Throughout its nearly five historic decades of exhibiting contemporary and fine art, Artexpo New York has hosted the likes of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Keith Haring, Leroy Neiman, Basquiat, among many others; intensifying the discourse on today’s industry challenges and magnifying the very best the fine art world has to offer.

Artexpo New York 2024 will once again have an interesting mix of exhibiting galleries, art publishers and dealers, and artists from across the globe, showcasing original work of 1000+ artists that includes prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, giclees, lithographs and glass works, among other contemporary and fine art.

This year’s Artexpo New York takes place April 4-7, 2024, at Manhattan’s newest destination for art, Pier 36. Each year, the fair’s special programs range from immersive artist-led Art Lab experiences to exciting Meet the Artist sessions.

From the amazing list of exhibitors, Artexpo’s curators present their Spotlight Program, providing collectors a focused look at several cutting-edge galleries and artists recognized for their skill and achievement in the visual arts.

Check out this year’s Spotlight Program recipients below!

Denise Allen – Booth 302

Denise Allen is a familiar name in the New York Outsider Art scene. Denise has worked through many challenges over the past 30 years to establish herself as a renowned folk artist, a genre sometimes referred to as Outsider Art. Allen’s work is so reminiscent of a rural, bygone era that many people believe it was created more than a century ago. As a contemporary folk artist, Allen fabricates dolls and needlework tapestries that address her African-American heritage. The history of slavery in the United States is a frequent theme, as are folklore figures and popular-culture icons. Even when treating more recent autobiographical themes, Allen casts her figures in an antiquated light. They wear nineteenth-century dresses, cook on wood-burning stoves, do their washing by hand, and participate in quilting bees. It is women – strong, brave, nurturing women, the backbone of the American family – who are the common thread in Allen’s work.

Galeria Azur – Booth 701

Galeria Azur is an international gallery network, including Madrid, Berlin, New York, Miami, and Buenos Aires. Galeria Azur made a significant impact with its inaugural collaboration with the Redwood Art Group at Red Dot 2023 with an impressive footprint and selection of artists’ work. With over a decade of expertise in modern and contemporary art scenes, Galeria Azur is committed to fostering the careers of both emerging and established artists. Their curated solo and group exhibitions create a vibrant, engaging environment that encourages artistic innovation and cross-cultural dialogue. Galeria Azur actively facilitates the growth of artistic careers. Their personalized services extend to bridging connections between artists and influential entities like museums, galleries, institutions, and collectors globally. The gallery’s vision is clear: they strive to secure international recognition for their artists and to craft a strong, sustainable market for their art.

Greg Lotus Gallery – Booth 112

Through the Lens: The Nature of Fashion Greg Lotus. Greg Lotus’s journey is one of contrasts and harmony. His lens captures the ephemeral beauty of the fashion world against the timeless backdrop of nature. His work is a tribute to the exquisite dance of light and shadow, angles and composition, breathing new life into the classical interplay of elements that have fascinated artists for centuries. In the bustling cities of Manhattan, Paris, and Miami, Lotus finds his muses, dressed in the creations of the world’s finest designers, yet it is in the silence of nature that he frames them. From the rarefied atmosphere of high-end fashion shoots to the tranquil realms where wild flora and fauna reign supreme, his photographs are a study of duality. A model’s poised elegance atop a rugged cliff, the sophistication of haute couture amidst the untamed wilderness, or the inclusion of an exotic animal on set—each image is a narrative unto itself. As Lotus traverses the globe, from the cobblestones of European streets to the seclusion of wild landscapes, he carries with him a vision: to showcase the symbiotic relationship between the creations of human ingenuity and the organic artistry of the earth.

