Previewing upcoming art exhibitions from coast to coast, American Art Collector is a unique monthly magazine specially designed to bring living representational artists, galleries and active art collectors together in one place.
One of the first major events of the year is the LA Art Show. The fair, which happens typically over the second or third weekend of January, is a staple of the art world on the West Coast and brings over 80 contemporary and traditional art dealers to the Los Angeles Convention Center each year. This year, the show broke an attendance record by bringing in nearly 70,000 people to the three-day event. That is 70,000 people coming to look at art in downtown Los Angeles on January days with the thermometer nearing 80. But people didn’t just show up. They bought. Several galleries I spoke with told me that the show this year was the best they have ever done sales wise. And it’s not just from the LA…
When he was 12, Vincent Desiderio painted Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam on the ceiling of his parent’s garage. He hasn’t let up. His often monumental paintings and triptychs have explored narrative and paint itself. His son Sam suffered a stroke at the age of 4. Some of Desiderio’s most powerful paintings are of Sam alone or with his family supporting him, often sleeping. Ten years later Desiderio contracted a rare form of cancer that left him bedridden during his recovery. The inspiration for his painting Sleep came in those sleepless hours. The title painting of his recent Marlborough exhibition is Theseus, a tumble of nude bodies and creatures reminiscent of Hans Memling’s The Last Judgement. There is the story as well as “the story of the manner in which the…
Bo Bartlett Center Opens The Bo Bartlett Center on the campus of Columbus State University opened its doors on January 18. Located in a former textile warehouse, the center aims to explore creativity and learning within the context of the work and studio practice of painter and Columbus, Georgia, native Bo Bartlett. The center also houses and display the Scarborough Collection, which consists of 14 monumental paintings by the artist. Vivid Narratives German artist Thomas Struth’s pivotal series on the Middle East is on view in its entirety for the first time at the Aspen Art Museum. The series of 18 monumental photographs of Israel and Palestine taken between 2009 and 2014 depicts places and people throughout the region, conveying vivid and emotional narratives of place. It remains on view…
In every issue of American Art Collector magazine, we publish the only reliable guide to all major upcoming fairs and shows nationwide. Contact our assistant editor, Erin Rand, to discuss how your event can be included in this calendar at (480) 246-3789 or erand@americanartcollector.com. 8 MAR 2018 NEW YORK, NY THE ARMORY SHOW Piers 92 & 94 Featuring more than 200 international galleries, innovative artist commissions and dynamic public programs, The Art Show is a cultural destination for collecting 20th-and 21st-century art. www.thearmoryshow.com Through March 11 1 HONOLULU, HI HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART Abstruction: The Sculpture of Erick Swenson Eleven sculptures will be featured in the first major solo museum exhibition for Swenson, who creates labor-intensive pieces from cast polyurethane resin.. www.honolulumuseum.org Through July 29 2 RALEIGH, NC CAM RALEIGH Margaret…
At the core of the philosophy of Dwellings: A Kagan Company is the statement, “There is a difference between creating a house and a home—we create homes.” Alan Kagan lives that philosophy, a refreshing change from work-is-work, life-is-life and never the twain shall meet. Kagan was a developer and builder in Dallas before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico. “Continuing my commitment to modern style,” he says, “I remain committed to the art, comfort and space, expressed through modern architectural design. Clean, crisp lines with abundant natural lighting and open spaces ensuring comfort.” Kagan and his partner, Eduardo Moncada, live in an expansive home in the rolling hills north of Santa Fe with open spaces expanding out to the open spaces of the landscape and their endless views. It was…
In his foreword to the scholarly catalog to the exhibition Wayne Thiebaud: 1958-1968, University of California, Davis, interim chancellor Ralph J. Hexter lays out a conundrum. “Generally speaking,” he writes, “Mr. Thiebaud’s images seem defiantly elementary and quaint in their subject matter and technique, and yet there is a strong sense that a sharp intelligence has been employed to produce them—which in turn demands and sometimes inspires the sharpest intelligence the beholder can muster. This is not to deny that his cupcakes and pies offer simple—one might say delicious—pleasures. But there is so much more. Humor and a sometimes mischievous spirit are typical qualities—as if the subjects and style of his works might be, at least in part, a practical joke on a world that requires a serious demeanor from…
