BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY.- artMRKT Hamptons, a new modern and contemporary art fair, concluded its four-day debut on Sunday, July 17, drawing rave reviews from collectors and dealers alike for the high level of work on view, as well as the congenial atmosphere. The fair was especially notable for an outstanding selection of modern and contemporary paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photography, and video from 35 galleries from across the U.S.

The opening night preview party on Thursday, July 14, benefiting Southampton Hospital, drew a glittering crowd from the worlds of art, entertainment, business, sports, and government, with a number of significant sales made early on to kick off the successful weekend.

"The show was a resounding success. Dealers and collectors across the board were delighted by the work on view, and we are receiving excellent reviews from the media," said Jeffrey Wainhause, managing partner of artMRKT Hamptons. "Attendance was surprisingly high for the first year of a boutique art fair, at 4,500."

Among the attendees of artMRKT Hamptons were John Waters, Edward Albee, James and Kedakai Lipton, Eric Ernst and Sarah Woodward, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Terrie Sultan, Rod and Judy Gilbert, Anne Hearst, Jimmy Finkelstein and Pamela Gross, Marsha Kenney, Steven Bernstein, and Judith Giuliani.

“I envisioned a boutique show in the Hamptons that would engage collectors with a unique and cohesive viewpoint,” noted Max Fishko, managing partner of artMRKT Hamptons. “Based on the responses from dealers and collectors, I am so gratified that the vision has been realized beyond my expectations. We look forward to announcing the dates for next year very shortly.”

Visitors to artMRKT Hamptons were impressed by the monumental sculpture directly outside the fair entrance by San Francisco-based sculptor Alexis Laurent. The site-specific work from Leila Heller Gallery, New York, entitled BILLBOARD, 2011, formed a U-shaped wall (15 feet long and 10 feet wide) made of more than 600 weathering steel boxes containing more than 1,000 plants including ten varieties of succulents.

In an effort to give back to the community, artMRKT Hamptons worked closely with a number of local non-profit organizations. Southampton Hospital was the beneficiary for the opening night. The Nature Conservancy, Bay Street Theatre, and the Children’s Museum all benefited from MRKTworks, an online and on site auction of three works of art, in which 100 percent of the proceeds from each piece were donated to the corresponding beneficiary.

Galleries
Jill Weinberg Adams of Lennon Weinberg, New York, noted the show was “fun, easy-going and well organized” and sold work by Melissa Meyer and Stephen Westfall. Modernbook Gallery Editions, San Francisco, sold more than 30 works and was extremely pleased with the fair. 101/exhibit from Miami sold work by Jason Shawn Alexander, Daniel Bowers, and Marcus Jansen and commented that it was “a tremendous effort for the first year with well-curated work—and the show will become even stronger as it develops over the years.”

Nancy Hoffman at Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York, noted that “Max and Jeff did an excellent organizational job, working with their congenial team. The relaxed environment of the Hamptons allowed people the time to view, reflect, and purchase on their own time. We were pleased with visitors and sales."

Mark Dean at Dean Projects commented that he was “very happy.” Aureus Contemporary, Providence, RI, sold work by Jeffrey Dean, Karim Hamid, and Sara Carter and was very pleased. Philip Xie of PX Photography noted that “the organizers did an excellent job and their efforts paid off with a nice layout and strong show.” The gallery sold work by a number of Asian artists including Chinese artist Quentin Shih whose work was on view for the first time in the U.S. Like the Spice, Brooklyn, sold work by Jenny Morgan, Greg Haberny, Jason Bard Yarmosky, and Matt Stone.

“As a gallerist exhibiting in the first edition of artMRKT, I was extremely pleased with the professionalism and quality of the fair,” said Leila Heller of Leila Heller Gallery. “We were impressed also with the quality of the fair visitors, as many top collectors and important curators visited, and all had wonderful feedback and were extremely pleased with their experience.”