The Art Show Gala Preview Attracts Luminaries, Raises Nearly $1 Million For Henry Street Settlement
The Art Show Gala Preview Attracts Luminaries, Raises Nearly $1 Million For Henry Street Settlement
By Bettina Zilkha
The Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) held its Gala Preview of The Art Show Wednesday night at the Park Avenue Armory. With a new Executive Director and a lighter, airier feel, The Art Show continued its partnership with Henry Street Settlement for the 31st year. Admission throughout the week, as well as proceeds from the Gala Preview, will benefit Henry Street Settlement.
"Our partnership with the ADAA is very synergistic," said Henry Street's Executive Director David Garza. "Henry Street's mission is to open doors of opportunity to Lower East Side residents and other New Yorkers. We work to call attention to social justice issues and social commentary. Nothing does that like the art world."
The ADAA's new Executive Director, Maureen Bray, was the engine behind the fair's more welcoming space.
"The first thing we did was redesign the front of the house for a more open feeling," said Bray. "We lightened the carpet, we got rid of return walls, we got rid of obstructions so the art can speak for itself."
"This year is the first time in history we've had this many collaborative booths," Bray continued. "Six galleries have chosen to work together, pairing up. It says a lot about our membership that they're working on projects together specifically for the presentation."
Attendance was once again stellar, with art world personalities Richard Armstrong, Kaws, Jeffrey Deitch, Sarah Arison, and Agnes Gund, mingling with collectors from the worlds of finance, fashion and art. Hilary and Wilbur Ross, Bobby Flay, and Nicole Miller came to see the Lichtenstein drawings at Leo Castelli and the all-blue booth at Luxembourg & Dayan, featuring works by Yves Klein, Irma Blank, Lucio Fontana, and Alighiero Boetti.
"We didn't do a blue theme on purpose, it just happened that way," said Amalia Dayan, whose gallery is a first-time exhibitor. "The fair is great for us - the gallery is ten blocks away, and our clients are all here. I like the size of the stands, the fact that it's manageable. It has the feel of a community."
Dayan's husband Adam Lindemann, founder of Venus Over Manhattan, was also a first-time exhibitor.
"I'm here because I joined the ADAA, and I thought it was the right thing to do," said Lindemann. "I like this fair because it's close to my house. I can walk home."
One of Lindemann's favorite pieces is John Dogg's Tire in the Box, which is literally a rubber tire inside a wooden box.
"It's a Richard Prince as John Dogg from the '80's," said Lindemann. "John Dogg is a mythical character that Prince invented in the '80's. I think it represents an aspect of his work that's overlooked and misunderstood - and Richard likes it that way. The piece is a Duchampian gesture, a hard-core conceptual act."
In the center booth, smack in the front, Angela Westwater of Westwater Sperone was holding court.
"It seems to be a good start to the evening," said Westwater, who was showing Susan Rothenberg works from 1974 to 2017. "I've done very well at The Art Show in the past, and the fair has gotten increasingly better. The dealers make a real effort to present the best work they can. We have to propose our shows in July, and there is a vote taken by our peers. It is a rigorous vetting process. I think that's why we get a great crowd and so may return visitors."