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A LIVELY MIX
STEADY ATTENDANCE AND SALES,
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NEW YORK, April 25, 2011. The 14th annual Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair at the Park Avenue Armory enjoyed steady crowds and sales, from the well-attended vernissage on April 13 straight through its four-day run, which ended on Sunday, April 17. An estimated 2000 persons attended Opening Night throughout the course of the evening, and an after-preview benefit dinner in the Armory’s Tiffany Room for the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) honoring Judy Cornfield was a sell-out. MAD also sponsored the new MAD Den Video Lounge designed by NY architect/designer David Ling, adding yet another media to the stimulating mix of art and design at the fair.
A healthy crowd of collectors, curators, architects, interior designers, art advisors and new enthusiasts took in SOFA NEW YORK, presented by 57 galleries from 12 countries, and produced by The Art Fair Company. President and founding director of SOFA fairs in New York, Chicago and Santa Fe, Mark Lyman said, “It was a good show. As in any art fair, there were extraordinary sales for some, more moderate ones for others, but most seemed pleased with the outcome. Weekend attendance was strong and dealers reported well-qualified collectors, designers and curators on the show floor, as well as younger buyers, many attending SOFA for the first time at the New Collectors/ Young Designers evening.”
Lyman continued, “150 designers attended the Designer Breakfast, where we were honored to have Jack Lenor Larsen present the LongHouse Reserve Special Recognition Awards for best booth and best artwork at the fair.” Larsen, an internationally known designer, author, and collector, gave SOFA NEW YORK high marks: “This show is the best show of this work that I have seen in 65 years. I have never seen a show where there is so much I would like to acquire. (It) is increasingly international, and I admire the dealers for continuing to bring new works and new challenges to the viewers.”
400 high-level gallery clients participated in the ultra-exclusive VIP program and 470 collectors and arts-interested public alike attended the Lecture Series. Douglas Heller of Heller Gallery, New York said, “Opening night was filled with collectors.” Tom Grotta of browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT agreed, “Unlike many other fairs, we sell particularly to collectors and designers at SOFA.” Many dealers reported securing commissions for work. Designers Geoffrey Bradsfield and Christopher Boshears commissioned porcelain sculpture by Chris Antemann at Ferrin Gallery, Pittsfield, MA from the gallery’s stand-out special installation inspired by 18th c porcelain rooms. Adrian Sassoon of Clare Beck at Adrian Sassoon, London added, “There have been lots of museum people here,” including curators from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and Museum of Contemporary Art, London.
Leading the way in Asian Art sales was Manhattan’s venerable Joan B. Mirviss Ltd., who sold all but one piece in her focus show of ceramic sculpture by Akiyama Yô ($12,000- 35,000), along with many works from a group show. Mirviss said, “There have been lots of new people from all over the US visiting the booth, and that’s why we’re here—to make new connections. The buzz in the Armory was incredible. Buyers are here to acquire.” Jane Sauer of Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe agreed, “Over half my sales were to new clients,” adding that it was her best SOFA in six years of exhibiting at the fair. Sales included four commissions from designers for home and commercial spaces.
New dealers to SOFA NEW YORK reported good results. Mounting perhaps the most visually resplendent booth, Litvak Gallery, Tel Aviv reported an excellent fair, selling five major glass sculptures on Opening Night. Sales included works by Vaclav Cigler ($68,500), four by Bertil Vallien ($10,000 – 26,000) and Jules Weiland ($10,500). Felix Flury of Gallery S O, London reported a very good result, with pieces by conceptual jeweler Bernard Schobinger selling well. "The audience seems very prepared, they did their research before coming into the show, which has been a nice surprise."
First-time exhibitor Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London said they had sold so well they had to completely replenish their handsome booth over the weekend, which was awarded the LongHouse Reserve Special Mention Award for excellence in booth design by Jack Lenor Larson. Ippodo Gallery, New York and David Richard Contemporary, Santa Fe also enjoyed rewarding sales. Richard Barger of the latter said, “There has been a great crowd, Energy is good and there are serious buyers.”
