LONG ISLAND, NY – Arthamptons, the original fine art fair of the Hamptons took place over the Fourth of July weekend from July 2-5, 2015.
The Hamptons Expo Group has emerged as one of the fastest growing fine art fair organizers in America. Their “boutique” shows feature prominent galleries offering the finest in post-war and contemporary art. Headquartered in Southampton, New York, the Hamptons Expo Group created and produces ArtAspen, ArtHamptons, the Houston Fine Art Fair and the Palm Springs Art Fair.
Art enthusiasts and Black Card Holders were welcome to a glamorous opening night party to be the first to view and acquire important works of art. Guests enjoyed delectable hor d’oeuvres by Cheffe Colette at The Inn Spot on the Bay, complimentary open wine bars sponsored by Sequoia Grove.
Purchase of the opening night ticket benefits Guild Hall + Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation. Generously Hosted by Maria and Kenneth Fishel.
During the opening night party I spoke to President and Founder Rick Friedman.
Arthamptons Founder and President Rick Friedman and First Lady of Arthampton Cindy Lou Wakefield.
Hello darlings, welcome back. I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at Arthamptons and I am here with the founder of Arthampton, Mr. Rick Friedman, and this is going to be a very very exciting weekend. Tell my audience when it starts.
Rick: Cognac it’s the eighth year we have been doing this. We are here at 899 Scutter Hole Road The fourth of July weekend, July 2, 3, 4 and 5. We expect thousands and thousands of people here. We have seventy galleries from fourteen countries. The average gallery traveled 2,700 miles to come here.
Oh my God! These paintings from all over the world.
Rick: Every corner of the world. There are four hundred artists represented here, from China and everywhere!
Is there an estimated value of all these paintings? Is it like millions of dollars?
Rick: Yes, it is about forty million dollars.
Forty million dollars! Wow! Forty smackaroos!
Rick: It’s hard to sell them all but we are going to do the best we can. We expect to sell millions of dollars of art this weekend.
Tell my audience some of the artists that are premiering their art.
Rick: We have some really big names, you know like the Andy Warhol’s and Alex Katz. We have some up and coming artists, there are 400 hundred artists here.
I can’t wait! Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information. What is the website?
Rick: Sure, http://www.arthamptons.com, Scuttle Hole Rd. and Lumber Lane in Bridgehampton.
Your gorgeous!
Rick: Thanks.
Rick Friedman went on to reveal “The fair will again offer fair-goers a curated and dazzling selection of important post-war and contemporary art in all media. We expect to showcase over 1,000 significant works of art by some 300 respected artists. Galleries from the East End will be joined by prominent dealers from 10+ countries. We will offer valuable must have treasures for every budget.” The fair will present a wide selection of artists to choose from – ranging from hot up-and-comers, to mid-career, to the major well-known masters.”
Rick Friedman is one of America’s most successful media entrepreneurs during the past two decades. During the 90’s Mr. Friedman pioneered advanced software technology through his many magazines, journals, books, expos and conferences. Founding SIGS Publications in his basement with just a thousand dollars, it grew to become one of the fastest growing businesses in the nation in the mid-late 90’s, with offices in the UK, Germany, France and Australia. SIGS became a thought-leader company for some 200,000 programmers in over 100 countries. After successfully selling SIGS in 1999, Mr. Friedman focused his attention on a new emerging technology, digital video and visual effects. Soon his NY and LA based Digital Video Shows became “the” industry event and he was able to acquire in 2003, Hollywood’s venerable filmmaker trade show, ShowBiz Expo (formerly owned by Variety ) Over 20,000 filmmakers and 250 sponsors – including Avid, Apple, Panavision, Panasonic, Sony, Canon and Kodak – supported his shows in NY, LA, and Chicago.
Mr Friedman, is a colorful entrepreneur whose earlier diverse range of ventures includes creating the 80’s syndicated TV show ” Dance Fever ” (original MC), producing and directing 80+ theatrical shows, musical concerts, and cabaret shows.. and also owning the USA Women’s Volleyball Team in 1985.
