One of the region’s largest summer cultural events is the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, drawing in more than 10,000 visitors and hundreds of artists and galleries, exhibited in the spacious side-by-side Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning Pavilions.
The 2026 theme honors the United States’ 250th anniversary and includes a variety of special programming and events. Among these is the centerpiece of the fair: an iconic 10-foot sculpture of the Statue of Liberty, a pivotal part of 19th-century American history, which will be on display at the fair entrance.
Milton Avery (1885-1965), Sketcher on the Rocks, 1945. Watercolor on paper, 22 x 30 in., signed lower left: ‘Milton Avery/1945’. Courtesy Modern Fine Art, New York, NY
“In the Hamptons, we need memorable promotions,” executive director Rick Friedman says of the sculpture. “It’s a rare and very valuable 10-foot bronze edition, cast in 2010 in Paris from the original 1878 plaster of the Statue of Liberty by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi.” The bronze is presented by Modern Fine Art and is available for purchase. “It is destined to be the photo-op of the Hamptons’ summer season,” says Friedman, adding that the sculpture is currently priced at $1 million.
Albert Gleizes (1881-1953), Construction, 1919. Oil on canvas, 217⁄8 x 18¼ in., signed and dated upper right: ‘Alb Gleizes 19’. Courtesy Modern Fine Art, New York, NY
Stuart Davis (1892-1964), Mural Detail Study No. 1, 1954. Gouache on paper, 8 x 12 in., signed lower right: ‘Stuart Davis’. Courtesy Modern Fine Art, New York, NY
The Hamptons Fine Art Fair is now in its second decade of producing dynamic art marketplaces in the Hamptons. “This summer, we present over 100 galleries from around the world, showcasing 500-plus artists in total,” says Friedman. “From hot emerging [artists] to the blue chip masters, we have a few spotlights: artist Mel Ramos was a photorealist who created an American genre, all his own, presented by Louis K. Meisel Gallery. [Additionally], famed photographer and musician Julian Lennon is presented by Fremin Gallery. Kim Chesney, a painter from Atlanta, is presented by Gallery Anderson Smith; and the Colombian artist and sculptor, Alejandro De Narvaez, is presented by Art Saat.”
Dealers and visitors discuss artwork at a past Hamptons Fine Art Fair.
Additional highlights include an exclusive exhibit titled Trailblazers of Hamptons Abstraction with works for sale by many prominent artists of the 1950s to 1970s “in a salute to the Hamptons art era that pioneered and championed the abstract expressionism movement.”
The Hamptons Fine Art Fair takes place July 9 to 12. A VIP First-Look Opening Preview will be held on the first day from noon to 5 p.m. benefiting Guild Hall, and an evening preview takes place from 5 to 10 p.m., benefitting Southampton Arts Center. The Young Collectors Party returns July 10, comprising young members from leading New York City museums and arts institutions like Guggenheim, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Frick Collection and Sotheby’s. —
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