Janet Lehr’s TheaterArts ArtMkt
ADAA The Art Show 2012, organized by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) to benefit Henry Street Settlement, York City’s best-known and most effective social services and arts agencies. the 24th edition of The Art Show was inaugurated by Mayor Bloomberg, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin.
The ADAA annual show is the flagship event of Armory Week in NY, a winter rival to America’s must attend early winter show, the Miami-Basel Art Fair. ADAA is the country’s longest-running fine art fair. Attendance this year was exceptional—nearly 20,000 collectors, museum directors, curators, artists, art enthusiasts, and media came to view museum-quality works from 72 of the nation’s leading art galleries, all members of the prestigious ADAA. The fair offered a distinguished list of notable artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Joseph Stella, Wayne Thiebaud, Yoshitomo Nara, Gerald Richter, Richard Serra.
No longer a ‘secondary market’ fair of great and near great art-stars, the 2012 ADAA Fair shows an increasing number of primary-market, contemporary artists; Cindy Sherman, Adam Fuss, John Baldessari, Tanya Bonakdar, a great Yinka Shonibare (headless figure complete with desk), Ellsworth Kelly, Elad Lassry were few of ‘today’s’ artist’s of note. However the ‘secondary market’ thrilling moments were memorable; Francis Picabia (at Michael Werner Gallery), Auguste Renoir (at Acquavella Galleries), James Ensor (at Peter Freeman), Romare Bearden (at DC Moore) Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Mega collectors Eli Broad and his wife Edythe, virtually opened the fair. Other early arrivals like Beyeler Museum director Sam Keller and collector, MoMA chief painting and sculpture curator Ann Temkin, Whitney Museum chairman emeritus Leonard Lauder, Art Basel co-director Marc Spiegler and New Museum supporter Marty Eisenberg were among the glitteri collectors.
Testament to the sophistication of the fairgoers at the Armory were the several sold-out shows. Henry Taylor at Blum & Poe; Sarah Sze at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery (a spectacular, charming, amazing, amusing group of works); Suzan Frecon at David Zwirner Gallery; Yoshitomo Nara at The Pace Gallery, Elliott Hundley at Regen Projects; and a two-person exhibition of works by Lynda Benglis and Adam Fuss at Cheim & Read. LOOKING FORWARD TO ADAA 2013
March 7 – 11, 2012
67th Street Armory, New York City
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