Filed under: Art World, Q&A, DC, Art Fairs | Tags: Matthew Smith, DC, Connor Contemporary, eMerge, open art collection, Rubell Family Collection, White Columns, Pulse, Capitol Skyline Hotel, Morris Lapidus, Leigh Conner, Jamie Smith, Helen Allen
The (e)merge art fair (September 22 – 25, 2011) — founded and organized by Conner Contemporary Art co-directors Leigh Conner and Jamie Smith, as well as by Helen Allen, founder and former director of Pulse — officially opens its doors tonight at the Morris Lapidus-designed Capitol Skyline Hotel in Washington, D.C.. The focus of the fair is on emerging artists, but not just those arriving via their dealers and gallerists. Nearly half of the approximately 80 exhibitors will be unrepresented artists vetted by a selection committee that included White Columns director Matthew Higgs, megacollector Mera Rubell of the Rubell Family Collection, among other art professionals. Which practically guarantees that (e)merge won’t be another big-box art fair. Earlier this week I caught up with the organizers of (e)merge, no doubt very busy with last minute preparations, to talk about the concept behind their project. Our conversation after the jump. - Matthew Smith, DC Contributor
