Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, presented by Art Miami and hosted by the City of West Palm Beach, returned for its second edition from Thursday, January 11th through Monday January 15th where it was immediately recognized as a leading international contemporary and modern art fair. Attendance of prestigious art collectors, connoisseurs, advisors and notable museum professionals surged through the weekend, while galleries reported significant six and seven figure sales of investment quality blue chip, contemporary and Post-War works.

More than 19,000 attendees visited the Fair, in a 65,000-square-foot pavilion conveniently located and nestled between City Place and the Palm Beach Convention Center on Okeechobee Blvd throughout Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend to admire work from more than 65 international galleries representing several hundred artists. NFL legend Joe Namath, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and his wife Nicole Newsted, famed photographer Harry Benson and his wife Gigi Benson, Executive Director for the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens Roger Ward, and Ralph Lauren model Morgan O’Connor were among the 6,200 guests who were first through the door at the VIP opening to greet PBM+C Founder and Owner Nick Korniloff, his wife Pamela Cohen. The VIP preview benefited The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, The Joe Namath Neurological Research Center and the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, and was sponsored by Christie’s International Real Estate, “The Official Luxury Real Estate sponsor of Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary,” who, together with its international affiliates, hosted an elegant booth at the main entrance of the fair, showcasing luxury residential property offerings from around the world.

Crowds flocked to the Fair to see important works on display from renowned artists such as Josef Albers, John Chamberlain, Willem de Kooning, Anish Kapoor, Roy Lichtenstein, Henri Matisse, Robert Mapplethorpe, Roberto Matta, Pablo Picasso, Richard Prince and Andy Warhol, with many galleries reporting six-figure sales. ARCHEUS/POST-MODERN placed Peinture from 2003 by Pierre Soulages for approximately $1-million, Beautiful Melancholy Painting from 2007 by Damien Hirst for approximately $300,000, Undetermined Line from 1988 by Bernar Venet for more than $100,000, and set of colored paintings from 2015 by Ai WeiWei for an undisclosed sum, while Cernuda Arte placed River Waters from 2014 by Manuel Mendive for upwards of $100,000, and David Benrimon Fine Art placed Wavy Lines from 1994 by Sol LeWitt for a six-figure sum.

PBM+C Founder and Owner Nick Korniloff comments, “Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary is the most important fair to take place in Palm Beach County during the season. The Fair brings a world-class, internationally respected group of art dealers and their artists to one of the most culturally savvy and discerning collecting audiences in the world. The fair was responsible for the acquisition of many works in the six and seven figure range in its second year, and we look forward to returning in 2019.”

One of the fair highlights included 55Bellechasse who presented RAWK by rock ‘n’ roll icon Jason Newsted, which was the Grammy Award winning bassist’s third artistic show where he donated half of all sales to the Perry J. Cohen Foundation, an organization devoted to the advancement of the arts, environmental, marine and wildlife education and preservation, teenage entrepreneurship, and boating safety education. The day prior to the VIP Opening, Newsted’s The Chophouse Band kicked off Palm Beach Art Week by performing at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens and then performed a special concert on January 12th at the Cultural Council in Lake Worth which was sponsored by PBM+C.

Notable names seen at the fair across its four days included: Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Hillary Geary Ross, Collectors Audrey and Martin Gruss, Jeff Greene and his wife Mei Sze Greene, Ruth Baum, Stacey and Andrew Kroll, Andrew Hall, Kara and Stephen Ross, President and CEO of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County Rena Blades and her husband John Blades, Kathleen Breland, COO, CFO and interim CEO, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, artists Bruce Helander and Jeffrey Deitch, and notable residents Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr., Christine Stiller, leaders in business Augusto Perfetti, Diane and John Sculley, Earl Mack, Bob Wright, and Carol Warshauer, Joel Friedman, and Chef Erik Peterson with his wife Lydianna Peterson. 