Over the past 5 years, Rick Friedman has become a serious collector of 20th Century American art, with an emphasis in Abstract Expressionism. Having acquired over 125 museum-level paintings during this period, he frequently loans his artworks to exhibitions and museum shows and has been featured in American Art Collector Magazine. With his current foray into the art fair business, Rick matches his passion for art, his many contacts in the art world and his experience as one of the nation’s most successful event producers. Rick has a dynamic ability to create successful dynamic marketplaces for buyers and sellers.
His entrepreneurial achievements led CNN to create a segment on his life and he is a member of the World Presidents Organization.
During my interview with Artist William Quiqley he conveyed why he loves Arthamptons so much, “Well, I love Rick and Cindy Lou Wakefield. They are amazing people and brought a lot of attention to the art world for the artists that they show and represent. First class, Arthamptons is amazing.”
William Quigley graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art in Pennsylvania in 1984. He also studied abroad at the Tyler School of Art in Italy for one year before enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania in 1984 to study Political Science. In 1985 he entered Columbia University Graduate School of Fine Arts in New York City for his MFA and opened for Andy Warhol at the McNeil Gallery for the Images of a Child’s World exhibition.
Qugley has traveled the world creating beautiful Art. The move to New York 1999 sparked an incredibly productive period working with a few different band’s such as Pete Francis, Dispatch, and Piano genius Paul Tillotson, creating albums, stages, and developed a company with Francis in 2000 called “Skrapper”. A T-shirt company using Quigleys Boxer paintings and quirky sayings on their products, t-shirts, stages, and albums. Scrapper Records was formed by Pete Francis using the original logo designed by web designer Jeremy Miller from a Quigley portrait of Marvin Hart.
Quigley’s work is collected by over 600 people worldwide, including influential figures as President Bill Clinton, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to athletes like Shaquille Oneal and Michael Jordan, Eminem, Woody Allen and Kevin Spacey.
During the evening I interviewed many artist including world renowned Artist Kevin Berlin.
Tell my audience what you think of Arthamptons this year,
Kevin: First of all I would like to introduce you to Elsa who came all the way to Arthamptons. I have been six months in Florence, Italy painting “Nutella.” “Nutella” is something that was invented just after the ward, 2nd World War and it is a chocolaty hazelnut spread that makes people happy. I don’t mean that cliche happy. I like to paint things that get people excited.
Internationally renowned artist Kevin Berlin’s works are found in the collections of Kim Basinger, Luciano Pavarotti, David Letterman, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Dudley and Lisa Anderson, Quincy Jones, Buzz Aldrin, Henry Buhl, and General Motors Corp. Berlin, a Yale University Alumnus, studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Shanghai Daily, The Miami Herald, USA Today, MTV, Tokyo Television, BBC Radio and over 40 television stations across the United States. Berlin was honored by President Reagan at The White House as a Young Arts Presidential Scholar in 1983. Kevin Berlin’s recent major solo exhibitions include shows in Shanghai, Kiev, Chicago, and New York City.
Arthamptons 2015, Debra Rothberg, Artist George Schulman and Cognac Wellerlane.
Two other fabulous artists that I conversed with were Giancarlo Impiglia and Long Island Artist George Schulman.
Giancarlo Impiglia packs a mighty wallop of Art historical references in his lively compositions. He stands on the shoulders of the Italian futurists, recalls the flourishes of Art Nouveau, celebrates the curving geometry of Art Deco and integrates the concept of Cubism.
Giancarlo Impiglia showcased his “Energy of Bodies in Motion” at Counterpoint Contemporary Fine Art Booth at Arthamptons. Wildly colorful kinetic, exuberant and at times visually tense, Master Huntington, Long Island Artist George Schulman stands apart from other artists. His art work pans over 30 years of creativity. George showed his work at the Lawrence Booth at Arthamptons and you can see more of his work at the Lawrence Art Gallery in East Hampton.
For more information about Arthamptons please visit http://www.arthamptons.com
