The Hamptons Gets a Third Art Fair This Summer

DISPATCH - May 30, 2012 (9:45 p.m.)

SOUTHAMPTON, NY

It's official--The Hamptons will have a third art fair this summer. Art Southampton will hold its inaugural fair in July, creating a trio of weekends where a single art fair takes hold of the Hamptons.

Art Southampton will take place from July 26 to 30. It is presented by Art Miami, an anchor fair of Miami's Art Week held each December. Art Miami presents modern and contemporary art. It has held 22 fairs since inception.

 

Art Miami, in turn, is produced by Art Miami, LLC.  This is the year for expansion for the trio of partners who make up Art Miami, LLC (Nick Korniloff, Mike Tansey and Brian Tyler).

In February, Art Miami, LLC unveiled Art Wynwood in Miami, Florida. In December, the partnership will extend its Miami reach again when it presents CONTEXT. CONTEXT is a contemporary art fair that will be held simultaneously with Art Miami.

This is also the year that Art Miami, LLC leaves Florida to produce its first out- of-state fair. Enter Art Southampton.

“Our goal as an organization is to come to the Hamptons and engage the community both socially and culturally long-term and offer a discerning group of collectors at every level the opportunity to enjoy the highest level art fair ever held in The Hamptons,” according to Korniloff, who is also director for Art Southampton.

By positioning the fair at the end of July, Art Southampton creates a span of 17 days of art fair viewing on Eastern Long Island.

ArtHamptons is being held from July 13 to 15 at Nova's Ark Project in Bridgehampton. artMRKT Hamptons takes place from July 19 to 22 at the Bridgehampton Historical Society grounds. Art Southampton will be held from July 26 to 30 on the Elks Lodge grounds in Southampton.

In an interview with Hamptons Art Hub, Korniloff discusses the reasons for their new art fair and what viewers can expect when Miami style meets a Hamptons summer. Following is an excerpt.

HAH: Describe the focus of the fair and how it will distinguish itself.

NK: Art Southampton (AS) will be the premiere location and venue and feature the very best in modern and contemporary works of art for sale in relation to a summer art fair in the Hamptons. The fair will distinguish itself by providing an ambience and amenities that are fitting for the clientele that live, vacation or simply come to play for the day in the Hamptons.

Within two months of announcing the fair we have already secured a fantastic lineup of true international art dealers who are well respected and participate in some of the worlds most highly respected and vetted international art fairs. We have dealers that participate in the TEFAF Fair, Armory Modern, Art Miami, and The ADAA fair. [...]

For the first time, the Hamptons will have a fair that represents a certain equal level of quality across the board by all participating galleries that will capture and hold the attention of a culturally savvy audience and create a marketplace in which collectors can buy with confidence. This will be the fair for serious collectors and art enthusiasts to wait for each summer.

HAH: How is it similar / different from Art Miami?

NK: Art Miami is presenting Art Southampton and there is a reason for this...There is a certain expectation regarding the quality of an Art Miami, LLC produced fair. So from a production standard, it will be equal. The quality regarding the standard of art and amenities offered for those who attend [AS] will be on par and in some cases, better than Art Miami.

When you speak of Miami vs. The Hamptons you cannot compare the two markets, as they are completely different. In Miami during the month of December, we have the most important week for Contemporary Art Fairs in America with a thrust of art centric international attendees creating a critical mass unrivaled to any other city in America including NY.

Art Southampton will cater to an extremely affluent socially and culturally aware audience. There is no other place in America during the summer time that offers such a rich artistic history of working living artists, community and philanthropy backed with a who's who’s in the world of international business, entertainment, the arts and politics at the highest level.

Art Southampton will cater to this audience in a very sophisticated way and position the fair intelligently in the art world and the Hamptons for the long-term.

HAH: Why did Art Miami decide to bring a fair to the Hamptons?