Resurrect Studio – Booth S105

Resurrect Studio represents two artists who repurpose industrial materials into fine art, demonstrating innovation in the choice of materials and the environmental statement made through their art. The use of unusual materials and powerful environmental messages redefine artistic innovation. Artists Jean Davis and Nancy Wu works present an intriguing challenge to the way we think about waste and appeal. Each sculpture is a testament to transforming the devoid into the divine. The fundamental idea of the studio is the magic of metamorphosis, whereby industrial waste is transformed into eye-catching artworks that powerfully proclaim sustainability and creative brilliance. This combination of rough textures and elegant design tells tales of surprising grace and rebirth. Resurrect Studio is a revolution in art, going beyond convention and inspiring people to see the potential that lies within the abandoned. These sculptures are a call to action, reiterating our shared responsibility to protect our planet.

Tengetsu – Booth 316

The Artexpo New York exhibition of the Mount Fuji Illustrated Scrolls is the first step in promoting artist Hōraku Nakamura’s last four significant works to the world. Hōraku Nakamura, a ceramic artist and painter, began painting the mythology of the famous Izusan Shrine in 2008. After Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula were recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Site and World Geopark respectively, Nakamura began working on a four-part Mount Fuji Illustrated Scrolls series. Just before his death in 2023, he completed the fourth work in the series. The Mount Fuji Illustrated Scrolls Quartet is a series of hanging scroll paintings created using traditional Japanese techniques of outlining in ink and then applying vivid colors in Japanese pigments. The work is then overlaid with a mist called “suyari-kasumi,” unique to Japanese painting, in gold ink. While this is a traditional Japanese painting technique, Nakamura’s colors are very pop and unusual for a Japanese painting. Since the original scrolls are protected as a cultural resource for museums and special exhibitions, reproductions of the originals will be available for sale, complete with gold leaf and mounting the same as the original.

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Ashley Joan Art – Booth 1214

The Human Condition: An Artistic Exploration by Ashley Joan

Drawing from the intriguing question of what it would look like if our emotions were made visible, Ashley Joan crafts art that delves into the intricate relationship between emotional and physical experiences. Utilizing a layered approach, her paintings meld evocative imagery with compelling human portraits, aiming to ignite conversations about external appearances and internal emotional complexities.

Her choice of subject matter varies, often reflecting her emotional state during the early conceptual stages of her work. Sometimes, she explores the microcosm of human cellular structure to evoke emotional responses. At other times, she incorporates elements like seascapes to demonstrate how our environment influences our mental state. Given the ever-changing nature of human emotions, Ashley finds herself with an endless reservoir of inspiration for her art.

Carolina Vargas Reis – Booth 1122

Artistic Alchemy: Melding Texture, Color, and Emotion

Born into a Colombian family where traditional professions reigned, she initially followed a path into engineering and finance before relocating to Canada and answering the innate irresistible drive to create art.

Abandoning a successful finance career, Carolina embraced her true calling—painting a unique reality through a multidisciplinary approach. Her artwork – whether in the form of paintings or photographs – serves as an emotional and social commentary, incorporating a medley of characters and influences that have touched her life. She experimented with a range of materials and textures, from paint and wax to collage, driven by a dedication to explore and portray the complexities of human experience.

Justin Ruby – Booth 1312

Elevating art to new dimensions, Justin Ruby is a groundbreaking artist from Pennsylvania who merges contemporary culture with traditional portraiture through an innovative approach. Specializing in collaged portraits crafted from deconstructed sneakers, Justin offers a fresh perspective on consumption and identity in today’s society.

His work delves deep into our collective psyche, examining how material goods shape our self-concept. Though primarily using sneakers as the medium for his collage work, Justin has also integrated materials as diverse as Louis Vuitton fabrics and Tootsie Pop Wrappers, capturing the zeitgeist in every piece.

Kushiani Jayasinha – Booth 1109

Kushlani Jayasinha is a unique talent in the art world, born and raised in Sri Lanka during challenging social times. Her artistic journey is as multifaceted as her background, blending her Buddhist upbringing with her tech-savvy career in Silicon Valley and her scholarly pursuits in physics.

While her work may appear abstract, there’s an undeniable scientific undertone; each piece reflects her conscious consideration of physical properties. The resulting art strikes a unique balance: it’s both tactile and dreamlike, offering viewers a truly unique sensory experience — whether it’s an ethereal coastal mist, a distant city shrouded in fog, or a serene body of water.

