2014 Honorees Announced for Palm Springs Fine Art Fair

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - Nov. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Palm Springs is the winter destination for the world. February 13-16, 2014, fine art collectors from across the United States, Canada, China and Europe will gather as the 3rd Annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair (PSFAF3) returns to the Palm Springs Convention Center for an eagerly awaited encore. At PSFAF2 in 2013, an estimated $100 million in post-war contemporary art was curated by 56 galleries from New York, Santa Fe, Palm Springs, China and Europe attracting 11,800 fine art devotees resulting in hundreds of art transactions and millions in art sales.

Each year, the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair also honors artists and an arts patron. PSFAF3 honorees include:

Arts Patron of the Year Award will be presented to Harold Matzner on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014 and benefits the Palm Springs Art Museum.

2014 Photographer of the Year will be presented to legendary LA based photographer Greg Gorman on Friday, February 14, 2014.

2014 Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to acclaimed artist Jennifer Bartlett on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014.

A 30-year resident of Palm Springs, Mr. Matzner exerts selfless leadership as chairman emeritus and vice chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, chairman of McCallum Theatre, and vice president on the board of trustees at Palm Springs Art Museum.  Matzner takes greatest pride in his philanthropic efforts for Desert AIDS Project, Stroke Recovery Center, Temple Isaiah, and Animal Samaritans. He is also the owner of the Palm Springs Tennis Club landmark Spencer’s Restaurant. Past award recipients have been the beloved Cheech Marin and Helene Galen.

For over four decades, Greg Gorman has continued to master the art of photography.  From celebrity portraits and advertising campaigns to magazine layouts and fine art work, Greg has developed and showcased a discriminating and unique style in his profession. Greg’s work documents that peculiar obsession of the 21st century celebrity.  Each shot gives a picture of human nature in its infinite range. Each picture is also a testament to the individual character. “For me a photograph is most successful when it doesn’t answer all the questions,” says Gorman, “and it leaves something to the imagination.”

Along with the seven books of his own work, his images have been seen in national magazine features and covers, including Esquire, GQ, Interview, Life, Newsweek, Time and Vanity Fair. He has also directed music videos, television advertisements, and graphic layouts for advertisers.

Artist Jennifer Bartlett, 73, who hails from Long Beach, California, has been both a prominent and controversial figure over the years because her work is filled with challenging paradoxes and contradictions.  She has been part of the New York artistic conversation since the late 1960s. Over her 50-year career, Bartlett’s work has transformed in size, technique and subject matter, which has focused on houses, statues, and strangely familiar landscapes that invite the viewer into an elusive narrative.  A mini-retrospective of her work in the past half-century will appear near the entrance of the fair and be curated by Imago Galleries. Past winners have been Judy Chicago and Mel Ramos.

Tickets are on sales at www.palmspringsfineartfair.com. The VIP Black Card pass provides exclusive access to the Opening Preview Party. General admission is $25.

The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair is produced by the Hamptons Expo Group of Southampton, New York. They produce 4 other events throughout the year- ArtHamptons, ArtAspen , The Houston Fine Art Fair, and Silicon Valley Contemporary.