Here’s Everything To Know About The 2022 Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary Art Fair

Bringing together world-class art from an internationally acclaimed group of galleries, Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary (PBM+C) — presented by Art Miami — kicks off today, Thursday, March 24, with an exclusive, invitation-only VIP preview benefiting the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. 

As one of the most important art events of the season, PBM+C is returning with a new time slot this year. Previously held each January, the show is now in March to coincide with The Palm Beach International Boat Show, which also falls under the Art Miami umbrella and is a longstanding Palm Beach extravaganza. “It’s a weekend of luxury,” notes Nick Korniloff, director of Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary and executive vice president of Art Miami.

Photo Credit: Annie WattsPBM+C also has a new home this year. In the past, it existed as a pavilion at the City of West Palm Beach Tent Site; however, this year, prominent collectors, curators, art connoisseurs, interior designers, museum directors, architects, and art world luminaries will descend upon The Palm Beach Convention Center.

Those immersed in the art scene come to view and purchase rarely exhibited pieces, including blue-chip, modern and contemporary, and post-war works from the 20th and 21st centuries, curated by the world’s finest galleries spanning nine countries and over 30 cities.

Photo Credit: Capehart

“Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary and The Palm Beach International Boat Show are growing side-by-side, which was another reason we moved it into the Convention Center,” explains Korniloff. “In the past, we only had about 60 galleries, and now we have 90. So, it needed more room to breathe.”

The fair will indeed take your breath away with works by renowned artists including Banksy, Botero, Calder, Hockney, Katz, Picasso, Warhol, and countless others on display. PBM+C spans the art spectrum and disciplines from classical and modern paintings to photography, pop art, sculpture, prints, video, and NFTs are represented.

Photo Credit: courtesy of Opera Gallery

Photo Credit: courtesy of Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm BeachNot to be missed: Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach will showcase a special exhibition entitled Harry Benson: A Life of Legendary Photographs by the iconic Scottish photographer Harry Benson, who has photographed celebrities and historical events around the world, including The Beatles on their inaugural American tour in 1964, Michael Jackson, and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Benson, a Palm Beach local, will be the third recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award during a special event kicking off the fair.

Photo Credit: Gigi Benson

Photo Credit: courtesy of Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach

Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary reflects the fact that so many people from the Northeast, Midwest, and California are now calling Palm Beach home. 

“We’re seeing this transformation of New York and Miami galleries entering the Palm Beach market, and the fair really embraces that,” says Korniloff. And whether you’re a longtime resident or a newcomer, navigating the fair will be a breeze; the aisles are arranged to replicate the map of Palm Beach Island, with familiar street names like Hibiscus, Worth, Brazilian, and so on. 

Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary takes place at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, located at 650 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, and runs through Sunday, March 27. Tickets can be purchased here.