Art San Diego 2019 Soars in Convention Center Debut: Increased Attendance and New Local Art Programs Highlight Exciting Weekend

    SAN DIEGO, CA, November 02, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Art San Diego, the county's premier contemporary fine art fair owned and operated by Redwood Media Group and sponsored by UBS Financial Services, received rave reviews for its venue debut Oct. 10 - 13 at the San Diego Convention Center. The 11th annual show welcomed a 35 percent increase in attendance and drew praise from artists, collectors and guests, proving the move from the Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds to Downtown San Diego was a hit.

Art San Diego 2019 offered aficionados and novice collectors alike an unparalleled opportunity to explore, experience, experiment and discover at the fair featuring more than 85 galleries, art publishers and artists from seven countries and 60 cities across the globe. The showcase offered a wide range of art mediums including original prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, giclees, lithographs, and glassworks, among other contemporary and fine art.

"We could not be more excited about the new location and the energy it brought," said Linda Mariano, Director of Marketing for Redwood Media Group. "We really felt that with the new venue we were able to better showcase our fabulous exhibitors in new, exciting ways; and with the Gaslamp District being just steps away, there was increased show traffic and a fantastic buzz in the community throughout the four-day art fair."

Thursday's IMPACT NIGHT kicked off Art San Diego, featuring a private party sponsored by UBS Financial Services that was designed to raise funds for Art San Diego's Access to Art partner organizations. Nearly $12,000 was raised for the Monarch School, Rady Children's Hospital, ArtReach San Diego and Humble Design as a result of IMPACT Night.

Classic features such as Art Talks and Access to Art segments returned to the show as well as the Palette of Desserts cake design competition. Six San Diego bakers and chefs created a cake inspired by some of the show's featured artworks with Four Seasons Aviara Restaurant receiving the most guest votes for the second straight year.

The [LOCAL TALENT] program, funded by Art San Diego and UBS, in partnership with the ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station and the NTC Foundation, was unveiled this year, amplifying the focus on San Diego's exceptional artistic talent. [LOCAL TALENT] gave four artists, who each demonstrated exceptional talent in their field of work and are engaged in art as their career, an opportunity to exhibit at Art San Diego. Selected artists received an Art San Diego exhibition space, marketing features and inclusion in publicity and promotional campaigns. The inaugural group featured artists Lauren LeVieux, Lovejoy, Lisa-E and C. Fodoreanu.

At the 2019 event, Redwood Media Group honored select exhibitors with special recognition for their talents and efforts. Award winners include:
-Art San Diego Selects: Kaz Maslanka of the San Diego Art Prize, William Cordiner of Awesome Art, Wally Gilbert of CJ Gallery, Shanna E. D'Antonio of KM Contemporary, David Alfaro Siqueiros of Art Link International, Marianne Enhorning of Marianne Enhorning Studio, Shima Shanti of Peace Waters Fine Arts, C. Fodoreanu of the [LOCAL TALENT] program, Spotlight Artist Jennifer LaPierre, [SOLO] Artist Sarah Melvin, and Rising Artist Kate Joiner.
-Spotlight Awards: 1228 Parkway Art Space, Peimbert Art, Gedion Galleries, Jennifer LaPierre Art, and Walter Redondo Fine Art
-Directors' Award: 1228 Parkway Art Space
-Best Booth Design: Peimbert Art
-Best International Exhibitor: Asian American Culture Media Group
-Best New Exhibitor: Young Shin
-Sculpture: Awesome Art
-Rising Artist: Sofokli Telo
-[SOLO]: Mingyu Jiang Artists Group

Here's a look at some of the 2019 show highlights:

-This year's curatorial theme was [EXPLORE] - Art is everywhere. Explore. Experience. Experiment. Discover. You never know when you'll find something new and truly unique along the way.

-IMPACT NIGHT, a private party designed to have an impact on the community and the show's Access to Art partner organizations, sponsored by UBS Financial Services, featured a silent auction that raised over $11,800 for the Monarch School, Rady Children's Hospital, ArtReach San Diego, and Humble Design with the help of donations from Art San Diego and UBS.

-Spotlight Artist Jennifer LaPierre wowed attendees and Art San Diego Select judges with Figurative Minimalist.

-Six local bakers and chefs unveiled desserts inspired by artworks from this year's show as part of Palette of Desserts.

-Humble Design San Diego's designer, Amber Courtney, and Linda Mariano, Redwood Media Group's managing director of marketing, drew a crowd as they discussed today's art scene, top trends, and what makes art collectible as part of their Art Talk: Trending in Today's Art World.

-The launch of the [LOCAL TALENT] program featured four San Diego-based artists—Lauren LeVieux, Lovejoy, Lisa-E, and C. Fodoreano. Each artist impressed attendees with their exceptional talent, with C. Fodoreanu, Lovejoy, Lisa-E placing multiple pieces with collectors.

