SEATTLE ART FAIR 2016 OPENS WITH STRONG ATTENDANCE, POSITIVE SALES RESULTS, AND A BENEFIT FOR THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM

August 4-7, 2016 | CenturyLink Field Event Center

Courtesy of Seattle Art Fair.

 

 

Seattle, August 5, 2016—Following a celebratory toast led by Paul G. Allen, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Art Fair’s Host Committee Chair Jon Shirley, and Seattle Art Fair’s Director Max Fishko, the Seattle Art Fair, presented by AIG, opened on Thursday evening to a crowd of some 4,000 collectors, curators, and art world luminaries from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With over 85 national and international galleries – an increase from some 60 in its inaugural year – the fair is growing, yet it sustains a boutique feeling as a place where collectors can acquire some of the best art in the world in an intimate setting. The 2016 fair includes some of the most prestigious galleries worldwide, from such cities as Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Paris, Cologne, Seoul, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and beyond.

“Seattle Art Fair opened last night to an incredible group of collectors from Seattle and beyond,” noted Fair Director Max Fishko. “We are thrilled that so many people traveled to attend the fair and support our partner Seattle Art Museum. Sales took place across a multitude of price points and mediums, and attendance was fantastic. We’re off to a great start.”

Visitors on opening night got a first look at 2016’s Seattle Art Fair Projects & Talks, a series of special activities, performances, and installations organized by Artistic Director Laura Fried. Glenn Kaino’s mytho-geographic walking tours of the fair, led by famed New York tour guide Timothy “Speed” Levitch, was a highlight of opening night. Many attendees also enjoyed walking through Dawn Kasper’s interactive, room-sized forest of motion-activated cymbals; or viewing Adam McEwen’s full-scale sculptures of supercomputers made of graphite. The Projects serve as a powerful complement to the works exhibited at the fair. The Projects and Talks series continues August 5-7, with events planned both on-site at the fair and in adjacent neighborhoods.

The opening night of the fair saw positive sales results from exhibitors. A few highlights: David Zwirner (New York) sold works by Wolfgang Tillmans and R. Crumb. Pace (New York, London, Beijing, Palo Alto) sold work by teamLab—who are also presenting an interactive installation as part of the Seattle Art Fair’s Projects. Adams and Ollman (Portland, Oregon) sold work by Ellen Lesperance. Forum Gallery (New York) sold work by Alan Magee. Greg Kucera (Seattle) sold works by Marie Watt, Roger Shimomura, and Mark Calderon. Koki Arts (Tokyo) sold work by Ryoichi Nakamura. PDX Contemporary Art (Portland, Oregon) sold work by Joe Rudko, James Lavadour, and Jeffry Mitchell—who also has an installation of ceramics featured among the Seattle Art Fair Projects. Peter Mendenhall Gallery (Los Angeles) sold work by Daniel Douke.

Rebecca Hossack (London) sold work by Phil Shaw. Woodside/Braseth Gallery

(Seattle) sold work by Brandon Zebold.

The fair kicked off with the Beneficiary Preview from 5:30 – 8:30pm, raising over

$100,000 for the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), followed by the official Opening Night Preview. Notable guests included Rich and Sarah Barton, Cliff Burrows, Dale Chihuly, Adrian Hanauer, Marieluise Hessel, Christina Lockwood, David Morehouse, Jessica Morgan, Takashi Murakami, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Ginny Ruffner, Matthew Thompson, and many others.

Seattle Art Fair visitors enjoyed the Olson Kundig-designed Windermere VIP lounge. The design, entitled Thundercloud, blurs the physical boundaries between indoor and outdoor, while exploring the interplay of static and dynamic elements. Led by Olson Kundig principal/owner Kevin Kudo-King and associate architect Jerry Garcia, the design transports guests from the bustling fair area to a space for gathering, reflecting, and recharging. The hospitality area of the VIP lounge features a light installation of abstracted foliage by Etta Lilienthal, contrasted by a static backdrop of towering, dark fabric. From the hospitality area of the lounge, guests move into a sculptural seating area sited within a tranquil grove of Thundercloud Plum trees. Visitors to the Windermere VIP lounge enjoyed culinary offerings from renowned Seattle chef Ethan Stowell, the Official Chef Partner of the Seattle Art Fair.

 

FAIR INFORMATION

Seattle Art Fair

CenturyLink Field Event Center Fair Hours:

Friday, August 5, 11:00am – 7:00pm Saturday, August 6, 11:00am – 7:00pm Sunday, August 7,12:00pm – 6:00pm

 

Projects

The Seattle Art Fair Projects will debut a new series of special activities, performances, and installations to engage the fair’s public spaces, organized by Artistic Director Laura Fried.

