The LA Art Show, the largest and most significant art fair in the West, closed its eighteenth show on Sunday, January 27th, 2013 with record-breaking attendance of 50,000 collectors galleries reporting significant sales. Up from last year’s attendance, the 2013 fair attendance reflects individual, unique visitors. More than 110 galleries participated in the LA Art Show with an excess of 25% of exhibitors from outside the United States. In addition to the galleries, the LA Art Show featured three museum-caliber special exhibitions and the curated lecture series, Dialogs LA.
Recently purchased by the Palm Beach Show Group, the 2013 Show was made local art history when it was featured on the Front Page of the LA Times (the first time an art show has made the cover) with an accompanying story on the front page of the paper’s Calendar Section.
LA Art Show owner, Scott Diament who recently purchased the art fair from The Fine Art Dealers Association (FADA) shared his vision of the show, “Los Angeles, more than any other city in the United States has the potential to grow a world-class art fair. The success of the 2013 LA Art Show is a clear indicator that the City is ready, and will support it. We are excited about the continued success of the show and look forward to making it bigger and better in 2014.”
The LA Art Show kicked-off with a star-studded Opening Night Premiere Party on Wednesday, January 23rd benefiting the Art of Elysium and the J. Paul Getty Museum’s Education Department. Hosted by Ali Larter and Hayes MacArthur, the opening was attended by more than 6,000 collectors and VIPs and raised more than thirty thousand dollars. James Franco was the Guest of Honor at the VIP Patron Reception held in the VIP lounge sponsored by Citi National Bank. Additional sponsors for the evening included: Angel City Brewery, Bridlewood Estates Winery, CA Del Sole, Chakra Indian Cuisine, Essential Chocolate Desserts, Hama Sushi, John & Pete’s Fine Wine and Spirits, and The Palm Downtown.
During the course of the evening artist Shepard Fairey unveiled his new Diamond Dust Prints.
Celebrities in attendance for the opening included: Aldis Hodge, Sam Trammell, Leslie Birkland, Lubov Azria, Molly Culver, Natalie Dreyfus, Nikki DeLoach, Riley Smith, Ron Scott, Sammi Rotibi, Shane Keough, Shepard Fairey, Stella Maeve, Steve Rizzo, Tom Hallick, Tracey Heggins, Vik Sahay, Zach Sale, Evan Williams, Alexandra Choi, CCH Pounder, Lilley Collins, Donna Meagle, Billy Morrison, Ann Archer, Michelle Stafford, Katlin Mastandrea, Kevin Nealon, Lance Reddick, Dan Flores, Amanda Fuller, Bria Murphy, Clement von Frackenstein, Edwin Hodge, EJ Bonilla, Eva La Rue, Jay Harrington, Jenn Lilley and Jesse Johnson among others.
Kim Martindale, partner and long term General Manager of the show stated, “I couldn’t be more pleased with the 2013 show. Show attendance has been phenomenal and reports of gallery sales continue to grow. For the first time, we are beginning to realize a vision of the LA Art Show as a world-class art fair.”
Prominent collectors in attendance at the show included Eugene Sadovoy, Gayle Roski, Molly Barnes, David Bomford, Suzanne Deal Booth, Annie and Jonathan Burrows, Cindy and Tony Canzoneri, Sharleen Cooper Cohen and Martin L. Cohen MD, Veronica Fernandez, Robert Galstian, Patricia and Marshall Geller, Jane Glassman, Isabel Goldsmith-Patino, Homeira and Arnold Goldstein, Barbara and Glenn Golenberg, Susan Hancock, Adrienne and Elliott and Horwitch, Deborah Irmas, Brooke and Adam Kanter, Abby and Alan D. Levy, Helen Alameda Lewis, Kai Loebach and Lee Miller MD, Thomas Morgan, Esthella Provas, Judy Henning and Richard Rosenzweig, Susan and Bruce Samuels MD, Marcia and Richard Schulman, Terri and Michael Smooke, Elinor and Rubin Turner, among others.
Numerous galleries posted sales during the show and post-show sales transactions continue to remain brisk.
Gallerist Tobey Moss enthused about the atmosphere at the show, “I’ve never experienced such coverage…and attendance…and GOOD sales and clients for the future!”
The LA Art Show’s curated exhibitions were met with critical acclaim. Letters from Los Angeles: Text in Southern California Art received accolades from art critics from KCET, KPCC, The Daily News, Long Beach Press Telegram and other notable publications. In addition, The Los Angeles Art Association exhibition of Marilyn Lowey’s work Transitions #4 made the front page of the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times. Betsabee Romero’s work – which flanked one hundred feet of the entrance to the LA Art Show with four overhanging cloth prints -with was a hit with visitors.
