The September 2-5th premiere of the Hamptons Fine Art Fair (HFAF) met and surpassed its goal as the elite and high caliber fair that Hamptonites have sought for years. Over 5,000 avid art enthusiasts perused the four art-filled structures on the grounds of event co-producer Southampton Arts Center (SAC), located in the heart of Southampton Village.
Producers brought the thrill of an international fine art fair to Jobs Lane by transforming the historic building, first built by Samuel Parrish, and augmented exhibit space by construction three climate-controlled pavilions (DeKooning, Pollock) and a VIP lounge complete with an outdoor sculpture park featuring 30 significant works into a mini “Art Basel” in the Hamptons. A portion of proceeds benefitted SAC and their mission of community building through the arts.
HFAF founder and producer Rick Friedman reimagined his previous art fair, ArtHamptons, which he sold the show to a London-based organizer after 10 successful years of bringing affordable art to the East End. This new art fair venture serves a higher end, more narrow, discerning, and upscale sector of the affluent Hamptons art-buying region. It’s debut of Labor Day weekend presented an important opportunity as many homeowners recently relocated to the Hamptons during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering a tightly curated selection of important 20th and 21st century art for their estates.
“It was an honor to team up with Southampton Arts Center,” shares Friedman. “Together, we created the perfect setting for our guests to have an exhilarating art acquisition experience. The fair was the right size, easy to view and comprehend, allowing guests to have meaningful discussions with dealers in an elegant, relaxed setting. We provided a wide selection of genres, media, and periods, from Rembrandt to Kaws. There was a strong burning, pent up interest for such a local in-person art fair and I am pleased that so many fellow Hamptonites responded so favorably.”
“Southampton Arts Center is committed to community building through the arts,” comments Tom Dunn, SAC executive director. “As an anchor of Southampton’s thriving cultural district, I am gratified to see this nationally-ranked fine art fair serve as a driver to our local economy. It was a true celebration of Southampton’s recent explosion in the arts scene, which is home to esteemed art galleries, auction houses, fellow cultural nonprofits, and private museums – all serving our beloved community.”
The fair presented 50 physical galleries from across the globe and is also the first and only art fair in the nation to present both in-person and online with a 3D virtual reality version for worldwide viewership, bringing a total of 70 galleries to audiences. This unique approach will be on view through November 30, 2021. Artworks began at $10,000, with some exceeding $1 million. 400 artists were represented with more than $100 million in art available for immediate acquisition.
The event also featured panel discussions with distinguished speakers covering topics such as A Passion for Possession, Collectors and Collecting, and A Passion for Art Philanthropy, Donors on Donating. On September 3, Dr. Harvey Manes of Westhampton Beach was recognized as the 2021 Art Collector of the Year. On September 4, East Hampton-based artist, Audrey Flack, 90, was presented with the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Organizers created a festive and luxurious setting as nationally renowned musicians performed at SAC’s entrance and on the outdoor stage, docents led fair tours with complimentary wine, and food trucks served lunch and dinner al fresco.
Red dots abounded throughout the fair as hundreds of art pieces found new homes in the Hamptons. Several galleries are sending artworks to neighboring estates for exclusive in-home viewing. Sales are still ongoing, and many acquisitions are discreet.
HFAF key sponsors include Pollock Pavilion sponsor Pincus Plastic Surgery, VIP Lounge sponsor Hamptons Poster Xchange, Aline Wealth Management, Hamptons Boutique Medicine, and Dr. Harvey Manes. Wine sponsors including Hamptons Water, Mengler Family Wines, Nicole Miller Wines, and Ozymandias Wines. Hint served as HFAF’s official wine sponsor.
Announced Sales as of Close of Fair
Hollis Taggart Galleries – Audrey Flack paintings (6)
ABA Gallery – Edward Bekkerman (4), David Burliuk (3), Alexandra Exter, Konstantin Gorbatov
Andrei Art Gallery – Dennis Protsouk, Andri Protsouk
Bill Lowe Gallery- Robert Rauschenberg, Herbert Creecy,
Black/ White Gallery – Shimon Okshteyn (4)
Blond Contemporary- Alexander Calder, Nicholas Party, Paul Pfeiffer, Lucian Smith
Blue Print Gallery – Brenda Bogart, Elizabeth Thomas, Arienne Lepretre. Rachel Doniger, Stephanie Strange
Carlton Fine Arts – Linjie Deng (4)
Colm Rowan – Bret Reily
Corridor Contemporary – Donald Sultan (2) Kenny Scharf, Alex Katz,
Ethan Cohen Gallery – Aboudia
Galerie D’Orsay- Pablo Picasso, Elizabeth DaCosta Ahern
Green River Stone – Rare fossils (8)
Larry Rivers Foundation- 1969 Larry Rivers Legs sculpture
Lawrence Fine Art- Cleve Gray
Maune Contemporary – Mr. Brainwash, Orit Fuchs, Alex Katz, Esteban Ocampo-Giraldo, Julie Torres
Moberg Gallery – Conn Ryder (2) Daniela Schweinsberg (2)
Morton Contemporary Gallery- Tyler Sean (5), Adam Handler, Juan Miquel Palacios
Octavia Art Gallery – Ryoko Endo,
Onessimo Fine Art- Alex Bernstein, Punk Me Tener, Paul Nagy, Freddy Villami
Quogue Gallery- Patricia Udell, Sam Glankoff
Roland Auctions- Tony Rosenthal sculpture
Roman Fine Art- Jeff Mehs (sculpture)
Saphira & Ventura Gallery- Keith Haring (2) John Paul Duray, Philippe de Kran, painting and NFT.
Shima Shanti Gallery- Shima Shanti (5)
Sohn Gallery- Jeff Robb (2)
Steidel Fine Art – Kevin Chapeny, Anna Franklin, John Sparks
Tambaran Gallery – Kyng He (3)
Taylor Graham- Carl Holty (4)
Walker Fine Art – several MC Escher works, Anton Bakker sculptures (5) plus jewelry
The Wild Horses of Stable Island Gallery- Roberto Dutesco
Willoughby Art -Barnett Suskind
HFAF was produced by Show-Hamptons, in collaboration with Southampton Arts Center.
For more info, visit www.HamptonsFineArtfair.com.
