USArtists: American Fine Art Show

Philadelphia, Penn.

:Philadelphians were in a celebratory mood when USArtists opened on October 16 at the 33d Street Armory, still aglow with the Phillies' win over the Dodgers to take the National League pennant and proceed to the World Series. Members of the Women's Board of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) lined the entrance to greet the gala guests. The 17th annual USArtists: American Art Show, co-chaired by Ellie Fine and Susan Miller, raised funds for PAFA's scholarship programs.

Unlike some art fairs, USArtists is not so rarified that new collectors cannot find something that is truly great. At the same time, it offers extraordinary museum-quality examples, typical of an artist's best work, for wealthier collectors and museums.

Dealers from across the nation — 49 in all — exhibited American art from the Eighteenth to the Twenty-First Century. There were top galleries and prestigious private dealers from New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities. Some of Pennsylvania's premier citizens went to the gala, including Dodo Hamilton, this year's honorary chair and granddaughter of the founder of the Campbell Soup Company. She is one of the country's leading philanthropists.

Chloe Richfield, director of Questroyal Fine Art, New York City, said, "The traffic was fine –– better than expected." The dealer indicated that they ended up doing well and were pleased with the outcome. Several works were sold, including a piece by George Inness and one by Jervis McEntee. While their sales went to clients in the Philadelphia area already known to the gallery, participating in USArtists was helpful, said Richfield. "Being in the right place at the right time is important," she said. "The fair is helpful so that we can see our clients in person."

The show has had a change in roll call over the past few years. Gone are Vose Galleries, Schwarz Gallery, Levis Fine Art, Tom Veilleux and many others. Some have left and come back, like Godel Fine Art. In spite of the many dealers who opted not to participate in this year's USArtists for personal or business reasons, USArtists kept its depth and luster by adding quality dealers.

An eddy in the current trend of eclecticism are the dealers who put on solo shows. PPOW, New York City, featured arresting, serene and soulful portraits by contemporary painter Bo Bartlett that proved to be a tonic.

Still other dealers could be counted on for excellence in their specialty: Ernest S. Kramer Fine Art & Prints, Wellesley, Mass., brought drawings and prints by iconic American artists from the 1930s and 1940s; Stephen O'Brien Jr Fine Arts, Boston, displayed sporting art, including carved decoys; Port 'N Starboard Gallery, Falmouth Maine, and Quester Gallery, Rowayton, Conn., displayed marine paintings. Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, represents outstanding contemporary artists.

Blue Heron Fine Art, Cohasset, Mass., brought paintings from the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, including American Impressionism and Modernism. Shelley Brown said, "Modernism grows on you. The paintings are well thought-out and executed. These painters came into their own at a very challenging time and have as interesting backgrounds as those of the more traditional painters." Blue Heron Fine Art sold across the board, both Modern and traditional works.

David David Gallery is one of the bastions of antique art in Philadelphia. Carl David brought a lovely painting by William Paxton titled "Diana of the Peaks," complete with its original Frederick Harer frame. The painting featured a dark-haired woman with porcelain skin and was exhibited at PAFA around 1929/30. Also on display was a haunting image of a woman with a bucket by the edge of the shore by Yasushi Tanaka, a Japanese American who painted in the Seattle area before eventually moving to Paris. David likened it to the emotionally charged works of Edvard Munch.

Another standout painting was Ernest Lawson's "Night, Yacht Club, Connecticut," circa 1894 about the time Lawson was working with Twachtman, Hassam and Whistler. The painting is a nocturne of Fourth of July fireworks. "It has a very soft, atmospheric feel to it — very impressionistic," said David.

Bill Vareika, William Vareika Fine Arts, Newport, R.I., said, "I had a very interesting show — met a lot of new people, including people from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. They were impressed with the collection of Philadelphia painters I brought to the show — James Sharples, James Hamilton, William Trost Richards, Edmund Darch Lewis and others. However, I had to watch the Red Sox lose from a Philadelphia barroom — that was tough."

Vareika's walls were covered with American Pre-Raphaelite painter William Trost Richards' large seascapes. Vareika brought a striking portrait of a young man by the name of "William Young" by Benjamin West (1738–1820), circa 1767, and other Colonial and Federal portraits.

Godel Fine Art had a medium-sized floral by Arnoud Wydeveld (American, 1823–1888) circa 1885 and a classic floral by Severin Roesen. Landscapes by James Smillie, David Johnson and John Clinton Ogilvie were also showcased.

Childs Gallery brought an assortment of Modernist works, including Sally Michel's "Mountain and Meadow" from 1976, "Musicians" from Ted Davis, circa 1953, and pieces by Herbert Barnett and Albert Swinden. A sculpture titled "North Wind" by Donald de Lue of a muscular male figure in the clouds flying in a horizontal attack mode, with cheeks puffing, was a powerful statement.

