The Art World Is Back From Summer Break

In July I wrote about the art world’s summer break and why I have never fully bought into it. That said, the end of the break is always one of the periods I enjoy most. There is a real energy around everyone being back in New York, and it is nice to see people again and reconnect after the summer.

Galleries tend to save some of their strongest shows for this coveted period. That makes September one of the first opportunities to gauge the health of the market coming out of the summer.

There are several exciting shows opening this month that I’m excited to experience in New York. A few that in particular caught my eye are:

• Lynda Benglis at Pace Gallery, a five-decade survey of sculpture ahead of her major retrospective opening at Kunstmuseum Basel next year before traveling to Tate Modern and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
• Emma Amos at Ryan Lee, bringing together paintings and works on paper devoted to the bathers, a subject the artist returned to for more than fifty years, including major works released by the family for the first time
• Ilana Savdie and Chaim Soutine at Norr Cohan, a fascinating pairing of a living painter with a historical one at the newly renamed gallery, where David Norr has joined as owner
• Rebecca Ness at Morgan Presents, new paintings on the theme of inheritance ahead of her solo museum show at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art

This fall will feel a little bit different. The Armory Show, which has opened the week after Labor Day each year since it moved to the Javits Center, has shifted to late September, a few weeks later than usual. So instead of one crowded week, the season arrives in stages.

As for the market itself, I believe we will continue to see renewed energy, although it will not be felt evenly across the board. Auction and private sales should keep rebounding, and we should also see strong demand on the primary market for artists where collectors feel confident that pricing is calibrated appropriately. Overall, buyers are returning and feeling more energized, but they will remain selective about the artists and the individual works they pursue.

So welcome back. Go see the September shows before the fairs and auctions throughout the fall pull your attention elsewhere!