Lewis Wexler of Wexler Gallery in Philadelphia said he sold major sculptures in glass on Opening Night including works by Tom Patti ($72.000), and Stanislav Libensky/Jaroslava Brychtova ($38,000). Other Wexler sales at the fair included a William Morris sculpture for $86,000. William Zimmer of William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, CA showing studio art furniture said, “It’s been a benchmark week! I haven’t even had time to count up the sales yet!” Sales included three major pieces by Kent Townsend priced from $19,500 – 26,000. More Key Sales
New Collectors/Young Designers Night
SOFA NEW YORK’s first New Collectors/Young Designers Night on Friday got off to a smashing start with the 35 and under set with alumni attending from the Institute of Fine Arts, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), School of Visual Arts, New York University, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Boston University’s MFA Program, Pilchuck Glass School, and Chicago Art Institute; young collectors groups from the Museum of Modern Art, The Smithsonian, The Whitney Contemporary, and Fuller Craft Museum, Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses; young designers from the offices of Bradley Stephens, Jayne Michaels, Adrianne Neff, Jennifer Eisenstadt, Tamara Eaton, and Tim Button; Arts Night Out; and a group of filmmakers from Roadside Entertainment. A young glass artist/collector summated, “It’s been such a positive experience to have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the artists here, to hear the stories behind the artworks and see them in a new light.”
"It’s very interesting to see the diversity of the work—some things are purely design and functional, some, purely fine art," said an Art Institute of Chicago alum. A RISD alumnus agreed, “It’s really amazing to see such a wide variety of work.” An NYU alumnus said, “I was unaware of SOFA before tonight, and am thrilled to be here.” “Quite like the playfulness of the Costume Costume photo booth at Sienna Gallery,” said a MOMA Young Collector. And another: “I love the ring series and laser cut earrings in Sienna’s photobooth. I wouldn’t have tried anything on without the photobooth. It’s fantastic!” Some attendee Tweets projected live onto video screens from the show floor throughout the evening: LongHouse Reserve Special Recognition Awards
At the Designer Breakfast Preview Friday morning, Jack Lenor Larsen, whose name is synonymous with 20th c textiles, presented the 1st annual LongHouse Reserve Special Recognition Awards for Best Artwork in Show to master Japanese ceramic artist Yasuhisa Kohyama for Kaze, Stony Ash, anagama-fired stoneware, 18 x 11 x 4.5, represented by Lacoste Gallery, Concord, MA; and Best Booth Design to new dealer Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London for its intimacy and “wonderful character.” Lucy Lacoste of Lacoste Gallery said, “The Yashuhisa Kohyama pot that received the award was sold to a new collector who loves Japanese ceramics and had never made a purchase at that level before. It was also our piece with profit going to the Japan earthquake relief fund.” Internationally acclaimed, Larsen is one of only four Americans honored with a retrospective at the Palais Du Louvre, Paris. LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, New York is Larsen's public exhibition space, arboretum and sculpture garden.
The invitation-only 4th Designer Breakfast was the best attended in SOFA NEW YORK’s history with a capacity crowd of over 150 designers previewing the fair on Thursday morning prior to its opening to the general public. Attendees included Edward Lobrano, Edward, Christophe Pourny, Dennis Rolland; Michele Safra, Tom Scheerer, Matthew Patrick Smyth, Bradley Stephens, Stephanie Stokes, Geoffrey Bradfield, Ronald Bricke, Russell Bush, Carl D'Aquino, Joanne DePalma and Marjorie Gordon. A lively and informative panel discussion was moderated by Greg Cerio, editor of “Modern,” a Brant publication, and featured highly acclaimed modernist designers Alexander Gorlin, Amy Lau, and Juan Montoya.
470 attendees enjoyed the SOFA Lecture Series in the Armory’s Tiffany Room, which was complimentary with admission and expanded to three days this year. Tom Grotta of browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT expressed the importance of the Series in attracting the right people and contextualizing the work on offer at the fair: "The tapestry lecture brought a lot of weavers in, and very much legitimizes what we do—they know what they are looking at and are our audience for understanding the work to its fullest.” 75 interested and qualified professionals attended the lecture Tapestry Becomes Modern Art featuring Grace Glueck, former New York Times art critic; Ann Lane Hedlund, author of Gloria F. Ross & Modern Tapestry (Yale, 2010) and master weaver Archie Brennan. The Art of Not Making presented by Michael Petry, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, London and represented by Berengo Studio 1989, Murano, Venice, was the best attended lecture with 95 persons. 92 persons attended American Modernist Jewelry presented by Jeannine Falino, Curator of the Museum of Art and Design (MAD). The lecture tour led by MAD Chief Curator, David McFadden was enjoyed by a standing room-only crowd in the MAD Den Video Lounge, and continually picked up more people while walking the show floor. Lecture sponsors included The Society of North American Goldsmiths and Art Jewelry Forum.
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© 2011 The Art Fair Company, Inc. No reproductions may be made of any content of this site without the approval of The Art Fair Company. All Rights Reserved. |
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