NK: Many of our collectors that visit Art Miami have homes in Palm Beach, New York City and the Hamptons... In addition, many of our galleries have collectors that live and vacation out east and the platform of a high quality fair is something that interested them.

Our European galleries felt that it was a great opportunity to touch base one last time with clients with whom they have worked in NY or Miami prior to the traditional August month of vacation in Europe.

We also learned that due to very busy schedules and other commitments that many collectors are unable to attend Art Basel in June or Art Week in Miami in December.

Art Southampton will allow those collectors an opportunity to enjoy their passion to collect while they are at their most relaxed state.

And as we had hoped - and now learned - the town has been extremely welcoming at every level to our concept. We are very grateful for their support and enthusiasm.

HAH: Was the fair timed so it's the only art fair in town or did it lynch on availability?

NK: We are very focused on standing alone and apart from the other fairs as our mission and focus is completely different. The dates and location were paramount in our decision process.

The weekend we selected is the busiest weekend in the Hamptons and our location behind the Elks Lodge provides us with easy access against traffic from the East End to the West and provides maximum exposure for our venue.

In addition, we truly believe that we can market to important areas west of the venue. This will bring in additional collectors that both our charity partners and galleries will benefit from. During the weekend of AS it is Super Saturday, Hayground School’s Great Chefs Dinner, and the Water Mill Gala. In addition, it is a week before the Southampton Hospital Gala and a few weeks after important events like the Starlight Ball of the Ross School and the Fresh Air Home events with which we have partnered.

Our dates provide us the ability to promote the AS fair with key organizations exclusively, prior to and during our fair, while providing significant philanthropic support to each partner.

HAH: Can you describe the type of gallery that is anticipated to make up the heart of the fair?

NK: Highly reputable international galleries, with strong relationships with their artists and collectors. Some galleries will feature strictly modern master works, others solely contemporary with emerging and cutting edge mixed in along with photography and Asian art.

The galleries that we do business with are great caretakers of the market and educators of the current and past art markets. They are a group that continues to cultivate new collectors into the overall market while being able to satisfy the most experienced discerning collectors.

HAH: Gallery applications will be accepted through May 18. Is there a minimum number of galleries that need to sign up to ensure the fair will happen?

NK: The fair will happen - we are committed for the long-term and have provided all the appropriate paper work and applications to the Town for approval.

Our goal is not to be the largest fair and dilute the quality of the art, the experience and the relationships surrounding the fair.

Our goal is to be truly international and represent the highest quality of modern and contemporary art in one location that benefits the Town of Southampton, The Hamptons, our philanthropic partners and participating dealers.

BASIC FACTS:  Art Southampton will be held from July 26 to 30, 2012 on the grounds of the Southampton Elks Lodge, 605 County Road 39, Southampton, NY. www.art-southampton.com/

Around 70 to 75 galleries are expected to exhibit. The art fair will be held in a 75,000-square foot pavilion constructed on the 18-acres Elks fairgrounds.

Exhibitors include Galerie Forsblom of Finland, Galerie Terminus of Germany, Hollis Taggart of New York City, Waterhouse & Dodd and Hackelbury Fine Art of the UK, Nikola Rukaj of Canada and others, according to Art Southampton.

Highlights of the fair include:

-First View VIP Preview Reception to benefit Southampton Hospital on July 26.

-Premiere of the documentary "HEAARTBEAT" on the sculptor John Chamberlain (1927-2011) by his step-daughter and filmmaker Alexandra Fairweather. The screening benefits the Ross School's Chamberlain-Fairweather Scholarship Fund for the Arts. It will held on July 26.

-VIP Reception hosted by Robert Wilson to launch the Watermill Center/Chamberlain Residency Fund following a subsequent screening of "HEAARTBEAT" on July 27.

The Art Southampton website will continue to be updated. See www.art-southampton.com for details.

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© 2012 Pat Rogers and Hamptons Art Hub. All rights reserved.