Oct
5
Bloomberg.com
More from Greenwich
Floating Fair
By Lindsay Pollock
Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) — Are the Muffys and Binkys of Greenwich, Connecticut, ready for the lesbian-tinged paintings of Chinese artist Ma Yanhong? Apparently not.
When Sea Fair, a $40 million yacht outfitted as a floating group of art galleries docked in Greenwich last week, the locals weren’t impressed by Ma’s racy canvas.
“I don’t see what the big deal is, but most people who came on board were shocked by that painting,” said New York- and London-based dealer Michael Goedhuis, who exhibited Ma’s “Twin Sisters,” featuring a pair of nubile Asian women in undies and sneakers.
Goedhuis was one of 27 international art and antiques dealers exhibiting such high-end wares as diamond brooches and porcelain vases in swank carpeted booths costing as much as $90,000 a month. He had no offers for Ma’s $40,000 painting.
Other dealers had better luck in the town known for hedge funds, BMWs and manicured estates.
Cohen & Cohen, an English porcelain dealer, sold a set of 17th-century sugar casters for an undisclosed six-figure sum. Munich Galerie Thomas sold two drawings by Fernando Botero and Tom Wesselmann for $30,000 to $60,000.
David Lester, who masterminded Sea Fair with his wife, Lee Ann, had founded the Palm Beach International Fine Art & Antiques Fair, among others. The Lesters sold the fair company in 2001 for $18 million.
The 228-foot yacht, named Grand Luxe, features 36 marble- walled bathrooms, upscale restaurants and a champagne and caviar bar. Lester estimated it will cost $40 million to operate Sea Fair during the first two years.
36 Ports of Call
Sea Fair’s schedule includes stops at 36 ports along the U.S. east coast including Hilton Head, South Carolina; Nantucket, Massachusetts; and Miami during the December Art Basel art fair.
Lester said Jay Levine, the North American chief executive officer of RBS Greenwich Capital Markets, was among 4,300 invited guests who came aboard last week.
Several dealers complained the fair wasn’t as crowded as they had hoped. Lester said admission policies with restrictive, timed visiting hours had been relaxed for future stops.
Sea Fair is now docked in Port Washington, on Long Island’s north shore, through Oct. 7, followed by Manhattan’s Chelsea Piers on Oct. 9-14. Information: http://www.expoships.com .