Featured artists at the 11th edition of Art San Diego included:

-Spotlight Artists: 1228 Parkway Art Space, Peimbert Art, Gedion Galleries, Jennifer LaPierre Art, Walter Redondo Fine Art
-San Diego Art Prize nominees: Melissa Walter, Kaori Fukuyama, Alanna Airitam, and Griselda Rosas
-[LOCAL TALENT] Program featured artists: Lauren LeVieux, Lovejoy, Lisa-E, and C. Fodoreanu
-Art Labs by San Diego Art Prize, Oslo Sardine Bar, Free Film: USA, and Art San Diego Selects
-Art Talks included "Creativity and Success, an Artist Panel Discussion" with Shima Shanti, Linda Roberts, and Dr. Wally Gilbert and "Trending in Today's Art World" with Humble Design San Diego's Amber Courtney and Redwood Media Group's Linda Mariano

With thousands of guests pouring in throughout the weekend, Art San Diego exhibitors reported strong sales. Here's a look at some of this year's top sales:

-Within 30 minutes of the fair doors opening, a collector walked in and cleared the back wall of Kate Taylor's booth, purchasing a six-painting collection for $3,700. In total, Taylor placed 32 pieces during the fair, ranging in price from $400 to $2,250.
-Art Link International placed Carlos Merida's Dos Personajes.
-Shima Shanti placed four pieces, ranging in price from $3,500 to $5,800.
-KM Contemporary placed nine of Dell Cullum's Imagination Nature photography pieces.
-Marianne Enhorning sold 14 pieces ranging in price from $225 to $4,375.
-Dimensions Gallery placed Tom Liguori's Galactic Forces.
-1228 Parkway Art Space placed James Koskinas' Girl in Gray Field IV, as well as two other pieces.
-Bill Stone placed his large vibrantly colored 72" x 48" Flourish work.
-Gedion Nyanhongo of Gedion Galleries placed his Watchful Lioness sculpture.
-Julia Ross placed Lavender Dawn.
-Peimbert Art placed three pieces, including 5 Grenades by Mr. Debonair.
-Karin Brauns placed Flamingo and The Shape of Young, among others.
-Palette Contemporary Art & Craft placed 10 pieces ranging in price from $145 to $900.
-Houston Art Advisory placed three sculptures ranging in price from $1,000 to $4,000.
-ICU nurse and artist Danielle Hirsch placed three of her layered colored-manipulated resin paintings.
-Shex Art Studio placed two pieces, including All In.
-Rising Artists Melissa Marquardt, Sofokli Telo, Kate Joiner, and Melissa Diliberti of Sacred Solutions each placed multiple pieces.
-[SOLO] artists Teresa Ferrari, Jeanne Philippus, Priyanka Mac, Ruth Fromstein, and Carolina Spichiger also each placed pieces.

About Art San Diego
Art San Diego 2017, presented by UBS Financial Services, took place Sept. 28–Oct. 1, 2017, at the Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Art San Diego has emerged as one of the best-attended cultural events in Southern California. Founded in 2009 as the first and only contemporary art fair in San Diego, Art San Diego is a four-day art event that features more than 60 international galleries and offers dynamic programming that includes Art Labs, Art Talks, the [LOCAL TALENT] and Spotlight Artist Programs, and the San Diego Art Prize. Art San Diego provides a focus on San Diego's vibrant and diverse cultural art scene alongside an exciting collection of international artists and galleries. For more information, visit www.art-sandiego.com.

About Redwood Media Group
Since 2009, Redwood Media Group (RMG) has been revolutionizing the global fine art community by helping artists and gallery owners grow their businesses through fine art exhibitions and publications, art business education, mentoring, marketing, and social media. Today, RMG owns and operates six fine art shows: Artexpo New York, Artexpo Las Vegas, Spectrum Miami, Red Dot Miami, Art San Diego, and Art Santa Fe. Artexpo New York, the world's largest fine art trade show for 40 years and counting, attracts more than 40,000 art enthusiasts every year, including nearly 5,000 industry buyers. Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami take place during Miami Art Week, an annual attraction that draws over 150,000 art collectors to the city. Over the past ten years, RMG has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to their events, sold millions of dollars worth of art, and helped thousands of unrepresented and established artists launch or grow their careers. Aside from hosting multiple high-end art shows throughout the year, RMG also owns Art Business News.

For more information, visit www.redwoodmg.com, www.artbusinessnews.com, www.artexponewyork.com, www.artexpolasvegas.com, www.art-sandiego.com, www.spectrum-miami.com, www.artsantafe.com, and www.reddotmiami.com.

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