IFAE art fairs in Florida set to return after record year

The International Fine Art Expositions (IFAE) - which runs four art fairs in the Sunshine State (and one in London) draws tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of exhibitors every year. Ahead of the openings of Miami Int'l Art Fair and Art Palm Beach, we spoke with owner and Florida art market pioneer Lee Ann Lester.

黑料不打烊

Dec 29, 2010

IFAE art fairs in Florida set to return after record year

When David and Lee Ann Lester decided to move their art dealings from Los Angeles to Miami, it seems they had a clear vision of the future - one in which Miami becomes a central destination on collectors鈥� art calendars. 鈥淐hicago, Paris, Cologne and Basel were the major fairs in the 1990s. As dealers in Los Angeles for many years, we felt that Miami was the future crossroads of the Americas. History proves that once the financial and economic institutions are established the cultural institutions will soon follow. Miami draws from the rich cultural heritage of its residents from the US northeast, South and Central America and Europe,鈥� Lee Ann Lester told 黑料不打烊.com.

And indeed, long before Art Basel Miami Beach arrived at the Sunshine State in 2002, the Lesters established Art Miami in 1991, The Palm Beach International Art & Antique Fair (now AIFAF) in 1997 and Art Palm Beach in 1998, followed by Naples International Art & Antique Fair.

In 2009, the Lesters resumed control of the two Palm Beach fairs after they had sold them to DMG World Media in 2001. After acquiring the historically favorable January dates formerly occupied by Art Miami for 16 years at the Miami Beach Convention Center, they entered a joint venture with Clarion Events to serve as the directors of the Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair, now re-branded as the London International Fine Art Fair at Olympia.

These five fairs were grouped together under one organization, the (IFAE), which is owned by the Lesters, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of exhibitors every year. The Miami fair drew 17,000 visitors in its first year, Art Palm Beach and the American Fine Art Fair drew 20,000; Art Palm Beach also drew a record 6,000 collectors on opening night, a record attendance for the convention center.

Crowds at Art Palm Beach

How did it all begin? 鈥淭here were a handful of very passionate and committed dealers in Miami in 1991 who supported the growing art museum institutions. They approached us to organize a fair with their support. The first year we had exhibitors from New York, Europe and Latin America,鈥� Lee Ann recounts.

According to Lester, 鈥淥ur collectors are comprised of local full time residents, snow birds from the Northeast, Europeans, Latin Americans, new collectors as well as veteran collectors. South Florida in January through March draws 25% of the world's wealthiest individuals. Retail sales rank as the single highest expenditure of these visitors and of seasonal residents during their visits to their Florida winter homes.

Palm Beach draws a very sophisticated Northeastern, Canadian, and European audience. The attendees now are younger and more educated about art, says Lester. 鈥淥ur lectures and panel discussions at our Palm Beach fairs are always full to capacity. There is a desire to learn more about the current trends in the global art market.鈥�

Right: Yves Klein, L'Esclave de Michel-Ange, 1962, Sculpture, IKB pigment on synthetic resin plaster, 60 x 22 x 15 cm, Art Palm Beach
Left: Niki de Saint Phalle, Lady with a Handbag, 2000, Sculpture, 63 x 36 cm, Art Palm Beach

Asked about the motives behind expanding from Florida to London, Lester said, 鈥淪ince 1990 over 50-60% of the exhibitors are from the UK or Europe. It was only natural that we become associated with the largest London-based Olympia Art and Antique fair. The UK now rates as the third largest art market in the world, 29% of the global market. As one of the major centers of financial institutions it draws one of the most dynamic global audiences for dealers and collectors. We see that this market will have tremendous growth in the next decade.鈥�

First in line this January is the Miami International Art Fair (January 14-17), which will bring together premiere Miami and international established and emerging galleries, curated exhibitions by guest Curator Gean Moreno, a full lecture series and artists conversations scheduled by leading art experts.

The fair will host 65 prestigious international dealers, exhibiting contemporary art, including photography, works on paper, sculpture, installations, art project rooms, and new media from emerging and established artists.

Volker K眉hn
Homage to Alexander Calder
2010, Mixed Media
27"x31"
MIA

MIA鈥檚鈥淥pen Space Project鈥� introduces current art statements and installations - a new art lab experience for top collectors. One of the 2011 MIA highlights includes Improvising Architectures - an art proposal of installations with a coincident lecture and symposium series organized by Miami Curator Gean Moreno. Participating artists include Nicolas Lobo, Christy Gast, Adler Gurrier, Heather Rowe, and Carlos Sandoval de Leon. "What these exhibitions haven鈥檛 done as consistently is place the work of Miami artists alongside that of their international generational peers in a concrete way--that is, by literally presenting the work side-by-side, on equal footing," said Gean Moreno.

Other special exhibitions at MIA will include: Museum of Ice - a 65鈥� ice installation by Canadian conceptual artist Gordon Halloran. Halloran has created a new art-form, paintings in ice; Social Medium - an interactive light installation created by emerging Chicago artist Tristan Hummel; and a specially commissioned wall of floating steel curtains by Colombia鈥檚 Claudia Hakim, a renowned fiber artist currently working on creating art from industrial parts. In addition, MIA will gather important women within the international art industry, including Brazil鈥檚 Maria Bonomi, South Africa鈥檚 Lorna Marsh, and Korea鈥檚 Hyung Joo Kim.

From Viking Funeral, A curated Exhibition by Gean Moreno at the Miami Art Fair

Days later, Art Palm Beach 2011 will open its grounds to gather 75 prestigious galleries, representing approximately 1,200 artists from across the globe.

Featured exhibitions will include a one-man exhibition from world-renowned sculptor Albert Paley. Paley, one of the leading American metal sculptors, was the first metal sculptor to receive the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Architects. The special exhibition will include the scale model of 鈥淎nimals Always鈥�, a 130-foot piece recently commissioned for the Saint Louis Zoo, in addition to some of his more recent works. Curator Gary Krimershmoy, will be presenting a historically significant installation of Post Soviet Contemporary Art that will include a panel discussion with Stella Kesaeva, Commissioner of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Rainer Lagemann
Cliff Diver, 2010
Cut Stainless Steel Pipe, Welded
72" x 72" x 12"h

Art Palm Beach鈥檚 annual lecture series and panel discussion highlights include: Photography, Video Art and Contemporary Art - How each Form Converges into the Art of Today; From Sand Drawing to Synthetic Polymer in Aboriginal Contemporary Art; Architecture and Art; Collecting Chinese Photography.

Gallery exhibition highlights include sculptures by Yves Klein and Niki de St. Phalie, Gallery De Buck, New York; paintings by Marc Quinn, Rudolf Budja Gallery, Salzburg (Austria); a one-man exhibition by Lino Tagliapietra, Shantz Gallery, Stockbridge (USA); new works by internationally renowned designer Rolf Sachs, by Priveekollektie Contemporary Art & Design Gallery Heusden (The Netherlands). Among the photography highlights include artists Chi Peng, Qiu Zhijie, Hong Lei, Hong Hao, Rong Rong, and Yin Xiuzhen presented by Chambers Gallery, New York (USA) and Beijing (China); Hendrik Kerstens by Witzenhausen Gallery, New York (USA) and Amsterdam (The Netherlands). The Holden Luntz Gallery in Palm Beach will be featuring an exhibition of outstanding photography from celebrated photographers Nick Brant, Carol Beckwith, and Angela Fisher.