(Southampton, NY – July 22, 2022) – The annual Hamptons Fine Art Fair, over Bastille Day weekend, surpassed its goal of establishing itself as the elite and high-caliber fair that Hamptonites have sought for years. With a record-breaking attendance of 9,500, founder and producer, Rick Friedman re-invented his previous fair, ArtHamptons, which was sold to a London based organizer in 2015, and brought the drama and excitement of an international art fair to the main thoroughfare connecting the Hamptons at Southampton Fairgrounds.
Helwaser Gallery announced the sale of Ed Ruscha’s Service Clown, 2013, bleach on fabric covered board at $500,000. Additionally, the sale of a 1978 Andy Warhol social portrait is pending at seven figures.
Vallarino Fine Art sold a piece by Willem de Kooning, a large 1974 oil on paper painting for a price in the six figures. The majority of the galleries sold multiple pieces of artwork with Dane Fine Art of Philadelphia selling out their entire booth on Opening Night. They sold several Warhols, Lichtenstein’s, and Mr. Brainwash pieces. The Philadelphia based gallery had a truck bring them 50 more pieces for the remainder of fair with their total booth sales exceeding $1 million in blue chip artist prints.
Producer Rick Friedman observed of the fair, “Because of the immense wealth and staggering purchasing power of our guests, this is a fair that can literally change the lives of exhibitors, as it did for many this weekend – with closed sales, pending sales and substantial commissions and prospective museum and sculpture park shows. Eager and affluent art buyers streamed through the aisles all four days, with more vim and vigor than any recent US fair, generating tens of millions of dollars in sales. Red dots appeared everywhere, as sold paintings were quickly taken off the floor for delivery. While most sales were in the $10k to $50k level, many were in the high six figures. Overall, I have never seen an attendee feeding frenzy like this in my 28 previous fairs produces across the nation.”
The sold-out Opening Night Bastille Day Vernissage on July 14th bustled with 3,000 art enthusiasts who poured in and out of the fair aisles in waves in the 40,000 sq. ft Pollock and VIP pavilions. By the fair’s end, over 9,500 enthusiastic art loving and influential patrons benefited by viewing and acquiring many of the 10,000 important works of art on display. As of the shows end, hundreds of art works found new homes in the Hamptons, with tens of millions of dollars in art sales, still pending. Some galleries left with 100+ valuable sales and museum leads.
Bill Rau, CEO and Owner of M.S. Rau, in New Orleans said, “We were thrilled with the quality and response to the Hamptons Fine Art Fair. Visitors were especially intrigued by our newest acquisition, the stunning titled Buste d’homme barbu (Bust of a Bearded Man) by Pablo Picasso. Visitors were lining up to get a closer look at the portrait, which was painted in 1965 and is one of the finest works by the artist that I’ve ever seen. Another intriguing piece was a 3-dimensional work of The Scottish Museum of Modern by Patrick Hughes that breaks free from the wall and appears to shift as one moves in front of it. Of course, Blackstone Cigars by iconic American artist Norman Rockwell garnered a great deal of attention along with a painting titled Serpent by modern late 20th-century artist Alexander Calder, featuring a circus scene that displays the same graceful whimsy as his hanging sculptural mobiles. While art and sculptures were the main draw at the show, some of the dazzling pieces of jewelry that we’d brought captured many of the female guests eye, including pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Cartier and a stunning, one of a kind 38 carats diamond necklace by Harry Winston that was owned by Christina Onassis. We had good sales at the fair and are pleased with the results of the overall event.”
The event also featured panel discussions with distinguished speakers covering topics such as, A Passion for Possession, Collector on Collecting, Passion for Art Philanthropy, and Donors on Donating. The Spirit of Huntington hosted a panel on ARTABILITY, the creative expression on those with special needs, and Luxe Interiors and Design magazine on art and design. The 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award in Painting was presented to Findlay Gallery’s Ronnie Landfield, celebrating his remarkable six decades of art accomplishments. He regaled the audience with his many tales of the art scene in the 1960-1970’s.
HFAF key sponsors include, UBS, Weill Cornell Medicine, Genesis of the South Shore, Pommery Champagne, Wax Insurance, Coterie Luxury Senior Living, YachtHampton, Corcoran Real Estate, Pure Insurance/Epic, El Tesoro, Roland Auctions and Susan J. Roche photographer.
HFAF was produced by Southampton based ShowHamptons.
HFAF SALES HIGHLIGHTS (Gallery, Artist)
Abbozzo Gallery – Kelly Grace
Artist Cartel – Perego, Philippe deKraans
Axiom Contemporary – Orange Juice
Ben Georgia Contemporary – Ben Georgia
Chase Contemporary – Kenny Scharf
Contessa Gallery – Several sales
Corridor Gallery – Taher Jaovu
Creason’s Fine Art Galleries – Greg Creason
Dane Fine Art – Andy Warhol, Julian Opie , Mr Brainwash, Lichtenstein, The Connor’s Brothers, Damien Hirst, Frank Stella
David Benrimon Fine Art – Ian Davenport, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst
Fremin Gallery– Nemo Jantzen, Arden Ozmenoglu
Galerie Calderone – Cesar Orrico Sculptures, Francoise De Felice
Helwaser Gallery – Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol (pending)
Hollis Taggart – Francis Hines
John Dowling Fine Art and Exhibitions – Several pieces
Karyn Mannix Contemporary – Julie Schumer, James Koskinas, Karyn Mannix
Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery – March Avery
Laura Rathe Fine Art – Gil Brunel, Stallman Studio, Zhuang Hong Yi
Lawrence Fine Art – Mercedes Matter, Charles Cajori, Judith Rosenthal
Linjie Deng Art – Linjie Deng
Loves Gallery – Jennifer Contini, Sarah Dugger, Jason Keusch
Lurie Gallery – Alex Katz, Michael Suchta, Daniel Cohen, Michael Gorman, Bruce Reinfeld, Fransisco Valvere,
Hamilton Aguilar
Mark Hachem – Polles sculpture, Alois Kronschlaeger, Patrick Hughes, Yves Hayat Russell Young
Mark Miller Gallery– Kevin Berlin
Morton Contemporary – Nathan Paddison, Jan Hein Arens, Sniqus
Neil Anthony Edwards Collection – Major commission
New River Fine Art – Mr Brainwash, Andrew Cotton, Jennifer JL Jones, Marlene Rose, Hunt Slonim
NYC Art Walk – Susana Aldanondo
Onessimo Gallery – Fredy Villamil, Thomas Scoon, Mackenzie Thorpe, Duaiv
Prescott Gallery and Sculpture Garden – Frederick Prescott, plus commissions
Quogue Gallery – George Read
Raft of Sanity – Duane Hatchett
T.H. Brennan Fine Art – Serve Marshennikov
The Wild Horses of Sable Island – Roberto Dutesco
Vallarino Fine Art – Willem de Kooning
VESANIART – Kelly Fischer
VK Gallery – Victoria Kavalenchikova, Sergi Zader
Wisse Kodde – Harris Allen
Zeit Contemporary Gallery – Andy Warhol Polaroid
