Rick Friedman The Hamptons Fine Arts Fair
Summer’s Most Anticipated Art Event
The Hamptons Fine Arts Fair is one of the nation’s most important art events, drawing art collectors from across the country and across the globe in pursuit of rare pieces, masterworks, and the discovery of remarkable upcoming talent. Produced by art connoisseur Rick Friedman, the Fair is celebrating its fourth year and returning to the Southampton fairgrounds July 13-16 in what promises to be the largest and most spectacular event yet, as the fair adds some of the most acclaimed galleries in the world. Yes, you can find something to fit nicely over the sofa, but you may also find an incredible timepiece, a crocodile fossil, or even a Picasso of your own to elicit awe and envy.
Jewelry, Watches, Fossils, Antiques, and Art
Friedman takes immense pride in the growth the fair has shown in the past four years. “Last year was really successful in that we exceeded sales and attendance expectations, so this year we have increased the scale of what we are offering by 60% to ensure that we have the top art vendors to create a special experience for our guests,” says Friedman. “This year we have about 130 vendors from all over the world, which will not only encompass art, but also jewelry, watches, antiques, and much more.” Galleries include M.S. Rau and Bill Hodges Gallery. Notable artists on view will be Jean-Michel Basquiat, Guy Stanley Philoche, and David Hockney. Friedman also created a separate building, called the Luxury Pavilion, to showcase elite brands and high-profile collectible items. He refers to it as “the art collectors’ miracle mall of luxury products and services.”
The Hamptons Fine Arts Fair doesn’t specialize in any particular kind of art, as tastes run the gamut, but it does focus on high-quality, rarer pieces and sought-after artists. Friedman shares what attendees have to look forward to: “There’s a big trend in urban art or street art, so we are bringing innovative artists and their works to reflect the demand in that category and capture that client who wants to learn about and see more of it. A lot of galleries across the country are adopting urban artists alongside their more traditional offerings, so we want to be reflective of that trend and offer those pieces. We also have what we will call ‘blue chip’ pieces, including prints by artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Alex Katz, whose prints are very popular and draw clients. Last year one gallery alone did over one million dollars in sales of prints in the four days of the fair.”
Beyond the two-dimensional offerings, Jewelry and Watches will also be well represented, with vendors from across the country bringing in collectible and high-end, highly sought-after name brands. Jewelers will offer rare, large precious gems both set and unset, in addition to show stopping pieces.
And another category broadening the art category is the emergence of the market for natural art, with one vendor bringing pieces created by nature over several thousand years. “We have a vendor coming that specializes in fossils, who is bringing a stone with an 11-foot ancient crocodile fossil in stone. That is definitely a conversation starter,” Friedman says with a laugh.
50th Anniversary of Picasso’s Death
“We will also be celebrating Picasso on the 50th anniversary of his death. We have a major display coming from London with 30 works by Picasso, with lectures and a reception built around that. There will be many Picassos for sale, giving people the opportunity to not only see them, but to own them, and that is tremendously convenient to bring so many pieces together in one place to provide options of which Picasso someone would want. Unlike museum shows, all of these Picassos will be available for immediate acquisition. There is also a vendor coming from Philadelphia with a stunning collection of Norman Rockwell. He has many of the artworks used on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post, for which Mr. Rockwell produced the cover art for many years. He is bringing the best covers with him, and he is going to show the original paintings that were made into the covers. These are some of the most iconic images in Americana, and Rockwells are becoming harder to find, even as the values are soaring.”
Artists’ Hall of Fame, Blue Chip Masters, and LGBT Tea Dance
Events at the fair will include many lectures, a Hall of Fame paying tribute to five notable local artists, and an LGBT Tea Dance Friday night, as part of the special Bastille Day celebration. Food and alcohol will be plentiful, as guests explore the grounds and the 70,000-square-foot pavilion complex, allowing an estimated 12,000 or more art enthusiasts to view all the vendors over the course of the weekend. Art prices range from $10,000 to the “sweet spot” of $30,000 to $50,000, yet many pieces offered top the $100,000 price point.
“People come to the Hamptons Fine Arts Fair from everywhere as they are looking for special pieces to decorate their primary homes, vacation homes, and offices. These are often investors looking for serious prestige investment art, and we have everything from emerging, mid-career, and Blue-Chip Masters. This is the largest cultural event in the Hamptons; nothing else even comes close.”