Archibald Motley's colorful, energetic scene of dancers and jazz musicians caught up in a frenzy was titled "Hot Rhythm." It was one of the focal points at Robert Henry Adams Fine Art, Chicago. Another focal point was a calm, reserved "Woman in Violet Chapeau" by Louis Mayer, circa 1904.

One of the loveliest pieces of Pennsylvania Impressionism at the show was the centerpiece Daniel Garber painting at Avery Galleries. Measuring 36 by 40 inches, "Delaware Hillside" was priced shy of a million dollars and featured soft radiant tones of fall foliage in that awesome glowing light of autumn that Garber captures so magnificently. He painted from one hillside, looking over water to another hillside. Fern Coppedge (1883–1951) was well represented in her high-keyed "Solebury, Pennsylvania," a scene of an orange-roofed house, a brook, a barn and snowy ground among leafless, purple-hued trees.

There was a wonderful weathervane of a lunging puma by Hunt Diederich (1884–1953) at Gerald Peters Gallery, New York City. On either side were bright Modernist works by Marguerite Zorach, Harold Weston and Max Weber.

A panorama of excellent Hudson River paintings greeted showgoers at the Questroyal Fine Art stand. "Home of the Rainbow, Horseshoe Falls Niagara" by Albert Bierstadt was exquisite with its double rainbow dipping down into the falls, and the power of the painting belied its relatively modest dimensions. "Autumn Vista" by Jasper Cropsey had the hot autumn reds and expansive view that endear him to collectors. "Cabin in Winter" by Ralph Blakelock depicted a tiny cabin in the snowy woods with the sun going down and silhouettes of his archetypal trees. One could also find the velvety red roses of Martin Johnson Heade.

Cooley Gallery, Essex, Conn., brought a sun-dappled portrait by James Carroll Beckwith of "Bertha in the Garden at Onteoro" and Everett Shinn's painting of a purposeful young Victorian woman with her hat and parasol in "Going Out." A huge fall landscape by Ross Braught (1898–1983) focused on the tangled forms of branches and vines in "Autumn, Upper Black Eddy," which retained a PAFA exhibition label on the back.

Pennsylvania Art Conservatory, Berwyn, Penn., shared a wealth of information with copious wall notes on each artist. Owner Philip Rosenfeld featured paintings by Nicloa D'Ascenzo, Isabella Banks Markel, George Phillips, Walter Loeniger and many other Bucks County artists whose paintings are still within reach of the new collector. "Realism is an accessible art style. You don't have to work hard to understand the artist's intent. It is generally true that Nineteenth Century art immediately gets an emotional response," said Rosenfeld.

Principle Gallery, Alexandria Va., presented landscapes by Lynn Boggess that, at a glance, had the realism of photography, but were painted with palette knife impasto. Boggess, of West Virginia, actually uses cement trowels to apply his paint — no small feat when you see what he accomplishes. His color sense and handling of the paint capture the vitality of sharp-edged reflections in the water and the chaotic detail of foliage, all the while keeping the peaceful contemplation of a woodland scene.

Frost & Reed, New York City and London, brought "Red Butterflies" and "Double Bunny" by Hunt Slonem (American b 1951), fresh contemporary works that stood out for their accessibility and, in the case of "Double Bunny," humor.

Papillion Gallery, West Hollywood, Calif., filled its booth with mostly figurative, masculine works in sepia, reds, somber blues and lots of black. The display had a handsome, cohesive look to it with works by Arnold Hoffman, Michael Lenson, William Schwartz, Morgan Russell, August Mosca and Carl Hugo Beetz. A self portrait by African American artist Louis B. Sloan (1932–2008) caught the attention of PAFA right away. Sloan taught at PAFA for about 30 years and had died unexpectedly (apparently on his way to go painting) the day before USArtists opened. According to Jeffrey Winter of Papillion Gallery, PAFA is already organizing a memorial exhibition.

ACA Galleries, New York City, had a wall of small drawings and etchings by F. Luis Mora. Three years ago they hosted the first Mora exhibition in more than half a century. Mora's fine reputation as a artist has been refreshed with the publication of Lynne Baron's biography/catalogue raisonné, out this year. Also at the ACA booth was a quilt by Faith Ringgold.

Verve Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., brought a huge screen print measuring 76¾ by 55 inches by Robert Indiana (American, b 1928). Titled "Hartley Elegy II." the print did homage to Marsden Hartley, and yet had the graphic appeal typical of Indiana's work. Tucked inside the Verve booth were two prints by Damien Hirst, as well as an original Hirst household paint spin painting, "In a Spin, Vol I Portfolio Cover" 2002.

Traffic at the show was good — at least as good as the past two or three years. Some dealers went home with good and moderate sales, new clients and renewed acquaintances. In the aftermath of the show, exhibitor Carl David concluded, "Not only has art become a really serious commodity, but we are at a juncture when art is a safe haven. Many people don't realize it, but art is a great place to park money at the end of the day. Art is not a gamble like the stock market."

For further information, 215-972-2042 or www.usartists.org.