter
Learn more about Joan Daidone & Lisa Cooper >>
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