ARTEXPO NEW YORK CELEBRATES ITS 45TH ANNUAL EDITION WITH A RENAISSANCE IN CONTEMPORARY AND FINE ART

More than 18,000 trade attendees and collectors converge at Pier 36 to discover the latest trends emerging from the art world

New York, NY – April 20th, 2022:  Artexpo New York, the world’s largest contemporary and fine art marketplace, celebrated its 45th year at Pier 36 in Manhattan, April 7 - 10, with a notable resurgence from the art industry and collectors who were eager to discover the latest trends shaping the art world.

This year’s fair hosted more than 150 innovative exhibiting galleries, art publishers, and artists from 14 countries across the globe, showcasing original work of 1000+ artists, including prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, giclees, lithographs and glass works, among other contemporary and fine art.

More than 18,000 avid art enthusiasts and industry leaders flocked to experience the annual fine art destination, enjoying [SOLO] - highlighting established and independent emerging artists, together with Spotlight Program, a focused look at several cutting-edge galleries and artists chosen by the Redwood Art Group selection committee; Art Labs, a series of outstanding projects by leading galleries, art institutions, and art collectives within the fair; Meet the Artists and Live Demonstrations, presenting an interactive experience - allowing attendees to get up-close-and-personal with the artists; and Art Talks, conversations with today’s most influential pioneers from the arts industry on a variety of topical themes.

“This year’s Artexpo New York gave attendees what they were longing for after an extended hiatus and now a revitalized comeback by the art world,” says Eric Smith, President and CEO of Redwood Art Group. ”The seasonal mid-April chill did not deter industry leaders, collectors, and avid art enthusiasts from wanting to discover the latest talents showcased by a large contingent of global exhibitors, representing a total of 14 countries.  The impressive sales undertaken by exhibitors over the four-day fair proves how important Artexpo New York has become among the art industry’s dealers, publishers, galleries and the artists themselves.”

The Opening Night VIP Preview for Artexpo New York on Thursday, April 7, gave hundreds of VIPs and the attending media a special preview of what as in-store over the four-day showcase, as industry attendees capitalized on the opportunity to network and reconvene with those they have done business with virtually over the last 24 months.

The Spotlight Program continued to be a highlight of Artexpo New York’s programming, with this year’s recipients bringing their cutting-edge talent to the forefront of the art world. The six remarkable recipients selected for this year’s Spotlight Program, included Will Schmahl from Works By Will, Erick Picardo from Picardo Colors, John Dowling from John Dowling Fine Art, Jeremiah Heller, curator from End-to-End Gallery, Gregory Bedford from Bedford Fine Art, and George & Mikheil Mikaberidze from George & Mikheil Family Art.

The compelling subjects and themes for Art Talks were developed by the Artexpo New York selection committee, featuring some of today’s most prominent leaders from the arts business world, complete with interactive audience Q&As that took place daily on the upper Mezzanine level at Pier 36. Topical conversations for the Art Talks 2022 series included “Turning Textiles in to Art,” “Origins of Inspiration,” “Storytelling Through Art,” “From Warhol to Banksy - A History of Pop Art,” “Two Dynamic Women Artists” and “Inherently Imperfect.”

This year’s Art Labs featured a series of outstanding projects by leading galleries, art institutions, and art collectives presented on-site within the fair, and included “A Peaceful Earth Experience” and “The City Never Sleeps” by Art Gallery Pure, “For the Children of Ukraine” by Sammoun Fine Art, and “Super 80s” by K-Art Projects. The Artexpo New York Discoveries Collection presented a selection of unique discoveries from this year’s artists and exhibitors, selected by the Artexpo New York Curatorial Team as its favorite pieces of art - each one priced at $3,000 or less.

Support for Ukraine took center stage at this year’s fair, with several exhibitors uniting to support the children of Ukraine - giving their proceeds to the UNICEF Fund. From his personal experience as a child fleeing war in Lebanon, artist Samir Sammoun immediately thought of the children of Ukraine as they became refugees from their war-torn country. Mr. Sammoun created a 24x36 oil-on-canvas painting in his signature artistic style titled “Peace,” depicting a special wheat field with a blue sky, using the colors of the Ukrainian flag.  The painting was sold for more than $15,000 and Mr. Sammoun donated 100% of the proceeds of this painting and other special pieces on exhibit to UNICEF.

The number of sales and commissions reported throughout the show this year was impressive, as were the gallery placements by [SOLO] artists. Here is a brief summary of highlights from this year’s exhibitor sales.