China: FUSION presented by the National Base for International Culture Trade (NBFICT) under the commission and guidance of the China Ministry of Culture and Shanghai Municipal Culture Radio and Television Bureau was well received among visitors. The unique exhibition featured emerging artists from Mainland China whose works highlight the fusion of East and West culture through content and form. The 3600 square feet exhibition was designed as a traditional Chinese style “9-Couleurs”, with the core exhibition area highlighting China’s cutting-edge artists of the 1970s and 1980s.
The Dialogs LA Series featured prominent galleriests, artists and academics. Topics included: To Live and Paint in L.A with American Art Collector Magazine Editor Joshua Rose as moderator and panelists Gary Baseman, Greg Simkins and Jason Shawn Alexander, The Back Story of Art with panelsts Don Thompson, Richard Polsky and Bruce Helander as moderator, Chinese Artists of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s moderated by Art critic and journalist Weimei Chen, Tong Walton from Phoenix Art Palace, and Li, Qiongbo Editor of Art Gallery Magazine and founder of 53 Museum in Guangzhou, China, Letters from Los Angeles: Text in Southern California Art featuring artist panelists Mark Steven Greenfield, Bruce Richards and Alexis Smith with Jack Rutberg, as moderator, Rebuilding Our Heritage: Ordinance Reform and the Impending Mural Resurgence in L.A with Panelists Judithe Herandez, Glenna Avila, Tanner Blackman, Man One, Chris Espinoza, moderated by Isabel Rojas-Williams, Executive Director, MCLA and sponsored by Visual Art Source, ArtScene and art ltd. and The Joys of Collecting Art featuring panelists Blake Byrne, Clifford Einstein, and Bruce Helander, moderator. The 2013 Show also featured painting workshops with Alexandre Renoir, great-grandson of Pierre Auguste Renoir for children and and adult painting workshop with Davyd Whaley.
Major publications including: The LA Times, The Advocate, Flavorpill, The Guardian, NY Post, US Weekly, People Magazine, RadarOnline, Los Angeles Magazine, American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur, Angeleno, LA Confidential, KCET, KPCC, KABC, FOXMundo, Art & Antiques,The Art Newspaper, Art In America, LA Weekly, Art + Auction, The Huffington Post, and The Art Economist among others, reported from the fair floor.
The LA Art Show is entirely unique in the art world, juxtaposing contemporary works alongside historic and traditional to show movements and highlight the evolution of art through the ages. The LA Art Show provides seasoned collectors with a complete art experience through an expansive breadth of galleries that crosses contemporary, historic and print genres, and gives emerging collectors an opportunity to view a wide variety of works as they discover genres.
The show’s diverse array of artworks and galleries have been carefully curated and grouped into digestible sections. In essence, the LA Art Show is four distinct sections under one roof. The Modern & Contemporary Section, The Historic & Traditional Contemporary Section, The Los Angeles IFPDA Fine Print Fair & The Vintage Poster Section have been honed with the collector in mind. Unique in atmosphere, the aesthetics of each section have been designed to complement the art and create an immersive environment for collectors.
Featuring poured concrete floors and white wall, the contemporary section provided an ideal backdrop for works by Shepard Fairey, Damien Hirst, Christobal, Botero Jim Dine, Ed Ruscha, and others. With brilliant blue, green and grey felted walls against slate carpet, The Historic & Traditional Contemporary Section focused on historic works with their contemporary counterparts that embrace traditional techniques. Historic & traditional works included works by: Edgar Payne, Jesse Arms Botke, Joan Miro, Paul Gustav Fischer, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Marc Chagall, Tony Peters and others.
Juxtaposing many periods and movements, The Los Angeles IFPDA Fine Print Fair Section features a broad spectrum or works that include: Old Masters, German Expressionist, Antique and modern Japanese, 18th and 19th century European, 19th-century American, American Regionalist, Latin- American, and Modern Works to Contemporary Masterworks and new editions.
The LA Art Show is pleased to have the support of The Huffington Post, 94.7 The Wave, LAArtsOnline.com, Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Media partners include: 99ys, American Art Collector, American Fine Art, American Art Review, Antiques & Fine Art, Art & Antiques, Art + Auction, Art Gallery, Art Ltd, Art Scene, Artfacts.net, Artillery, Artnet.com, Artprice, Artweek, Beverly Hills Courier, Business Jet Traveler, Fabrik, Frontiers in LA, Gallery Guide, Gallery Sights, Journal of the Print World, KPCC, LA Weekly, L’Officiel Art, Luxe Immo, M Magazine, Magazine Antiques, Maine Antique Digest, Santa Fean, Trend, Visual Art Source, Western Art & Architecture, and Western Art Collector.