Monica Arche – Booth 1114

A Life Sculpted in ArtBorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico due to her parents’ forced exile from Cuba, Monica Arche grew up in Miami, Florida. She hails from a distinguished line of Cuban artists. Her paternal grandfather, Jorge Arche, and great-uncle, Aristides Fernandez, are both significant figures in Cuba’s modern art movement and are today regarded as Cuban Masters.

From a young age, Monica displayed an insatiable creative drive, evolving into a prolific artist committed to generating an expansive body of work throughout her lifetime. Fueled by an irrepressible inner force, Monica has devoted her life to the continuous act of artistic creation. She currently resides in Miami, Florida, where she continues to make significant contributions to the art world.

For tickets to Spectrum Miami 2023 click here.

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Get to know one of this year’s Spotlight Recipients, D’Arcy Bellamy, below!

Q: Introduce yourself — who you are and what your vision as an artist is?

A: My name is D’Arcy Bellamy. I am an object maker. I create abstract (often kinetic) sculptures from steel pipe.  I start with a raw steel pipe in diameters from 8” – 22” and I work in a subtractive method (more like a stone carver), cutting, bending and grinding, removing material, and adding only space until the form reveals itself.  My primary subject matter is spirals, geometric patterns, the human form, and plants and animals.  I aim to surprise and delight the viewer and engage the senses of sight, touch, and wonder

Q: What is your background?

A: I have a BA and an MBA. I have a working background in Sales and Design in the Kitchen and Bath industry.  I started making art 20 years ago at a community art center in Dallas, TX.  My art-making has been self-directed since then. I have made and sold sculptures in Dallas, TX, Aspen, CO, and Boise, ID.

Q: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

A: With each piece, my goal is to accomplish something I haven’t done before.  To push the material a little further, to add an element or detail I haven’t incorporated before, to try a new finish, to work larger or smaller.  The mild steel pipe I use often has a coat of surface rust when I get it.  I often try and preserve the rusted surface.  I don’t strive for the appearance of perfection in my completed work, instead, I appreciate the aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi, that of seeing the beauty of things that are imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. 

Q: What artist(s) inspire you?

A: In no particular order…

Michelangelo, David Smith, Anthony Gormley, Tony Cragg, Fletcher Benton, Anish Kapor, Mark Di Suvero, Isamu Noguchi, Andrew Goldsworthy, Richard Serra, Alexander Calder, Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad, Jack London, Joseph Cambell.

Q: What is the best advice you’ve received?

A: Keep going, keep making art, and don’t quit. Art doesn’t have to be perfect. Make art that is your art, not a derivative of someone else’s art.  Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Q: When you are not working, where can we find you?

A: At the gym, a yoga class, the dog park, or walking in the Boise foothills.

Q: What does exhibiting at Artexpo New York 2023 mean to you?

A: Exhibiting at Artexpo New York 2023 is an exciting opportunity to display my work on the largest stage to date.  After 20 years of making and showing, I have confidence my work is extremely strong and completely unique. I look forward to hearing feedback from a larger, broader, and possibly more sophisticated audience. NYC is the center of the art world, I am excited to connect with other artists, collectors, and galleries

For tickets to Artexpo New York 2023 click here.

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Continue reading to learn more about Edward Martin of Edward Martin Glass, one of this year’s Spotlight Program Recipients!

Edward Martin is an award-winning artist who has spent over 45 years developing his craft. A full-time artist creating and selling at shows for over 30 years, Martin is part of the “Outsider Art” movement, completely self-taught, without outside influences on his work.

Working in his glass and metal fabricating studio at his home in Springfield, Illinois, Martin has worked to perfect the art of beveling, fusing, three-dimensional etching, and glass staining as well as traditional glass work. He now specializes in contemporary works in glass and metal.

Always changing and innovating new designs has made Ed Martins work collected by clients all around the country, some with as many as 50 pieces in there collections.

Ed Martin has shown his work from Los Angeles to New York and has pieces in over 10 countries around the world. Recently 5 pieces of Ed’s work were purchased by the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg Florida for their permanent collection.

