Parties

Inside Palm Beach’s New Wave Art Wknd, the Intimate Art Weekend (and Antidote to Basel)

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Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Friedman

While thousands of people descend on the Sunshine State every year for Art Basel Miami Beach, less than 100 were invited to Palm Beach for the second annual New Wave Art Wknd. The event bills itself as a noncommercial art weekend, and it takes place on the heels of Basel, a sort of artistic comedown from the crazy antics of the Miami fair.

Founded by Sarah Gavlak, the event’s main programming focuses on private tours of some of the foremost art collectsions in the world. To serve the broader public, Gavlak also offers robust public programming curated by Isolde Brielmaier. She collaborated with cultural strategist Bettina Prentice in honing this year’s theme, centered on immigration and diversity through a cultural lens. In the Republican enclave by the beach, the programming was surprisingly well received, with such major players as Lisa and Richard Perry writing significant checks to support New Wave’s inaugural immigrant artist-in-residency program, mere miles from Mar-a-Lago. The residency will provide housing, living expenses, and logistical support to set up immigrant artists in Palm Beach to contribute to the public discourse. This year’s recipient, Renzo Ortega (born in 1974, Peru), is planning large-scale public works and community engagement, like a “displacement potluck” for local immigrant communities.

The weekend included a splashy kickoff party at the newly renovated Norton Museum, attended by Thelma Golden, Ann Tenenbaum, Tom Lee, and countless artists. Legendary collectsor Beth Rudin DeWoody opened her Bunker Artspace and personally walked guests through her collectsion of more than 10,000 works of art and objects. Oscar de la Renta and Phillips auction house hosted an elegant dinner at the new home of mega-collectsors Amy and John Phelan, which was followed by an epic dance party in their private disco. Fueled by tequila shots, guests including Gavlak, Douglas Friedman, and Lauren Goodman raided the Phelans’ costume stash and danced until dawn.

Weren’t invited? Don’t worry; Prentice snapped photos along the way so you can start working on your invitation for next year!

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    Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice
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    I arrived at the Eau Hotel in Palm Beach having had almost no sleep the night before, with both kids in my bed. When I sat down at the Eau’s beachside restaurant for a healthy lunch and a view of the ocean, I felt restored. 

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    Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice
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    New Wave Art Wknd founder Sarah Gavlak’s Palm Beach bedroom was like stepping into my girlhood fantasy. Everything is in the softest shades of pink and white, and there’s painstakingly sourced antiques and a walkway right down to the beach. The piece over the bed is by artist Rob Wynne.

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    Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice
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    The next morning Beth Rudin DeWoody hosted our group for breakfast at her collectsion, the Bunker Artspace. The entire collectsion, curated by Maynard Monrow and Laura Dvorkin, is spectacular, but this little knit sculpture by Luis Flores, titled Venus, really stood out to me. The work is based on the limestone fertility sculpture Venus de Willendorf created in 30,000 B.C. Simon Watson’s Inner Space/Outer Space on the ground floor is also beautiful and a must-see. 

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    Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice
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    Rolls-Royce was one of the weekend’s sponsors, and I love this shot of my friend Christina Di Donna, just as she hopped into her car shouting, “This is how we Rolls!” 

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    Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice
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    Next, Maison Ullens hosted a beautiful alfresco lunch at Irene and Jim Karp’s home. The brand, headquartered in Paris, was founded by philanthropist Myriam Ullens. She is pictured here with Yvonne, Sarah, and her elegant husband, Guy Ullens, one of the foremost collectsors in the world. Their museum in Beijing—the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art—is a leading cultural institution in Asia. 

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    Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Friedman
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    Douglas Friedman snapped this pic on my phone of me and my friend Lauren Goodman striking a pose in the Karps’ garden, both wearing Maison Ullens, of course. 

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    Photo: Courtesy of Tiffany Page/BFA
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    Tiffany Page photographed Amy Phelan, who welcomed guests to her home on Saturday night. Amy is one of the most generous art patrons in a generation and has a true love of art and artists. She also loves fashion and is seen here wearing Oscar de la Renta. 

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    Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice
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    Amy and her husband John’s new house in Palm Beach has its own disco, marked by this Lawrence Weiner installation at the entrance.

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    Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice
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    One of the houses on our collectsion tour made me wonder why we don’t all move to Palm Beach. A two-bedroom bungalow will set you back less than a studio apartment in New York City. 

TopicsMiamiArt Basel