Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i American Art Collector

Welcome to our December issue! This has been the year of the #newnorm in art buying as well as everything else in the world. We look forward to 2021 and gaining back the momentum of travel and events. We are here to tell you that art buying is on the rise, and as we close our 2020 issues, collectors are still collecting and we’ve heard that galleries and auctions are selling paintings at record prices. People want art in their life, and American Art Collector is that bridge. We’d like to take the time to thank our loyal subscribers and advertisers. Week after week, we receive positive feedback about the art we are sharing with the world and could not do that without the galleries, artists and events fidlling these…

In recognition of the legacy of Betye Saar, as well as her daughters Lezley and Alison, Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, presents Legends from Los Angeles. The exhibition features approximately 20 paintings, prints and mixed media works by the Saar women, all from or promised to the Crocker Art Museum. Running January 24 through August 15, 2021, the show intentionally coincides with Black History Month, Women’s History Month and Mother’s Day.…

Since the very beginning, American Art Collector has been dedicated to presenting among the best in representational artwork today. We work with gallery owners around the country to preview upcoming exhibitions for their artists. Featured in our pages have been works from Jeremy Lipking, Brad Kunkle, Mia Bergeron, Robert Lange, Richard Schmid, Joseph Todorovitch, Andrea Kowch, Ron Hicks, Sharon Sprung, Eric Wert, Kenny Harris, Quang Ho, Kevin Sloan, Roger Dale Brown, Robert Liberace, Bo Bartlett, Will Wilson, Kerry Brooks, Phillip Thomas, Vincent Giarrano, Kathy Anderson, Sherrie McGraw, Susan Grossman and the list goes on and on. When we started 15 years ago, many of these artists were first starting out too, while others were well into their careers. Regardless of where they were, it’s been exciting to see how their…

What did you learn in 2020? Pretty much realized that whatever it takes to achieve the dream you have brewing in the back of your mind, you must do it now, before you run out of time. When will I “run out of time?” I ask myself, and like everyone else: you will never know. Could be tomorrow, could be in 30 years. But if there is a chance that it comes tomorrow, or the next day, or the next…the only thing I should do, is to start doing whatever I want with my life and my art, starting right now. So, that will be the mindset for this year and every year following. Painting only how I wish, not involving myself personally with social media, working on a visual…

The figurative paintings of Katie O’Hagan explore the depths of human emotions. She is not afraid to touch on vulnerabilities and strengths, fears and adulations. The artwork is complex, yet relatable, which allows viewers to play an active role in the narrative by finding their own story within her on her imagery. December 3 through January 4, RJD Gallery in Bridgehampton, New York, will present the exhibition Katie O’Hagan: Unbreakable, highlighting some of her newest paintings alongside a few past compositions. O’Hagan, who was born in Scotland and moved to the U.S. at age 21, often pulls ideas from her imagination, phobias and experiences. However, there isn’t a set intention when she paints. The ideas percolate in her head and evolve as she paints. “[My paintings] all usually end up…

Our neighbors to the north provide the world with abundant opportunities to admire and revel in the arts. With major cities across the country, such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, as well as Calgary and Edmonton (both in Alberta), Canada is both a haven of the outdoors and the urban. Take Montreal in Quebec, for instance, where French is the city’s o­ cial language with around 50 percent of the population speaking it. With institutions like Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Galerie Bloom, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and La Guilde specializing in Inuit and First Nations art, located right across the street, the major metropolitan city is brimming with culture. Nearby is Toronto in the Ontario province. In addition to arts institutions like Art Gallery of Toronto and the…

Through 12/1 Alexandria, VA Carlos Morago was born in Madrid and lives there today. It is also home to the Prado Museum, rich with masterpieces of European art from the 12th to the 21st century. Commenting on the influences on his art, Morago relates, “Beginning with the indisputable, unequalled Velázquez—who has been a reference point since childhood visits to the Prado Museum with my father, an art enthusiast—my development has led me to masters like Turner, Vilhelm Hammershøi, Hopper and the Spanish artist Antonio López. In each case, I have been drawn to their use of light, which is full of nuances while simultaneously avoiding strong contrasts.” Morago paints the built environment from city vistas to intimate hallways and courtyards. Although the human figure is absent from his work, the…

