Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary to feature works from Bernie Taupin, Banksy, Picasso

One of the last major art fairs of the season starts this week in West Palm Beach, and this year it packs some significant star power.

The Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, presented by Art Miami, begins with a VIP reception from 5 to 9 p.m. today and runs through March 24 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

The fair is known for attracting work from a wide range of artists, from major names in the art world such as Pablo Picasso and Banksy, to up-and-coming artists, said Nick Korniloff, the fair's director.

"It's an important element of the continuing evolution of not just the gallery system in Palm Beach, or the local artist or international artist, but our community as a cultural destination," Korniloff said.

One of the big names this year belongs to a man who might be better known for his role co-writing some of Elton John's biggest hit songs than for his work as a visual artist.

Bernie Taupin will travel from receiving the 2024 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song with John in Washington, D.C., to appearing alongside his exhibition at the Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary this weekend, Korniloff said.

The special exhibition, titled "Bernie Taupin — Two Sides of the Sixties" and presented by Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach, features 15 mixed-media pieces to which Taupin adds his own touches to photographs taken by iconic pop culture photographer Terry O'Neill, with whom Taupin was very close friends.

"My dimensional work is simply the visual extension of what I have spent my life creating through words," Taupin said in a news release.

In the exhibition, the original photographs are shown alongside Taupin's interpretations. The multi-talented Taupin adds colorful, playful touches to O'Neill's black-and-white images: A 1971 portrait of Sean Connery receives a new backdrop of the Union Jack. Sophia Loren reclines in a bed, which now has a primary-color abstract-expressionist painting hanging over it.

"He's had a longstanding history in the art world as a visual artist, not just as a great lyricist," Korniloff said. "He's shown his work in Palm Beach with a tremendous amount of support and collectors."

The combination of O'Neill and Taupin's work is powerful, Korniloff said. "It's just kind of the perfect pairing," he said. Art Miami has featured Taupin's work in the past, and also partnered with the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County for a special exhibition featuring Taupin, he said.

In addition to Taupin, some of the major names being shown at the Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary include Banksy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fernando Botero, Alexander Calder, Dale Chihuly, Christo, Chuck Close, George Condo, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Alex Katz, KAWS, Ellsworth Kelly, Yayoi Kusama, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miró, Picasso, Man Ray, Ugo Rondinone, Kenny Scharf and Andy Warhol.

The opening night VIP preview to benefit the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens will feature the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime art collector, businesswoman and Palm Beach resident Jane "Baby Jane" Holzer, known for her work with Andy Warhol. Bruce Helander, the first winner of the show's Lifetime Achievement Award, will present the honor to Holzer, Korniloff said.

"We're grateful for all the work that Jane has done in our community to support the arts, cultural institutions and clearly she's an important philanthropist, not just in Palm Beach, but she does call Palm Beach home," he said.

The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens will be a satellite venue of the fair, with the exhibition "Savage Garden," by the gardens' artist-in-residence, Jordi Mollà.

The fair opens to the public Friday with 73 galleries, including 19 international, Korniloff said, adding that more than 950 artists from 17 countries are represented at this year's event. "I think that's indicative of how interesting Palm Beach County is, as we continue to grow as a cultural destination," he said. "It's exciting."

Palm Beach County galleries presenting at the fair include:

• Adelson Galleries, Palm Beach

• Aktion Art, Palm Beach

• Boccara Gallery, West Palm Beach

• Contessa Gallery, Palm Beach

• Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach

• JF Gallery, West Palm Beach

• Paul Fisher Gallery, West Palm Beach

• Steidel Contemporary, West Palm Beach

• The Palm Beach Art Collection, Palm Beach

• Vertu Fine Art, Boca Raton

• Yvel Palm Beach, Palm Beach

Korniloff has produced art fairs in Palm Beach County since 2001, and he said he's seen growth both in the length of the season and demand for fine art in the area. "We've seen that season is now much longer than it was in the past because of the influx of residents from the west coast, the Midwest and the Northeast," he said.

As demand for real estate has grown, so too has the length of the social calendar, Korniloff said. Art Miami has worked to continue to create art fairs that cater to high-net-worth individuals in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, he said.

"The great thing about our shows is that the top collectors in the world can always come and find a gem to enhance their collection," he said. But show organizers also work with galleries to help those looking to start a collection and learn more about the process and about the art itself, Korniloff said.

"We serve a wide breadth of the art enthusiast, aspirational collectors and the serious collectors," he said.

The goal is to continue to grow, attract more international exhibitors and find the sweet spot in the contemporary market, Korniloff said. "We think we've done a really good job in curating the show this year, making sure it's not too big and extremely manageable for the audience that we attract," he said.

If you go

What: Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary.

Where: Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach.

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, VIP preview, invitation only; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Cost: $37 for a single-day ticket; $70 for a multi-day ticket; $26.50 for a single-day ticket for ages 62 and older, and for students ages 12-18. Group sales are available. VIP passes are $215.

Information and tickets: artpbfair.com

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify that the March 21 VIP reception will benefit the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. It will be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary: Bernie Taupin, Banksy, Picasso, more