On-site at the fair:

An ambitious lineup of solo projects by an intergenerational group of emerging and established artists will be on view at the CenturyLink Field Event Center during fair hours. For full descriptions, visit http://seattleartfair.com/projects-talks. Projects include:

  • Adam McEwen, Blue Gene 1 and Blue Gene 2, 2016
  • Brenna Murphy, SequenceSource_Array, 2016
  • Claire Falkenstein, Never a Full Circle: Selection of Works
  • Dawn Kasper, Star Formation, 2016
  • Glenn Kaino, Aspiration, 2016; Twice daily tours August 5-7, 2016 during fair hours
  • Selection of new works by Jeffry Mitchell
  • Kishio Suga, Correspondence, 2006
  • Public Fiction, A Witness and a Weapon: Middle grays, Color Bars and the comma in between* In two venues: The Seattle Art Fair and the Henry Art Gallery
  • Roxy Paine, Experiment, 2015
  • teamLab, Sketch Aquarium; As part of its youth program, the fair presents a kid- friendly space in collaboration with the collective teamLab

Off-site in adjacent neighborhoods:

Site-responsive projects in Pioneer Square and the International District/Chinatown will celebrate the many facets of performance, highlighting interdisciplinary work and a collaborative spirit. For full descriptions, visit http://seattleartfair.com/projects-talks. Projects include:

  • Brendan Fowler, Seattle, 2016 | Good Arts Building (110 Cherry St, Seattle, WA 98104); On view August 4-7, 2016 during fair hours; Performances scheduled on Saturday, August 6 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, August 7 at 5:00 pm
  • Flora Wiegmann, Halo of Consciousness, 2016 | Union Station (401 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104); Performances scheduled for Friday, August 5 at 1 pm & Sunday, August 7 at 1 pm and 3 pm
  • Glenn Kaino, Aspiration, 2016 | Beginning at CenturyLink Field Event Center & Hing Hay Park (423 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104); Twice daily tours August 5- 7 during fair hours; Tours conducted in Martian English and led by Timothy

“Speed” Levitch. Register online at seattleartfair.eventbrite.com

  • Wynne Greenwood, In Loving Memory, 2016 | Occidental Square (117 S Washington St, Seattle, WA 98104)
  • Bebe Miller + Darrell Jones, Duet with Piece Of String, 2016 | Union Station (401 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104); Performance scheduled for Friday, August 5 at 4pm
  • luciana achugar, The Pleasure Project, 2016 | Occidental Square (117 S Washington St, Seattle, WA 98104); Performance scheduled for Friday, August 5 at 10am

Learn more about the Projects online at http://seattleartfair.com/projects-talks

 

Talks

Seattle Art Fair Talks will present a program of two-person dialogues by an array of artists and leaders in creative fields with deep connections to the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest. The Talks will take place throughout the run of the fair, in the Seattle Art Fair Theater within CenturyLink Field Event Center. Focusing on curiosity and the ways a distinct sense of place can create a powerful cultural context, the Talks lineup includes:

 

  • Friday, August 5 at 12:00pm, Sharon Johnston + Rita McBride
  • Friday, August 5 at 3:00pm, Lauren Mackler + Emily Zimmerman
  • Saturday, August 6 at 2:00pm, Kim Gordon + Branden W. Joseph
  • Saturday, August 6 at 4:00pm, Kyle MacLachlan + Carrie Brownstein
  • Sunday, August 7 at 3:00pm, Anne Ellegood + Brian Jungen Learn more about the Talks online at http://seattleartfair.com/projects-talks

Official Chef Partner

Renowned chef and Seattle native Ethan Stowell will be the official chef partner of the 2016 fair.

 

Official Online Partner

Artsy, the leading resource for learning about and collecting art, is renewing its partnership with the Seattle Art Fair for 2016. To learn more about Artsy visit: artsy.net

 

Cultural Partners

For the full list of Seattle Art Fair 2016 Cultural Partners visit seattleartfair.com/cultural- partners.

 

Fair Sponsors

For the full list of Seattle Art Fair 2016 Sponsors visit http://seattleartfair.com/sponsors/.

 

Seattle Art Fair

Seattle Art Fair was founded by Paul G. Allen as a unique and innovative art experience showcasing the vibrant culture and diversity of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to being a destination for new and established collectors and international art patrons, the fair shines a light on Seattle’s thriving art scene. Now in its second year, the fair features local, regional, and international art galleries presenting top-tier modern and contemporary art.

The Seattle Art Fair is produced by Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. and Art Market Productions.

For more information, and a full list participating galleries, visit: seattleartfair.com.

Join    the    conversation    on    Instagram,    Twitter,    and    Facebook    by    following

@SeattleArtFair and using the hashtag #SeattleArtFair when posting.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

 

Ellen Watkins FITZ & CO 646-589-0929

[email protected]

 

Meg Blackburn FITZ & CO 212-620-7390

[email protected]

Seattle Art Fair Opens With Strong Attendance

August 05, 2016

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