12/1-12/31 Chicago, LI Throughout the month of December, Lotton Gallery in Chicago will present a small works group show, just in time for the gift-giving season. Artists in the show include Yana Movchan, Gianni Strino, Gyula Siska, Francesca Strino and Tang Wei Min. Highlights from the show include two glorious floral still lifes. One of them is Movchan’s Floral with Birds and Apples, which shows a richly painted bouquet that seems to explode in pink, orange and green. Nestled in the arrangement are various birds and fruits. These vibrant colors are the hallmarks for Movchan, who was born in Ukraine, but now lives in Canada. “Her sublime mastery of the technique and structure of Renaissance painting combines with the instinctive symbolism of ‘magical realism’ to create a personal neo-realist idiom,”…

12/2-12/30 BOSTON, MA Sloane Merrill Gallery (617) 227-1775 • www.sloanemerrillgallery.com In his new exhibition, Nieuw Amsterdam at Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, Carlo Russo draws inspiration from Dutch still life and flower paintings. His works, which reflect “a love and curiosity of nature,” feature a variety of glassware, tankards and vessels as well as fruits, flowers, bugs, butterflies and insects. This combination has allowed Russo to “create a little story and sense of life in the picture as well as an expression of the idea of nature moving into the spaces depicted in my paintings.” Apples & Green Glass is centered around glass vessels that have a similar look to those found in 17th-century Dutch still lifes. “The forms are so much more interesting than the typical glass we use…

The Sunshine State hits its stride as the cooler months set in and the art events kick into high gear. While the 2020 art season will look different, galleries, museums and more have innovated to keep collectors clamoring for art even from the comfort of their homes. Among the art hubs in the state are Miami, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Palm Beach, Naples and Winter Park, to name a few. One of the prime reasons art lovers flock to Florida each December is Miami Art Week, which is scheduled for November 30 to December 6. This year there will be no live art fairs taking place, but many of the favorites have shifted to virtual events. The mainstay, Art Basel Miami Beach, has announced OVR: Miami Beach, a new iteration of…

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation recently announced a major five-year grant e. ort called the Monuments Project, with the goal of rebuilding major public monuments across the United States. The $250 million grant aims to transform the way our country’s histories are told in public spaces by reimagining commemorative spaces in a way that celebrates and a. rms the historical contributions of the many diverse communities within the nation. Mellon’s quarter-billion-dollar plan builds on two years of monument grantmaking.…

On June 16, 2020, John Seibels Walker had the honor of returning to his alma mater, The University of the South, to unveil the portrait of its most recent Vice-Chancellor, John M. McCardell Jr. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the heart of Tennessee, the university has a deep history in the region. Originally founded in 1857 to be the training denominational college for the southern Episcopalian delegates, it did not admit students until after the Civil War. The “Second Founding” took place in 1866 and is depicted in the stained-glass scene in Walker’s portrait. Tradition and community define the university, and as its leader for a decade, McCardell wanted to convey these guiding principles in his portrait. Wearing the red cloak with ermine trim that had…

Kim Martindale has been organizing and promoting art fairs for more than 40 years, including events such as the American Indian Art Show, LA Art Show, Objects of Art Santa Fe and many others. He’s cautiously optimistic about shows and fairs returning to in-person events by the summer of 2021. “We are very hopeful and optimistic that the shows will come back. Some fairs are moving ahead with February plans. For me, that’s a bit too early, so we’ll still be doing online and virtual then, but our May shows at this point are expected to be in-person functions,” Martindale says. “Right now we’re watching very closely events happening in France and other places, and they just had a show that had a huge outbreak after. That concerns us, so…

Learning to Fly, by Spanish sculptors Coderch & Malavia, depicts a boy leaning forward, poised on tiptoe, confident that his dream of flying will be realized by his wings of corrugated cardboard, bamboo and rope that will carry him above the trees and the sea. Ironically, it’s the sea into which Icarus fell when he ignored his father’s warning not to fly close to the sun because it would melt his wings of feathers and wax. Daedalus had designed the wings to escape the island of Crete where he and his son had been imprisoned by King Minos. Daedalus told Icarus to fly a middle route, away from the melting heat of the sun and the moisture of the sea, which would clog his wings. Icarus, thrilled by the sensation…

12/12-12/26 Pasadena, CA In the new exhibition Flower Power at Arcadia Contemporary in Pasadena, California, the theme of flowers moves beyond “the expected and mundane” still lifes. The paintings in the show include innovative compositions, unique color palettes and more, elevating the subject matter to new standards. “We invited bold and daring painters from around the world who use flowers in sexy, contemporary or daring imagery,” elaborates gallery owner Steve Diamant. “And while we certainly will include some of the in finest ‘traditional still life painters,’ we look forward to challenge people’s perceptions of what a painting with flowers would and could look like.” Figs and Vase is a personal painting by Loren DiBenedetto. “The pressed glass vase in this painting was my mom’s,” the artist says. “I wanted to…