Additional sales made throughout the weekend include:

• Cernuda Arte placed Mariano Rodriguez’s Two Women and a Man from 1944 and Landscape Figures and a Horse from 1943 for upwards of $80,000 each, Gina Pellón’s The Fair of Sparrows from 2011 and Because I Love from 1973 for upwards of $30,000 each, Flower Vase on a Table from circa 1956 by Cundo Bermúdez for $28,000, Sunset from 2017 by Joel Besmar for 19,000, and Story of a Sleepless Remington from 2007 by Vicente Hernandez for $10,000.
• David Benrimon Fine Art placed Untitled No. 34 from 2003 by Pat Steir for an undisclosed five figure sum.
• Berry Campbell Gallery placed Prescience #9 from 1952 by Perle Fine for $65,000, Middleground from 2017 by Jill Nathanson for $16,000 and Untitled (Blue/Green) from 2017 by Susan Vecsey for $26,000.
• Adelson Galleries placed four pieces by Federico Uribe including Penny Abstract from 2016 for $45,000, Raccoon Sitting and Blue Dog Stretching, both from 2017 for $15,000 each, and Running Rabbit from 2018 for $7,500.
• Avant Gallery placed their entire catalogue of 12 Skyler Grey paintingsfor between $40,000 and $7,500 each, five paintings by BNS which placed between $12,000 and $6,000, Bachelor in Miami (Emoji Lover) from 2016 by Lina Condes for $35,000, Frank Sinatra from 2017 by Will Kurtz for a price up to $40,000, and Red Contemplating from 2016 by Nathan Sawaya.
• Paul Fisher Gallery placed select Karl Momen works, each valued between $50,000 and $20,000, and Bric-a-Brac from 2017 by Florida Artist Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Helander for $28,000.
• 55Bellechasse placed 14 works by Jason Newsted with prices reaching $30,000 each, a large piece by Jon Davis for approximately $20,000, and five pieces by Niloufar Banisadr priced up to $15,000 each.
• C Fine Art placed Ignite from 2016 by Kevin Barrett for $24,000 and Magic Circle from 2017 by Rogan Brown for $7,500.
• Waterhouse & Dodd placed Lovers on Horseback Maquette from 2013 by Sophie Ryder for $20,000 and Zenise Badel 42 from 2017 a Jean-Francois Rauzier for approximately $20,000.
• ​Wynwood | 28 Art Gallery placed three pieces by Florencia Aise including Nothing from 2017 by for $14,500, Belleza Americana from 2017 for $14,000, and Belleza Americana II from 2017 for $6,200, Toy G2 from 2017 by Luis Wells for $6,650, and four pieces by Natalia Sanchez Valdemoros including Mellizas II from 2017 for $7,560, and Clasica, Solitaria, and Ventana, all from 2017, for undisclosed amounts. 
• Tansey Contemporary placed Blue Aggregate from 2017 by Cheryl Ann Thomas, two pieces by Giles Bettison from 2017 including Textile Promena and Chroma 17 #2, and Life Goes On and Pink & Black Du both from 2017 by Sheryl Zacharia.
• MARK BORGHI FINE ART placed Charlotte Park’s Untitled and a piece by Friedel Dzubas.
• SPONDER GALLERY placed works from Max-Steven Grossman, Pablo Picasso, Francisco Zúñiga, and Boaz Vaadia.
• Long-Sharp Gallery placed works by Gino Miles and Tarik Currimbhoy.
• Rosenbaum Contemporary placed works by Alex Katz, Tom Wesselmann, and Greg Lotus.
• Yufuku Gallery placed ten pieces including work by Niyoko Ikuta, Sachi Fujikake, and Ken Mihara.

Tesla joined the PBM+C Fair this year and showcased their two sleek model vehicles during the weekend offering test drives to Fair attendees.

On Saturday January 13th, PBM+C hosted the second annual Professional Achievement in the Arts Award where Rena Blades, President and CEO of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, was presented with the accolade for her role in leading the Palm Beaches’ evolution into one of the country’s top cultural destinations and ensuring community access to public art.

For the second year in a row, PBM+C partnered with the historic Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, which served as a satellite venue and benefactor of the fair, and has commemorated the fair with a special exhibit, Celebrating Boaz Vaadia 1951-2017, where monumental and small-scale sculptures from the Israeli-born artist will be on display through April 2017, courtesy of Sponder Gallery. A complimentary daily shuttle service was provided between the fair and the Gardens.

Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary was located in close proximity to the city’s art, design and antique row district, and within walking distance to popular Clematis Street, local museums, parks and historical points of interest. The famed island of Palm Beach with world-class shopping is less than a quarter mile east. The fair's refined ambiance was welcoming and appealing to all levels of visitors, from the seasoned collector looking to acquire new works to the budding art enthusiast looking to start a new meaningful collection. For further information, please call 800-376-5850/ info@artpbfair.com and/or visit www.artpbfair.com.