Boston is Back

The 24th annual Boston International Fine Art Show firmly places the city back into the American fine art circuit

After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 24th annual Boston International Fine Art Show returned to the Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts from October 20 to 23, 2022, where it received an enthusiastic response.

Graham Shay 1857 offered a stunning collection of paintings and sculpture, including Flight of Night, a rare piece by sculptor Paul Howard Manship (1885-1966). Photo by Robert Four.

The 15,000-square-foot circular venue under a domed skylight featured 40 galleries offering the complete range of fine art from the Old Masters to contemporary works with a special emphasis on American fine art. The show also introduced Emerge, a special contemporary art section featuring the work of 15 juried emerging and mid-career artists.

The show opened with a gala preview attended by more than 300 patrons, collectors, museum directors and curators who had the opportunity to be among the first to purchase the works on view.

From left, Stephen Keokhanthachone and Leonard Parco of Parco Fine Art, which specializes in the artists of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Photo by Tara Carvalho.

Among the numerous American fine art specialists exhibiting at the show were longtime BIFAS exhibitors Avery Galleries out of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts-based galleries Martha Richardson Fine Art, Parco Fine Art and Jane Eckert Gallery; New York galleries Graham Shay, Lincoln Glenn, Arcadia Contemporary and Rehs Galleries; as well as Maine’s Gleason Fine Art.

Trinity House Paintings stopped everyone in their tracks with this oil on canvas portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) and his workshop. Photo by Robert Four.

Galleries such as Washington D.C.’s Guarisco Gallery and Trinity House Paintings, which has locations in the United Kingdom and New York, that specialize in both European and American works, also added to the outstanding selection of fine art. This year, BIFAS also presented a special exhibition and offering of The Mark Baum Estate (1903-1997), a rediscovered Polish-born American artist whose paintings and artistic direction are unique in the 20th-century modernist canon.

A comprehensive retrospective of the work of Mark Baum (1903-1997), was presented by his estate, located in Cape Neddick, Maine. Photo by Robert Four.

The weekend saw a steady stream of collectors as attendees enjoyed the artwork as well as special programming and guest speakers. The most popular panel discussion was moderated by Wendie Martin and Adolfo Castillo, publishers of American Fine Art Magazine, notes the post-show press release. Their discussion on “Today’s Market for American Art” featured a panel drawn from the exhibitors including Richard Rossello of Avery Galleries, Douglas Gold of Lincoln Glenn and Jane Eckert of Eckert Fine Art. Attendees gained insight into market trends, undervalued artists and newer developments such as NFTs.

Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Erica Hirshler, Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings, MFA Boston, admiring works at the show. Photo by Tara Calvalho.

“American Fine Art Magazine is a proud partner of Boston International Art Show,” comments Martin, publisher of this magazine. “BIFAS is an annual show of exceptional historic art for sale to major collectors. Their focus on both the antiquity and contemporary market is very appealing to our refined collectors and subscribers. Any collector would have a great experience at the event and we are looking forward to attending again in 2023.”