3rd Annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair sets record attendance for Opening Night

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - Feb. 14, 2014 - PRLog -- Last night 3,500 art cognoscenti from across the Coachella Valley and around the world flowed into the Palm Springs Convention Center for the 3rd Annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair (PalmSpringsFineArtFair.com), setting a new Opening Night attendance record.

See a video recap of Opening Night at the Palm Springs Fine Art from Petro Studios at http://vimeo.com/86728353 .



Premiere Sponsors Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Acura and other supporting sponsors helped this gathering of 55 internationally respected galleries and artists set the stage for a record year at the third annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair. Proceeds from the evening benefited Palm Springs Art Museum.

“I heard many remark they thought the fair is unsurpassed in terms of the caliber of art on display, reputation of the galleries, and the sophisticated level of art collector in attendance,” says Rick Friedman, Hamptons Expo Group Executive Director. Friedman also stated the evening represented a record opening attendance of any of the five fine art fairs he produces around the country.

Marshal Lightman, a collector who came to Palm Springs specifically for PSFAF with a group of 24 collectors from Houston agrees. “Each year the show gets better. This year the art reached a new level and the “red dots” were going up which shows collectors agree.” “Red dots” refer to art that has sold in the show. Scores of sales were recorded opening night including Gerald Peters Gallery, Peter Marcelle Projects, Sandra Lee Gallery, Heather James Fine Art, Unix Fine Art and Thomas Paul Gallery.

The focus of the evening was the Art Patron Award to Harold Matzner. City of Palm Springs Councilmember Ginny Float declared February 13, 2014, Harold Matzner Day in Palm Springs. He accepted the award onstage in a packed VIP Lounge, in front of hundreds of friends including Palm Springs Art Museum Chairman Harold Meyerman and Museum Director Stephen Nash who presented the Patron Award, Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit, 2013 Art Patron recipient Helene Galen and Jamie Kabler, Photographer Michael Childers, Philanthropist Donna MacMillan, Actor Udo Kier, Photographer of the Year honoree Greg Gorman, and more. Other notable attendees included Photographer Alexandra Hedsion, Actress/Film Director/Producer Jodie Foster and Country Singer Shelby Lynne.

The show continues through Sunday with Awards for Lifetime Achievement to Jennifer Bartlett, Photographer of the Year Greg Gorman and artist spotlight events with Alexandra Hedison, Steve Maloney, Tiffany Trenda, Penelope Krebs, Lino Taglapietra and the Dry Heat group of artists, panel discussions for collectors, young collectors and many others.

The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair continues through Sunday, February 16, 2014 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Tickets and schedule of events are on PalmSpringsFineArtFair.com. Day passes to the event are $25 or $40 for a weekend pass. Palm Springs Fine Art Fair is produced by Hamptons Expo Group, which also produces ArtHamptons, ArtAspen, Houston Art Fine Art Fair, Silicon Valley Contemporary. The Palm Springs Convention Center is located at 277 N. Avenida Cabelleros, Palm Springs, CA 92262 or call 631-283-5505.