Aelita Andre - Sold out show!!!

In a media whirlwind, four-year-old artist Aelita Andre has turned the NY and international art scene upside down. Within two weeks of the exhibition opening, the entire collection displayed in the show had been sold out. This isn't a surprise considering the enormous interest shown in Aelita's work by both the media and collectors.

Her exhibit was covered by newspapers all around the world, including the New York Post, Sky News online, Britain’s Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail and Australian media such as ABC news, The Australian and Herald Sun and the video of her reception was such a success that it became the most watched video on the BBC news website.

Collectors hoping to purchase one of Aelita's lively and compelling creations need not be disappointed, however. Aelita has expressed a desire to continue painting even though she is not in her accustomed studio space, and so in mid to late July an extension to Prodigy of Color will be held at Agora Gallery, giving her growing collector base a chance to see her freshest and most recent works - the paintings she has created in NYC and Florida since arriving in the United States.

Please contact the gallery for details at 212-226-4151. For more information on Aelita’s astounding New York success visit http://agoraartgalleryblog.com/aelita-andre-takes-new-york-by-storm/ .

View reception photos and the reception video

Opening Reception - June 9
"In summer, the song sings itself." - William Carlos Williams

It is safe to say that summer days have begun here at Agora Gallery. The reception held on June 9th was filled with the fashionable summer dresses and the breezy linens of collectors and artists celebrating another successful opening.

Agora Gallery Keeping audiences entertained, the artist Yeji Jun, who is currently participating in the Collective Exhibition, talked about her 72 piece installation, exploring the quirks of contemporary life, through images themselves and through text that accompanies and forms the petite artworks. Jun's daydreams, text and significant personal details such as signs and symbols are the subject matter of these charmingly diaristic sketches and darkly intriguing compositions. Also captivating onlookers, the artist Susan Marx, was commended for use of spontaneous brushstrokes and passionate reinterpretation of the world. "My art is a result of my radical amazement at the visual world around me and my need to turn that visual experience into paint. Nature may be my starting point, but it is not my end result,” she explains.

In our annual United in Art Exhibition, talented fine artists from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland took guests on a visual journey abroad. Artist Richard Stuttle helped facilitate this adventure with his paintings of pristine slopes in the French Alps, where he spends winters painting and snowboarding, and gritty city streets where he follows skateboarders and parkour practitioners. Stuttle alternates between nearly photographic hyperrealism and a vividly lit and stylized aesthetic evocative of Expressionist woodblock prints.

All of the exhibitions are on display, Tuesday through Saturday, 11AM to 6PM at Agora Gallery. If you are looking to take a break from the heat this summer, we will be serving wine spritzers from 3PM to 5PM. Feel free to stop in and bring friends; it's a show not to be missed.

View more reception photos and the reception video

Kudos and Accolades

Cambridge University announces Atlanta resident and artist, Teri Levine, as “Executive Professional of the Year - 2011”. This elite “Who's Who” honor is an exciting accomplishment for Levine, who has been in the art world for over 15 years. Founder of Teri Levine Fine Arts, Levine paints bold, colorful and eclectic originals that showcase her unique and recognized style. Teri Levine's work will be on exhibit in Maze of Milieu from July 26 through August 16, 2011.

Shifra Shifra was selected for the prestigious Spotlight Awards from Black and White Photography Magazine. The competition attracted entries from artists worldwide. The Black and White Magazine is one of the worlds leading photography magazine that celebrates the beauty of black and white photography.

Section 2 of the High Line is Now Open

What a fantastic treat for visitors to Chelsea! After visiting Agora Gallery, guests and artists can spend the day strolling the new section of the High Line Park (opening on W26th and 10th Avenue). After years of careful planning, the High Line park is now one mile long, connecting the Meatpacking District, Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen.

We foresee exciting art projects, community gatherings and other magical NY summer happenings starting this summer. If you live in NY, feel free to join many of the Agora staff members Wednesday nights at 7PM for free yoga, sponsored by Laughing Lotus.

Staff's Summer Reading List:

Book:
Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities at the World's Richest Museum
by Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino
What it is about:
The book takes the reader deep inside one of the world's richest and most controversial museums, The Getty. It follows the underhanded dealings of the museum's illegal antiquities trade and at what cost a curator will go to build an antiquities collection that would rival all others. For a full review, visit: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/16/136252401/chasing-aphrodite-and-other-dirty-art-world-deals.
Staff Thoughts:
Nellie Scott, Exhibition Coordinator - "This book was incredible and hard to put down. A perfect beach read for the art enthusiast."

Book:
An Object of Beauty
by Steve Martin
What it is about:
Martin compresses the wild and crazy end of the millennium and portrays in this piercing novel a sardonic morality tale. Lacey Yeager is an ambitious young art dealer who uses everything at her disposal to advance in the world of the high-end art trade in New York City. For a full review, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/books/29book.html
Staff Thoughts:
Clara Lemaire, Curatorial Assistant - " This book was intriguing, quite fascinating and very entertaining."

Book:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
What it is about:
The charming tale of Santiago, a shepherd boy, who dreams of seeing the world, is compelling in its own right, but gains resonance through the many lessons Santiago learns during his adventures. He journeys from Spain to Morocco in search of worldly success, and eventually to Egypt, where a fateful encounter with an alchemist brings him at last to self-understanding and spiritual enlightenment. For a full review, please visit: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-alchemist-by-paulo1/
Staff Thoughts:
Angela Di Bello, Gallery Director - "I have read this book twice and can read it again and again. I can attest to the greatness of the book as well as the author."
Alexandra Cespedes, Gallery Assistant - "I just finished reading this book for the third time. Every time I read it I learn something new. Paulo Coelho is my favorite author."