Nearly 80 art exhibits running the gamut of style and form graced Sayre Park in Bridgehampton this weekend for the fourth annual ArtHamptons Summer Fine Art Fair, the first of a pair of back-to-back dueling Hamptons art exhibitions.
The works exhibited ranged from post-war to contemporary, photography to sculpture. Artists behind the works hailed from Japan to Long Island, all coming together for the three-day event on a custom-built pavilion.
Among the many events Saturday was a viewing of the 2010 documentary Full Circle: Before They Were Famous, about the careers of Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana and William John Kennedy, whose work was featured throughout much of the fair and had inspired many of the artists’ works on display.
“Artist should foresee the things to come,” Ultra Violet, a French artist and colleague of the late Warhol, said during a discussion following the documentary. “Expect the reality.”
Michelle Tullou, who runs Kinz + Tullou gallery in Manhattan, was among the first-timers at the show. She was impressed with the size of the crowds, but said sales were slow.
Among the big names in the crowd was hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, who won ArtHampton’s Patron of the Year award.
He spoke a little before receiving the honors and discussed the importance of arts education, saying that art makes for a well-rounded education because “children should know that they can dream, and dream big.”
Meanwhile, artMRKT Hamptons will debut with over 35 galleries at the Bridgehampton Historical Society Grounds from July 14 to July 17.
A preview party will be held July 14 with proceeds from the $100 tickets to be donated to Southampton Hospital.