Monday, May 23, 2011

It's a Wrap

Margaret Bowland, Wedding Cake

Don Morris, Searching for Heroes
The weekend of art fairs in SF just ended, and I have a few favorites from each of the three. ArtMRKT, ArtpadSF and the SF Fine Art Fair distinguished themselves differently with their individual takes on what makes a fair, and depending on one's own particular taste, you'll have a favorite fair and "best of" list all your own. As for myself, ArtMRKT did what a great art fair should, lifting me off my feet while surrounding a large group of folks with some great contemporary artwork in a variety of media and styles displayed expertly in a cool and comfy setting. If I had to choose only one of the many pieces I'd love to own from ArtMRKT I'd happily walk away with Margaret Bowland's gorgeous Wedding Cake, 2009 Oil on Linen, 82"x66". Compared to ArtMRKT, the SF Fine Art Fair felt cold and sparse, although a few galleries shined. Don Morris' Searching for Heroes stopped me in my tracks with thousands of folded comics on a 72"x96" board. Despite this, the SF Fine Art fair at Fort Mason kinda bummed me out for a while, until we made it over to ArtpadSF where all became good in the world once again. The ArtpadSF artwork was often very good, and who doesn't like the Phoenix Hotel! ArtpadSF also had some super-fun music and dance performance, plus video projection at night which made the party. Can't wait for the return of all three fairs next year!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Art Fair Battle Royale


The preview party last night at ArtMRKT was a blast. Dinner beforehand at Skool (delicious) was a short walk in painful heels, and for some reason it felt like we were in Brooklyn. ArtMRKT is an impressive fair with a lot of significant artwork in a very cool set-up. We haven't been to the two other fairs yet---today is the first day they're open---but they'll have to be pretty great to compete in this battle of art fairs. ArtMRKT stands alongside all the best contemporary fairs we've visited in the last few years in the US and Europe, and it had the same vibe but with a cool San Francisco twist. So yay SF, you're on the art map for real this time!
Jen reconciles with Irreconcilable Differences

Hurray!



Jen 'n Kerri in front of the new Varnish Fine Art.

We're super excited about our new gallery space!  Just got the keys yesterday and will start renovations soon for re-opening this Summer.  The "official" re-launch is late September, but we have a lot of special plans for the summer.