Despite the difficult economy the inaugural year of the Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair, San Diego was a great success across every dimension.
San Diego, CA, September 12, 2009 — Despite the difficult economy the inaugural year of the Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair, San Diego was a great success across every dimension. The sheer turnout of the Opening Night, which reached a maximum capacity of over 1000 people at The Grand Del Mar, lifted the spirits of everyone and displayed incredible support for this type of event from San Diego collectors and art enthusiasts. “Our team could not have felt more proud opening night to see the large turnout and support from our local community” said Ann Berchtold, Executive Director.
Many of the events were sold out in advance such as, the Art of Wine and Food Dinner and a private lunch with Dave Hickey. Dave Hickey’s talk attracted a large audience. Gallery exhibition space sold out in May and there was a waiting list of over 20 galleries. Attendance exceeded 2500 people over the 2.5 days.
Most dealers entered the fair with modest expectations of sales in this economy. However, many galleries’ sales exceeded their expectations. Over 50% of the galleries who participated this year reported sales, with 80% of the Latin American galleries reporting sales. The Bird Project, a local artists “spotlight exhibition” organized by Paint Night Group sold out nearly their entire booth.
In addition, “Many art buyers take a long time to make a decision and so many sales will happen after the fair” predicted Julie Schraeger, Director of Development for the Fair. Numerous galleries reported strong connections made during the event which they will nurture post fair.
One of the clear successes of the Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair was to provide a forum to showcase the collective artistic talent from this region alongside the talent of international artists. It also, according to Berchtold, “continued to foster and encourage art collecting and support for our local cultural institutions”.
About Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair
San Diego’s first Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair (BTB) is a 3-day contemporary art fair that will include national and international galleries featuring over 500 works by established and emerging contemporary artists from all over the world, exhibiting in The Grand Del Mar’s expansive ballroom accompanied by numerous luxury exhibitors and food and wine events. The event will showcase over $4 million in artwork coupled with sponsors such as Maserati, Modern Luxury Media, Qualcomm, Christie’s, The American Institute of Wine and Food, The California Bipolar Foundation, Lugano Diamonds, and many others. BTB anticipates ATTENDANCE OF over 3,000 new and established collectors over the three days.
Beyond The Border-Art, Inc. (BTB-Art) is producing the art fair. BTB-Art is a strategic business-consulting firm comprised of leading professionals in the areas of art, marketing, and event production. BTB-Art is dedicated to establishing San Diego as the leading contemporary art fair destination on the West Coast. Organizers have partnered with San Diego’s leading cultural organizations, including The San Diego Museum of Art, The Stuart Collection UCSD, UCSD Department of Visual Arts, Centro Cultural Tijuana, and the Mexican Consulate.
The Mediterranean-style Grand Del Mar was named one of the top new resorts and spas in the Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s annual Hot List in 2008 and listed in the 2009 Gold List as one of the world’s best places to stay. Specially priced room packages for the BTB fair are available for $315 and includes two VIP tickets to the first preview and opening night reception of the fair, two-day passes and a VIP collector’s bag of luxury items. Reservations can be made by calling 888-314-2030.
Beyond the Border-Art, INC | http://beyondtheborder-art.com | 2658 Del Mar Heights Rd. #502, Del Mar, CA 92014
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