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About Blair Clarke
For the past seven years, Blair Clarke has filled private residences, galleries and alternative spaces with a wide range of emerging contemporary art. Mrs. Clarke's vernissages have the feeling of a perfect dinner party, with the right mix of uptown sophistication and downtown verve. Moreover, they're often held in unusual spaces--showing contemporary art in an antiques gallery or an upscale fashion emporium. In Clarke's own words, the 37 year-old Columbus, Georgia native has "worn many hats" in the contemporary art world, holding positions as Gallery director of Galerie Timothy Tew in Atlanta and Exhibition director at Sanford and Smith and Associates in New York City. “Perhaps it is her unique combination of southern charm and New York savvy that has led to Clarke's success.”, comments collector Beth DeWoody. "She excels at connecting identities and ideas that wouldn't have otherwise come together." Clarke founded Voltz Clarke in 2002 and saw immediate success with 2003's Kaleidoscope at New York's Ingrao Gallery. For this bold exhibition Clarke placed contemporary works by then unknown British painter Natasha Law and Norwegian video artist Marit Folstad amid the antiques of an Upper East Side townhouse. Thus began her signature curatorial gesture of presenting emerging talent to sophisticated audiences in unexpected venues. Clarke is also known for bridging the worlds of fashion and design with contemporary art. In the Spring of 2004, Clarke's Sweet & Sour was held at the Salvatore Ferragamo Gallery and featured six artists including New York photographer Sandra Nydegger. Also in 2004, Clarke filled Diane von Furstenberg's West Village alternative space with more than 25 works by Natasha Law. Clarke took the formula downtown with 2005's group show Insomniac Dreams at M at Mercer. In a hip, minimal furniture loft she featured the work of sculptor Sasha Sykes among others. In the spring of 2006 Clarke launched an invasion of English artists with her London Bridges exhibition in French art dealer Virgil de Voldere's Chelsea gallery. That same year Clarke exhibited photographer Nevil Dwek's photography at the powerful Richard Meir Building. 07 and 08 were busy with a Natasha Law solo exhibition in Chelsea's Annex space along with a trilogy of curated shows in the gallery at Salvatore Ferragamo. 09 has been filled with many individual artist projects. Christina Burch completed a specific commission of ten skull paintings for a New York collector and Clarke teamed up with W magazines for a series of site specific private installations. This winter, Lucy Soni and Natasha Law will exhibit their latest works in a two person Manhattan exhibition Licking Out of the Same Bowl. Blair Clarke is a member of Art Table, Save Venice and The Young Friends of the Louvre. She volunteers her free time with various non-profit arts organizations in addition to gallery hopping with her daughters Poppy and Georgina along with Sotheby's European Furniture Head husband, Alistair Clarke. Services Offered Whether Clarke is working with a designer to place artwork in a client's home or acting as a liaison between top galleries and fashion houses, collaboration is at the core of Clarke's mission. Please see About Blair Clarke, above, for information on past collaborative curatorial projects in galleries, fashion houses and alternative venues. Mrs. Clarke is invested in making today's fast paced contemporary art scene accessible to her clients, offering tours of Chelsea Galleries as well as other key gallery neighborhoods in Manhattan such as 57th Street. Mrs. Clarke can also arrange studio visits with emerging artists, allowing clients to gain true understanding behind the inspiration of the artist in his or her own environment. For more information, please email info@voltzclarke.com. |
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