He has participated in some of the top shows in the country and has won numerous awards over the past 30 years. He has also been featured on Illinois Stories on Springfield’s local PBS station. Ed’s work is part of the permanent collection at the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg Florida. 

Visit Edward Martin Glass at booth #505 during Art Santa Fe, July 15-17, 2022! Visit the Art Santa Fe online exhibitor page to see more artists and galleries participating in this year’s event.

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Continue reading to learn more about William Havu Gallery, one of this year’s Spotlight Program Recipients!

The William Havu Gallery was established in Aspen in 1973. It’s been in its current location since 1998 and is engaged in an ongoing dialogue through its seven exhibitions a year with regionalism as it impacts and is affected by both national and international trends in realism and abstraction. With a strong emphasis on mid-career, established artists, the gallery also shows emerging regional artists of exceptional maturity and quality in an AIA award-winning, postmodern building. The gallery has also been in the framing business since its inception in 1973 and continues to offer framing services to our clients. With 40+ years in the business of mounting exhibits worthy of critical review, the William Havu Gallery continues to acquire artists of regional importance and national acclaim.

“The William Havu Gallery is one of only a handful of top-tier contemporary venues in Denver. Havu specializes in the work of advanced or mid-career artists, most of whom work in Colorado or the Southwest.” – Michael Paglia, Westword Art Critic

“More than any other commercial gallery in Denver, William Havu knows how to mix and match its artists into exhibits that bring out the best in them, and each other. It helps that its roster is full of talent, but it takes a separate kind of curatorial talent to make a show so cohesive that it stands as an actual exhibit, a pleasure to visit, even if you’re not out shopping for art.” – Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post Fine Arts Critic

To see more works from the William Havu Gallery visit their website: http://www.williamhavugallery.com/

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From the fantastic list of exhibitors, Art Santa Fe’s curators present their Spotlight Program, providing collectors a focused look at several cutting-edge galleries and artists recognized for their exceptional skill and achievement in the visual arts.

Continue reading to learn more about Ray Tigerman, one of this year’s Spotlight Program Recipients!

Ray Tigerman grew up in the high desert of Nevada, at the feet of the imposing Sierra Nevada Mountains and a stones-throw-away from a sprawling Paiute Indian Reservation. Tigerman has spent his creative life exploring, painting, and reconciling his collective experiences with the Southwest and it’s indigenous people — a subject he returns to again and again, each time with something new to uncover and share.

Tigerman seeks to create bold, colorful, layer-intensive, dimensional works of art on canvas and board that evoke a sense of nostalgic mysticism and mystery.  His subjects, predominately Native Americans, are brought to life on the edge of his palette knife, where they emerge from his imagination. They are, as he is, on a journey, a path of discovery.

The evolution of his work continues to emerge through his passion, understanding, and depiction of the indigenous southwestern people and wildlife in their dramatic environment.

Ray’s work can be found in a myriad of private and public art collections throughout the country and has been seen in numerous festivals and exhibitions, including this year’s Art Santa Fe.

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Artexpo New York 2021, taking place October 28-31, will feature hundreds of talented artists and galleries from around the world. The event, held at Pier 36, is bringing back its popular Spotlight Artist program this year, awarding six cutting-edge artists for their skills and achievements.

Art Business News is featuring each Spotlight Artist leading up to the fair, starting with an artist ABN readers are already well acquainted with, Tom Lohner.

This Spotlight Artist is currently exhibiting a specially created piece at the World’s Fair in Dubai, which premiered on October 1st. Among these great achievements, Lohner recently showcased his work as a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Vienna and was also made an art ambassador, collaborating with Dan Aykroyd’s brand Crystal Head Vodka. He is currently working on another piece for Sting’s wine labels.

At this year’s Artexpo New York, Lohner’s booth will give a powerful and quick insight into the world of Tom Lohner. He will show a mix of hand-painted multiples including rock stars and pop artists as well as three small original paintings reflecting a personal interpretation of today’s fashion world.

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