Through 12/7 Boston, MA Gary and Sarah Milek acquired land in Vermont in the 1970s and established Cider Hill Gardens, “Where gardening and fine art interact.” “When I conceptualize,” Gary Milek explains, “I celebrate the joy of putting my hands in the earth, feeling its life-giving force, the smells of springtime, the lush abundance of summer, the vigor and energy of autumn and the frozen crystal beauty of winter. I love the seasons, each one to be celebrated and honored.” On an early fall day he mused about a magnolia outside his window that blossomed in early spring and was “still holding on to its green,” obscuring the burgeoning oranges and reds of the fall foliage beyond. Unlike the magnolia, the other trees are beginning to lose their leaves opening…

12/4-12/31 SANTA FE, NM Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art (505) 986-1156 • www.giacobbefritz.com Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, will host its annual small works exhibition December 4 to 31 featuring small-scale treasures by some of the gallery’s most recognized artists. The artwork will span a number of genres and mediums, highlighting the range of talents found at the gallery. Being at a smaller size, these works are also more affordable and able to fit into collections easily. “We always look forward to our annual Small Works Show, but this year will be especially sweet considering the circumstances,” says gallery associate Hannah Warren. “Our gratitude for art is heightened in these difficult times, and the creativity of artists like Rebecca Haines really does bring forward a little extra magic.” Along…

WWW.AMERICANARTCOLLECTOR.COM/SUBSCRIBE MISSING an ISSUE? To purchase past issues visit www.AmericanArtCollector.com or call 1.877.947.0792 Create a library of fine art in your home by purchasing past issues of American Art Collector. Enjoy timeless works of art, follow artists’ careers, and explore gallery exhibitions and coast-to-coast art destinations that continue to define the nation’s art market. STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR. 2. Publication No. 1547-7088. 3. Filing Date: 9/30/2020. 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly. No. Issues Published Annually: 12. Annual subscription price: $36.00. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 7530 E. Main Street, Suite 105, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 USA. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 7530 E. Main Street, Suite 105, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 USA. 9. Full…

American-Iranian artist Pegah Samaie’s paintings are highly personal accounts of women’s identity, religion and politics relating to her experiences growing up in Iran and then moving to the United States. Having found a strong voice and freedom through her artwork, Samaie uses her striking imagery “to face the experiences she and other women have encountered in a culture dominated by patriarchal governments and households,” and the works “reflect the inspiration that brings hope for the women who have lost their liberty and identity in places where there is little freedom.” In her newest series, The Birth, Samaie uses two windows to explore the oppression and opportunity in her life related to the issues women face. The first looks at her life in Iran up until 2006, while the second is…

The National Museum of Women in the Arts holds the sixth installment in its Women to Watch exhibition series, Paper Routes, which showcases a diversity of contemporary women artists working in paper. Presented every two to three years, the series is a dynamic collaboration between the NMWA and participating outreach committees. Paper Routes features mixed media works from artists across the country and the world, including Elizabeth Alexander, Natasha Bowdoin, Paola Podestá Martí, Hyeyoung Shin, Elisabetta Di Maggio, Julia Goodman and many others..…

With locations across the globe, Pace Gallery, known for showcasing 20th- and 21st-century artwork, opens a new Palm Beach, Florida, space this November. The gallery will celebrate the opening of the location, which will be situated within Palm Beach’s Royal Poinciana Plaza, with an exhibition of works by California-based artist James Turrell, followed by a series of solo and group shows by artists from across the gallery’s program.…

The recurring joke in action movies is how the hero could walk away from the big explosion and not turn around to witness the wanton destruction unfolding behind him. Having experienced 2020, I get it. I wouldn’t look either. It’s just too painful. Back there is chaos. Forward, that’s where this story has to take us. And forward is where we’re going. While pondering what 2021 might look like, we reached out to more than a dozen fine artists all around the country, and some outside of it, to get their perspectives on what is to come. What we found is a future filled with hope. And make no mistake, that is a big deal. Our scientists and doctors will save our bodies. Our religious leaders will save our souls.…

The human figure tells a story. Every corporeal form on this earth comes etched with that person’s past experiences, their pain, their joy, the subtle quirks and ways in which they carry themselves through the world. This doesn’t pertain to just physique, sex or gender expression—although these elements can greatly inform a person—but that of a childhood scar, a slouching gait, a tiny chip in your tooth from an accident that occurred decades ago or perhaps something chosen, like a tattoo. “I’ve always been fascinated by the human body as an artist. I think between intensive ballet training as a child and developing serious chronic health issues as a young teenager, the body became something I was intensely aware of, not just as the vehicle in which I moved through…

