Celebrating its 18-year presence in the art scene, Art Santa Fe will open its doors on July 12-15 at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.The four-day curated Contemporary art show is a melting pot of top galleries, art dealers, and eminent artists from across the world, featuring top-quality Modern and Contemporary art along with special events and plenty of entertainment options. The city of Santa Fe is ranked by some as the third largest art market in the United States, with a backdrop of natural beauty, cultural history, and sincere appreciation for the arts. About 300 galleries call the New Mexico city home, and it was voted the “Readers’ Choice 2017 Destination of the Year” by Travel + Leisure magazine. The fair was ranked fourth in a national “USA Today 10 Best Reader’s Choice Award” contest for “Best U.S. Art Festival” in 2015.The 2018 edition of Art Santa Fe is centered on the theme “Allure,” which in the words of the fair “denotes the remarkable potential of Contemporary and Modern art to captivate, entice, and dazzle the stakeholders surrounding it.” This year’s programming provides a dynamic experience for its visitors — with important works on view from highlighted galleries and artists; interactive site-specific works and performances; and captivating talks from international art industry experts. This includes Art Labs — featuring special curated projects by leading galleries, art institutions, and art collectives; Art Talks which features panel discussions, conversations, and provocative artistic discourse with leading artists, curators, designers, and art-industry professionals; and the Spotlight Program that provides the collectors a focused look at several cutting-edge galleries and artists recognized for their skill and achievement in the visual arts. And like its previous editions, 2018 will also see the LaunchPad Program, which will present a jury-selected, unrepresented artist the opportunity to present a site-specific exhibition within the show.Amongst the highlights of the 2018 edition, Art Santa Fe will mark the return of Contemporary Art Projects USA (CAP) with a host of artists from across the world, including emerging Mexican artist Ricardo Cardenas and Francisco Sheuat — a recent CAP discovery. “A successful emerging Mexican artist whose popularity is growing by leaps and bounds, Cardenas began as a construction engineer and expresses his past experience and appreciation of materials, along with his feelings and beliefs, by connecting his art in both his medium and techniques,” the fair says.“Guests will learn how his clever use of building materials, including recycled concrete retrieved from the ruble of Mexico’s recent earthquakes, coupled with steel bars, and more, have become synonymous with Cardenas artwork.”Sheuat epitomizes the current trend toward mixed media in today’s Contemporary art scene, the fair says. “Making a statement with recycled used soda cans as his media; the artwork is stunning — all color in his pieces is derived from the cans. Sheuat views his work as a commitment to a greener planet, recycling and reusing as an ongoing theme,” the fair says.One of the star attractions at the fair is to be work by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, presented by Gallery Edel. Known for her massive installations that have been showcased around the world, glass sculptures, colorful paintings and prints and more will be featured Art Santa Fe, highlighting Yayoi’s intent for the artwork to be owned by all who love and appreciate it. Gallery Edel will also showcase works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, William Steiger, Takeshi Yamao, and others.Art Santa Fe 2018 is launching a special section titled “The Solo Project,” introduced by recently appointed Director Rich Ferrante, featuring 18 independent cutting-edge artists from various parts of the world who will display their innovative works at an additional show area outside the fair main floor.After acquiring the property from Charlotte Jackson in 2015, the 2018 edition of Art Santa Fe will be the third edition of the fair organized and presented by the Redwood Media Group (RMG). The group is known for its patronage in the rise of the global fine art community since 2009, through its inputs in the rise of business by artists and gallery owners with an enterprising gamut of fine art exhibitions and publications, art business education, mentoring, marketing, and social media activities. Alongside Art Santa Fe, RMG also owns and operates four more art shows — Artexpo New York, Spectrum Miami, Art San Diego, and Red Dot Miami.This article appears in the July edition of Art+Auction. http://www.blouinartinfo.comFounder Louise Blouin
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