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An Art Fair Grows in the Hamptons Gallery Scene

By JOAO RIBAS
July 17, 2006

When you think cutting-edge contemporary art, the bucolic town of Wainscott, Long Island isn't the first place that springs to mind. Yet this sleepy hamlet (home of the state's only one-room public schoolhouse) not far from Southampton, Sag Harbor, and North Shore, certainly draws summering art collectors. That's probably why it was chosen for the sophomore installment of the Hamptons' very own art fair, Scope Hamptons, which ran over the weekend.

With over 60 international galleries exhibiting in the 20,000-square-foot East Hampton Studios, this summer's edition of the Scope art fairs - which includes shows in New York, London, Miami and Venice - marks a big change for what began as a motley collection of dealers exhibiting in cramped hotel rooms.

"We've definitely grown out of our hotel format," Scope president and global director Alexis Hubshman said. "It was our way of making mistakes, but also finding out the right way to do things."

Known for eclectic and energetic presentations of new art, Scope has long aimed to jump from playing second fiddle to the likes of the Armory Show, and become the key player in the emerging art market. Following wellheeled collectors to their summer homes thus seemed an obvious move.

"A lot of art collectors come to the Hamptons for the summer and complain about how it's all antique fairs and car shows," Mr. Hubshman said. "There was a vacuum here we were eager to fill." […]

"There are a lot of people who come just to buy something that looks good over their couch, and so some of the art you see here reflects that," Ombretta Agro, partner of Agro Glickman (Step 1), said. "The crowd can be more conservative and staid here, compared to New York or Miami."

Still, Ms. Agro certainly wasn't playing it safe. Her booth included several paintings of sex positions found on the walls of Pompei, by Neapolitan artist Betty Bee.