Inside Palm Beach’s New Wave Art Wknd, the Intimate Art Weekend (and Antidote to Basel)
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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 collections 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 collector Beth Rudin DeWoody opened her Bunker Artspace and personally walked guests through her collection 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-collectors 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!
Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice1/15I 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.
Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice2/15New 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.
Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice3/15After an amazing panel at the Norton Museum, titled Negotiating Displacement Through a Cultural Lens, led by my dear friend Isolde Brielmaier, everyone gathered for drinks and dinner to celebrate Sarah’s weekend. I snapped a photo of this powerhouse group of women: Ann Tenenbaum with Sarah, Thelma Golden, and Isolde.
Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice4/15Pictured here with my friend the art patron and collector Mike De Paola in front of the Norton Museum’s sacred ficus altissima tree.
Photo: Courtesy of Bettina Prentice5/15After dinner, we all headed to Rosemary Square for the unveiling of Jeppe Hein’s permanent installation, Water Pavilion. Curated by my dear friends Doreen Remen and Yvonne Force Villareal of Culture Corps, it has been almost four years in the making. The smiles from people of all ages who encountered the work was incredible. I captured Yvonne and the lovely Douglas Friedman frolicking inside the installation.
