Artexpo New York, the city’s annual art explosion — featuring gallery owners, art dealers, interior designers, architects, seminars, artists and the people who love them — is set for this weekend. But this year, CEO Eric Smith is especially excited about working with the Chinese Cultural Promotional Society to feature some of China’s most celebrated artists.
“We are expecting more than 350 exhibitors this year — our exhibitor base comprises artists from 30 countries, including 25-30 leading artists from China,” he says. Many artists from China’s two most thriving art communities — the avant-garde Beijing 798 Art District and the Songzhuang Art District — will be featured along with artists from Shanghai and Shandong with famous Chinese artist, XU JIE, making her U.S. debut.
“Chinese artists want to sell to American galleries and collectors and raise awareness of the Chinese culture,” says Smith. “Many Chinese artists exhibited in our last show were outstanding.”
Smith is definitely connecting the two cultures, even going as far as visiting the Far East. “I visited Beijing last October and met with the former Cultural Minister of China. We agreed to cooperate in bringing quality Chinese works here and they agreed to assist us in producing shows in multiple Chinese cities,” he says. “The Chinese population is very interested in collecting Western culture — our first show in Bejing is scheduled for fall 2012.”
Seminars: Learn more for free
This year, Artexpo will feature 25 free art seminars. Smith says it’s a great way for attendees to learn about the changes in the market and prepare gallery owners, artists and collectors for what’s ahead. “What does the landscape of today’s social media mean to artists, galleries and collectors? How has the Internet changed the way art is sold? What does the future look like?” asks Smith. Find the answers to these big questions and browse the complete list of classes at www.artexponewyork.com.
