| Reviews. MAG 17. Jan-Feb 09 |
| Written by Manuela Gabaldon |
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Page 1 of 6 palmbeach3For the past 12 years, Palm Beach County has brought together a number of seasoned and novice collectors, museum curators and trustees, art advisors, architects and designers for a celebration of the arts with its renowned palmbeach3 contemporary art fair, sponsored by The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Held annually at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, this fair has become a staple of the Palm Beach art scene presenting more than 80 galleries from 16 countries. The fair is an important event in the Palm Beach area as it brings together a community of artists and collectors that keep the arts alive at such a crucial point in our economy. We are in the midst of a “recession”, they say, a time in which, among other things, the arts have become a luxury or frivolity to many. It is at times like these that people like Fran Kaufman, fearless director of palmbeach3 contemporary art fair, and generous hosts such as Dale and Doug Anderson, Ted and Ruth Baum, Richard and Eileen Ekstract, and many others, step up to the plate to fend for the institution of the arts. Contemporary art, photography, video, and installation art, always participants in the fair, have always had a role in the interior design world, so this year, as one of several new programs at the 12th annual fair, palmbeach3 contemporary art fair introduces a Designer Committee. This designer committee, composed of leading New York and Palm Beach designers such as Juan Montoya, Carlton Varney, John Barman, Geoffrey Bradfield, and many other talents, leads the revolutionary efforts of the world of interior design into this cornerstone of Palm Beach arts and cultural awareness. In fact, palmbeach3 contemporary art fair has been cited to be, by art advisors, architects and designers, “one of the top destinations for innovative work at a comfortable range of prices.” Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this year’s 12th annual palmbeach3 contemporary art fair is the participation of distinguished museum curators from around the world such as Christopher Phillips, senior curator at New York’s International Center of Photography; Neil Watson, executive director of the Katonah Museum of Art in New York; Diana Edkins, director of exhibitions and limited-edition photographs for the Aperture Foundation in New York; Barbara Tannenbaum, chief curator of public programs for the Akron Art Museum in Ohio; and The Norton Museum of Art’s William and Sarah Ross Soter curator of Photography Charles Stainback. Their participation in lecture series, private tours of the fair, and VIP programs of exclusive visits to private collectors’ homes and behind the scenes tours of museums, is sure to enhance anyone’s experience of the fair, securing its place in the arts and promising a 13th year. |
