1ST L.A. ART FAIR MAKES RESPECTABLE SHOWING

Los Angeles’ first International Contemporary Art Fair--held at the Convention Center last Thursday through Sunday--had some teething problems, but it passed the ultimate test: Plans are already under way for a sequel.

According to Brian Angel, who coordinated the event for the London firm of Andry Montgomery, a second International Contemporary Art Fair will be held in Los Angeles next winter, though the date hasn’t been determined.

The first fair featured displays of contemporary fine art from about 130 top galleries from 15 countries. The event got off to a slow start Thursday morning, but traffic built up over the weekend resulting in a four-day attendance of 14,200.

“That’s a fraction of what other major art fairs get, but it is very satisfactory indeed for a first effort,” Angel said.

Reporting on evaluation forms submitted by participating dealers, Angel said there was “a wide range of reaction” from people who did very little business to those who sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of art.

The most prevalent positive consensus was that the quality of art was very high, he said. Several art-fair veterans--dealers, collectors and critics--thought it the best they had seen in their travels.

This year participants were screened by an international advisory committee consisting of dealers John Berggruen (San Francisco), Jean Fremon (Paris), Barbara Gladstone (New York), David Juda (London) and Margo Leavin (Los Angeles). Next year the committee will include major collectors, museum curators and others in the art community, Angel said.

The major disappointment was that openings of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the County Museum of Art’s new Robert O. Anderson Building seemed to detract from the fair instead of enhancing it, he said. Angel attributed a “lack of media coverage” of the fair to “saturation coverage” of the museum events.

Planning to stage the next show when there are fewer “distractions,” Angel also hopes to build city support for subsequent fairs. He envisions a more coordinated effort involving both the business community and the art establishment. “We will have a comprehensive program of seminars, tours and receptions,” he said.

Dealers at the fair were charged $18 a square foot for exhibition space plus extra fees for lights, walls, furniture, telephones and cleaning services. Their total costs--including transportation and shipping for distant galleries--ran from around $5,000 to $40,000. Sales didn’t always cover those costs, but many dealers reported high returns and the addition of new buyers to their rosters.

According to Angel, the Karl Bornstein Gallery in Santa Monica sold $100,000 worth of art, 80% of it to new clients. L.A. Louver, on the other hand, made most of its sales to people who have already bought from the Venice gallery.

Out-of-town and foreign dealers were most likely to extend their circle of collectors, Angel said. Davis/McClain Gallery of Houston sold $65,000 worth of art, all to new clients. Both San Francisco dealer Rena Bransten and New York dealer Charles Cowles reported that half of their sales were to unfamiliar collectors, while only 10% of London-based Bernard Jacobson’s sales went to new buyers.

Berlin dealers gave the fair mixed reviews, according to Angel. Ingrid Rabb reported selling well, while Eva Poll said, “Los Angeles does not know about European and German artists.”

Angel concluded that the key to the success of future fairs is to maintain the quality of art in the first one. “We have now established that Los Angeles can have a fair equal to or exceeding that of other major art fairs,” he said. “We would like the city to embrace us so that we can continue to attract the best galleries.”