Glitter on the Bay!
SF Fine Art Fair Opens with Record Crowd of 4,000 and Sales through the Roof!
May 19 – 22 at Fort Mason Center
www.sffineartfair.com
20 May 2011 – San Francisco, CA: Almost 4,000 people danced, walked and bought art at last night’s preview of the SF Fine Art Fair (www.sffineartfair.com), continuing through May 22 at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion. Under clear skies with a gentle Bay breeze, Marcel Wilson’s “Maypole” sculpture (Bionic Design) comprised of three-plus miles of rope, welcomed the crème de la crème of Northern California’s cultural community to the largest arts fair on the West Coast.
“This year the fair presents over 70 prestigious contemporary art dealers from 10 countries, making it the largest and most internationally oriented art fair in the Bay Area,” said Rick Friedman, director of the SF Fine Art Fair. “Our attendees are able to explore an astonishing 50,000 square feet filled with today’s most compelling and intriguing contemporary art found anywhere on the West Coast.”
Delighted with signature wines from San Francisco’s first in-city winery, Treasure Island Wines (www.tiwines.com) and enchanted by such mind-bending installations as Brett Amory’s “The Seduction of Duchamp,” opening night attendees were treated to othe interactive contributions including works from the Performance Art Institute, an installation called “Cream From the Top” curated by Kathryn Weller Renfro, Paul Hayes’ Paperlight Fortress plus real-time presentatons by urban artist Augustus Thompson presented by FIFTY24SF Gallery/Upper Playground.
“Ranging from edgy ‘street art’ to the finest of the masters, the fair offers visitors a wide spectrum of media—from important paintings, works on paper, and printed editions, to fine art photography and sculpture,” Friedman continued. “The rigorous vetting process of our gallery selection committee has created an environment for discovering the best and latest trends.”
A highlight of the opening night was the honoring of SF MoMA Vice Chair Richard L. Greene with a lifetime achievement award, co-presented with the San Francisco Arts Commission.
“Richard L. Greene is the very definition of the civic minded collector,” said Luis R. Cancel, San Francisco’s Director of Cultural Affairs. “Through his tireless activism on behalf of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the entire Bay Area arts community, he has been a remarkable force that has advanced the visual arts milieu of the City. The Arts Commission is proud to honor him.”
The SF Fine Art Fair is taking place at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion (Marina Boulevard @ Buchanan Street), May 20 through May 22: Friday, 12noon–8pm; Saturday, 11am–7pm; Sunday, 11am–6pm. Admission is $ 20 per person; $15 advance ticket purchase. www.sffineartfair.com
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