33 CONTEMPORARY GALLERY Zhou B Art Center, 4th Floor 1029 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609 www.artsy.net/33-contemporary ANNIE MEYER Annie Meyer Gallery (503) 957-6800 anniemeyerartwork@gmail.com www.anniemeyergallery.com CODERCH & MALAVIA info@coderchmalavia.es www.coderchmalavia.com EVAN GOLDMAN evan@evangoldmanart.com. www.evangoldman.com JC HAYES (210) 367-617, jchayes369@earthlink.net KARI VISSCHER karivisschermd@gmail.com www.karivisscher.com LORETTA MCNAIR www.lorettamcnair.artspan.com MAGDALENA GALLERY OF ART 27 E. Main Street, Carmel, IN 46032 (317) 844-0005 art@magdalenagallery.com www.magdalenagallery.com RASHMI REKHA (613) 797-1231 rashmirekhaart@gmail.com www.rashmirekha.net RJD GALLERY 2385 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton, NY 11932, (631) 725-1161 www.rjdgallery.com STONE SPARROW NYC 45 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 10014, (646) 449-8004 www.stonesparrownyc.com THE SARAH WEST GALLERY OF FINE ART 2750 Lee Road #430, Smiths Station, AL 36877, (334) 480-2008 sarahwestgallery@att.net www.thesarahwestgalleryoffineart.com TRACY FREIN tracyfrein@gmail.com www.tfrein.artspan.com WILLIAM TURNER GALLERY 2525 Michigan Avenue, E-1 Santa Monica, CA 90404, (310) 453-0909 www.williamturnergallery.com…

Through 12/5 New York, NY Objects in a home, like flatware, vessels and various silver, carry the stories of all of those who used them, and thus, are imbued with their own inherent meanings. Some of these heirlooms may end up in antique shops, while others are passed on to relatives, but all the same, a story is always there. Leslie Lewis Sigler, who resides in California, finds these objects beautiful, whether it be an ornate, gleaming vase or a weathered set of forks and spoons. In many ways, Sigler’s fascination began when her mother-in-law sent her a box of mismatched, tarnished silverware that had once belonged to the godmother of Sigler’s husband. “She was very eclectic, a collector of strange things,” the artist says of her husband’s godmother. “I…

11/18-12/24 New York, NY Painter Carolynda Macdonald, who lives and works alongside her husband in a small seaside town on the east coast of Scotland, will be participating in a unique show with Stone Sparrow NYC titled Parallel Universe. The exhibition, beginning November 18 and running through December 24, will include three other small solo shows for Macdonald’s husband Alan Macdonald, Josh Lawyer and MJ Lindo-Lawyer. “Macdonald paints bird studies,” explains Marina Eliasi, Stone Sparrow gallery owner and curator, “but her birds aren’t just birds. They’re magical canvases for tapestries, fine china patterns or details of Old Masters’ paintings. Each of her characters reside in imaginary landscapes with faraway castles, mists, rivers to tropical lands and many of them have props with hidden symbolism in the foreground. I always look…

11/27-12/19 SANTA FE, NM EVOKE Contemporary (505) 995-9902 • www.evokecontemporary.com November 27 through December 19, EVOKE Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico, will present a solo exhibition for artist Seth Armstrong. Armstrong, who was born and raised in Los Angeles and lived in San Francisco and Oakland for a decade before returning to LA, is often inspired by his city surroundings and his life situations. His exhibitions don’t typically have a theme, but 2020 had an impact on his artwork. “With all of the political and social unrest, the pandemic with all of its ramifications, and most recently the fires and smoke throughout California, it’s been hard to ignore the crazy emotional fog that blankets almost every act and thought,” says Armstrong. With all of these ideas in his head,…

1 New Advertiser Lands Commission The September issue of American Art Collector marked artist John Pompeo’s first time advertising in an art magazine. “Being that all my shows had been cancelled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, I decided to go for it and try something new,” he explains. “I chose to feature one of my larger oil paintings that was a panoramic of an Amish farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, about an hour from my studio. It was based on a plein air study that I did last summer.” The work featured was a triptych measuring 30 by 90 inches across three different-sized panels. His advertisement included a black background, which made the lushly colored painting pop. “Not long after the ad was published I received an email from…