The Hamptons Fine Art Fair was flooded this weekend, threatening millions of dollars worth of art and clearing out one of the events of the season.
The fair — which, we’re told, showcased around $400 million in art, jewelry and watches and included works by Matisse, Picasso and Van Gogh — was shut down at 3 p.m. on Sunday during a torrential downpour that sent water rushing into parts of the three pavilions that had been built for the event.
“The Fire Marshall and police department decided it was an emergency situation and we should turn off lights and electricity and do an immediate evacuation,” the show’s executive director Rick Friedman tells Page Six. “Everyone evacuated very calmly and we left the artworks on the wall.”
It seems that removing the art wasn’t an option. “The works were safer in the building,” said Freidman, who noted they would have otherwise been taken outside into the downpour.
A source tells us that — much like the band on the sinking Titanic — an opera singer performed in the VIP area as the water level rose ominously. The fair’s longtime PR rep R. Couri Hay tells us the Pavarotti of precipitation was “asked to stop.” (He says they hadn’t been hired to sing and the watery warbler just took it upon themselves to break into song).
Armed guards and police watched over the building after it was shuttered to deter any would-be thieves. “Anyone that came on the premises would be arrested for trespassing,” said Friedman.
He told us they’re still “evaluating” whether any pieces were damaged, but so far have not heard anything.
“The ceiling and walls were OK,” he told us. “My understanding is that there was no serious damage to anything hanging on the walls. We told everyone to take their paintings off the floor.”
The fair’s biggest booth was M.S. RAU, which showcased a Renoir. We hear they even managed to sell a $5.5 million Picasso by telephone after the fair was closed by Mother Nature.
Other pieces on display included works from famed artists David Hockney, Robert Motherwell and Norman Lewis.
A “Picasso in the Hamptons” display had 30 of his works, including a $1 million drawing.
There was also a tribute to Norman Rockwell with 18 original artworks he made for the Saturday Evening Post, including the famed, $8 million the “Dugout” illustration of the Chicago Cubs.
On Monday staff began to remove the artwork though they were still unable to get the electricity back on.
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