ARTEAMERICAS 2010 – A CONVERSATION WITH DORA VALDES-FAULI

Carolina Sardi, Starry Night, 2008, Painted Steel over Painted Wall, 96" x 96'' x 2", Courtesy of the artist and Pan American Art Projects, Miami.

arteaméricas, the premier Latin American art fair in the United States, will celebrate its eighth edition March 26 - 29, 2010 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. ARTDISTRICTS spoke with its Art Director, Dora Valdés-Fauli, about the future of arteaméricas, the new projects to be included on this occasion, and the impact of this event on the Latin American art scene.

ARTDISTRICTS: In 2009, arteaméricas changed its management structure; it went from being a fair with centralized management, to a much more flexible and open model comprised of you as Art Director, María Nápoles as Executive Director and Othón Castañeda as Associate Director. What is the vision of the fair’s new management?  What new art fair concept are you presenting? What are the differences between the current arteaméricas and previous editions of the fair?

Dora Valdés-Fauli - As the head of the new team at arteaméricas, I bring to the position the enthusiasm that I have had for the fair since its inception when the owners, Leslie Pantin and Emilio Calleja, came to me to say that they were interested in doing a fair of Latin American art and wanted my input. At that time, I was a gallery director, and I was delighted with the concept and very happy to help. From that time, nearly a decade ago, I have been a great supporter of arteaméricas and all that the fair has accomplished. Now as the Director, I come to the position with a respect for the institution, its owners and its previous director, and now, I build on that with a fresh point of view. In the changes which I have outlined for this team, I have two main areas of interest - one is to continue to increase the intellectual excellence of the fair, and the second is to increase the audience participation. The first, the intellectual component is secured by having a strong and independent Selection Committee and a solid series of Art Talks, round table discussions and lectures to offer to the public. The second is achieved by the relationships that we are forming with the museums, cultural institutions, and community groups and the special programs offered to them. This two-pronged effort will ensure a fair that is interesting, stimulating, informative, and successful for the participants.

AD - Who comprises the Selection Committee? What criteria are used to select participating galleries? Which countries are expected to participate on this occasion?

DVF- The Selection Committee is composed of renowned art professionals that are especially informed about Latin American art. They are Carol Damian, the director of the Frost Museum; Felix Angel, the director the vast cultural program of the Interamerican Development Bank in Washington; Julia Herzberg, a very well-known curator from New York, whose long career includes being the curator for the Carlos Alfonzo exhibition at the Freedom Tower a few years ago and the recent Nela Ochoa exhibition at the Frost; and Leonor Amarante, an excellent curator and critic from Brazil.

During the selection process, each gallery is required to submit the list of artists whom they plan to exhibit, photos of their work and their resumes. In addition, information about the gallery itself, its exhibition schedule for the recent past, a history of how long they have existed, in how many international fairs they have participated, how many exhibitions they do each year, etc. Some galleries that have applied will bring an exhibition of only one artist, but others will bring several of their best artists. There does not have to be a curatorial concept that is provided to the Selection Committee, but I can tell you from my 30 years of experience as a gallery director, that when any good gallery plans its offering at a fair, there is a sense of balance that is required and appreciated by the public.

The countries of origin of the galleries that have applied are the United States, Panama, Mexico, Peru, Germany, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Colombia and Argentina. We are still negotiating with others in Canada, Brazil, and Spain.

AD - What opportunities does arteaméricas offer participating galleries?

DVF - The galleries participating in arteaméricas begin by being offered a far lower fee for participation than other fairs because we have the wonderful financial support of Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. In addition, we offer to participating galleries, a special arrangement for travel with American Airlines and the services of FedEx, as well as special arrangements with local hotels. So, the first benefit is a prestigious international art fair for a reasonable fee structure.

International art fairs offer a whole new potential section of market share to the participants. In today’s global world, a gallery should not, and actually cannot depend on the clients from only its own “back yard.” Developing new contacts and new clients is the essence of what a fair provides to a gallery, and I think that in today’s economic climate, it is more important than ever for a gallery to develop this broader client base in order to survive and succeed.
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AD - In arteaméricas, as in all art fairs, commercial interests take precedence over the educational and the didactic. Nevertheless, within this context, exhibitions can be enriched by providing independent curators, museums and cultural institutions with the opportunity to present curated projects.  Will arteaméricas devote space to these types of projects? If so, what will they be?

DVF - Our plans for curated spaces are quite extensive, with a group of spaces being curated by several acknowledged curators under the direction of Celia Bribagher; another very important area, which is under the direction of Cristina Nosti, will deal with the Latin American artist that Bonnie Clearwater has brought to MOCA over the years. Other projects with Spanish artists, and a possibility with works by Carmen Herrera, and the participation of a very well-known Latin American museum are all in the works. I will keep you informed of the details as we move forward with these plans in the next week or two.

AD - Has arteaméricas designed a strategy for fostering collectorship, both private and institutional?

DVF - We are putting in place two important programs that will bring specifically an art-loving public to the fair. They are our Museum Nights that will be on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights of the fair. This is a special invitation to the important supporters of nine museums, three each night, to come to a reception in the VIP Lounge of the fair for a glass of champagne and then we will provide guided tours of the fair. The second initiative is our Collectors Program, which will offer to important collectors (from this area, and nationally, and internationally), in addition to special treatment at the fair, visits to private collections, guided tours of museums, and artists’ studios, as well as special dinners and cocktail parties.

AD - How do you visualize the future of art fairs? Do you foresee a continuation of the art fair boom that we have witnessed in recent years?

DVF - In my opinion, art fairs are becoming continually more important and relevant in the art market. In today’s global market place, all galleries must endeavor constantly to reach an ever broadening base of support for their activities. Art fairs provide insight into the market and opportunities for new contacts with collectors, other galleries, curators, and artists. It is this international networking as well as the specific sales that give immense new options to each participating gallery.

AD - Taking into consideration sales levels experienced by Latin American art at last November’s auctions and during Miami’s recent art fair season, do you think that Latin American art is a good investment at the present time?

DVF - The Latin American auctions in New York in November were great and the success of the art fairs of Art Basel Miami Beach and all of the satellite fairs all point to the recovery of the art market after the recent downturn. Also, in spite of the recent fluctuations, Latin American art has continued to be an excellent investment, one that provides great enjoyment as well as a more appealing alternative to some of the more depressed markets, such as real estate and the stock market.

AD - In conclusion…what impact do you think arteaméricas will have on Latin American art both within and outside of the United States?

DVF - arteaméricas is a boutique fair dedicated exclusively to Latin American art, and as such it provides a beautiful opportunity to collectors, galleries, museums, and institutions to have a free exchange of ideas and images within a rich and appealing platform. I am very pleased with what this wonderful fair offers and I know that this year will be greatly successful.