Art Miami Celebrates Opening Night with Marquee Works Drawing Large Crowds and Sales

Art Miami is world-­‐famous for its stylish gallery-­‐like décor, its extraordinary variety and outstanding quality. The VIP Preview provided the first opportunity for collectors to purchase before Art Miami opened to the public. Guests enjoyed an exclusive first view of sensational modern and contemporary works, featuring numerous renowned and cutting-­‐edge artists. Stand out events included the rapid sale of seven large prints from Chinese artist, Alex Guofeng Cao, of New York based ChinaSquare Gallery with prices ranging from $7,000 -­‐$15,000. Michael Goedhuis sold a Wei Ligang ink painting for $185,000 to Wu Qing, one of the most important collectors in China. Evelyn Aimis Fine Art sold a Jaume Plensa sculpture for $135,000, while McCormick Gallery / Vincent Vallarino Fine Art sold a John Little abstract painting for $100,000. Munich based dealer Gallery Terminus sold a sculpture from Anish Kapoor for $220,000 and two pieces from emerging artist Jan Davidoff for $12,000 and $3,500 respectively. William Shearburn Gallery sold a Robert Kelly for $45,000. Mark Borghi Fine Art sold a Warhol Mao painting for $85,000 and a Basquiat drawing for $85,000. Greg Kucera Gallery Inc. sold a Deborah Butterfield “All Ball” sculpture for $115,000.

Erwin Wurm’s Fast Car from Rudolf Budja Gallery was quickly claimed, as well as a unique Andy Warhol Mao, that was originally a gift from Warhol to artist Julian Schnabel. Leonhard Ruethmueller sold Kim Win Yang’s Moment/Mask for $24,000 – this was the artist’s debut in the United States. The same gallery sold a Salustiano Sevilla painting for $42,000, and two Richard Pettibones, Marilyn and Flower, from the 1960s. Baltimore dealer, C. Grimaldis Gallery sold four works by artist Chul-­‐Hyun Ahn totaling $110,000. The entire inventory of 30 light sculptures from the artist was sold out at Art Miami last year.

“The Art Miami VIP Preview was a successful kick-­‐off to the Fair and a promising sign for Art Week, attracting a large crowd of major collectors and influencers in the artworld. Interest in masterworks from marquee artists is a strong indicator that people are looking for quality and extraordinary pieces this year. There is also a noticeable trend in Latin American and Chinese artists, with some major sales secured early at the Preview night in these categories,” said Nick Korniloff, Director of Art Miami.

Art Miami’s VIP Preview has become a “can’t miss” for serious collectors and artists. Among the prestigious crowd of attendees were Dennis and Debra Scholl, Marvin Ross Friedman and his wife Adrian Bon Haes, Ted and Ruth Baum, Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson, Jr., Michelle Oka Doner, Debbie Braman Wechsler and Jeff Wechsler, Carol Damian, Don Sanders, Rosa Sugranes, Sheila Elias Kaplan, Michael and Kim McCarty, Constantin Gorges, Martin and Constance Margulies, Josh Baer, artists Xavier Cortada, Michael Dwek, Lucien Clergue, and more.

Art Projects, specially curated for the fair by Julia Draganovic, were unveiled at Art Miami’s Opening Night. Guests viewed a stunning and thought-­‐provoking collection of artworks in the indoor and outdoor sculpture exhibition and a Video Show titled “In What We Trust,” featuring ten works on loan from prominent institutions and private collections. The sculpture exhibit features carefully selected works, including HC Berg’s Light Space Linear Momentum, Greely Myatt’s U R Beautiful, and Lynn Chadwick’s Sitting Couple on a Bench.

Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres created by Spuntino Catering and martinis from the Bootlegger Martini Bar, which made its debut in Florida at Opening Night. Segafredo Zanetti Espresso served espresso and cappuccino in the exclusive VIP Lounge presented by the Mandarin Oriental, Miami. The VIP Preview was presented by: Bootlegger 21 NY Vodka; Mandarin Oriental, Miami; Florida International Magazine; Grolsch; and Segafredo Zanetti Espresso.

Art Miami raised more than $26,000 for Lotus House, with a further substantial addition expected from many of the galleries pledging a contribution from Opening Night sales. This year marked the third consecutive year of the partnership between Lotus House and Art Miami, which has raised more than $76,000. The Lotus House Women’s Shelter, a quiet enclave in downtown Miami, offers a sanctuary for homeless women and infants in need. As a unique resource center and residential facility, The Lotus House seeks to empower women to improve the quality of their lives, achieve greater self-­‐sufficiency and to transition them to permanent homes off the streets. Art Miami has also employed a number of women from The Lotus House to work at the fair. The important partnership with The Lotus House is an integral part of Art Miami’s larger commitment to the city of Miami.

Now in its 21st year, Art Miami will run from December 1 – December 5, 2010, in a state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art 100,000 square foot pavilion in Midtown Miami’s burgeoning Wynwood Arts District. As the anchor art fair to the city of Miami, the fair offers a compelling array of artwork from over 100 prestigious international galleries and prominent art institutions. Exhibitions at the fair will include modern and contemporary paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and prints from Europe, Asia, Latin America, India, the Middle East and the United States. Participating galleries include Bernice Steinbaum, Galerie Forsblom, Galerie Terminus, Hackelbury Fine Art, Mark Borghi Fine Art Inc., Galerie Piece Unique, Aldo De Sousa Gallery, Scott White Contemporary Art, Bolsa De Arte, Richard Levy Gallery, Greg Kucera, Laurence Miller Gallery, William Shearburn, Galerie Patrice Trigano, McCormick Gallery / Vincent Vallarino Fine Art, Pace Prints, Modernism Inc., and Wetterling Gallery.

Source: artdaily.org