L'Avenir, by Guenter Knop. NEW in the ArtStar booth

Trey Speegle, He-Man (Battles Skeletor)

JOIN US! ArtStar will be at the Affordable Art Fair at 7 East 34th Street from September 21st-25th. Come by and snag your favorite piece off the wall, catch an artist talk, check out our new MakerBot sculpture from Micah Ganske, attend a tour, sip a cocktail, and get arty with us!

Special Programing Hosted by ArtStar (booth A2):

September 22, 6 pm & September 24th, 2 pm: Trey Speegle Artist Talk on his recent work and installation at AAF. Cocktail reception to follow Thursday's talk. Saturday's talk will be followed by a private tour of the fair.

September 24, 1 pm: Micah Ganske Artist Talk on art, science and his collaboration with Makerbot. Plus check out the bots in action in the lobby.

September 24 & 25, 3 pm: Larry Moss family balloon art workshop in the LittleCollector Children's Lounge.

September 25th, 2 pm: Panel Discussion, "Experts Advise How to Collect, Purchase and Care for Your Growing Collection." Join Chrissy Crawford, Director/Founder, ArtStar.com with a panel hosted by Thomas Galbraith. Members include Andrew Gristina from the Fine Art Department of Travelers Insurance; Liz Dimmitt, Curator of Gawkers Artists and owner of Etta Place; and Nick Lamina, Director of Von Lintel Gallery and fine artist as they guide you through the process of starting and maintaining an art collection.  Get the experts' advice on how to select, purchase and care for your growing collection so that you can buy with confidence!

Plus read about ArtStar at AAF in the Wall Street Journal.

Click here for fair hours and directions.

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From ArtStar curator Meenakshi Thirukode we've got a great studio visit with Firelei Baez. And be sure to catch two of Firelei's lastest pieces which will be featured in the ArtStar booth at Affordable Art Fair, starting this Wednesday and running from September 21-25. Want to join us? email hello@artstar.com for tickets!

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ArtStar Founder Chrissy Crawford on a shoot for Gotham Magazine on the Lower East Side. Styled by Dagny + Barstow and shot by Elk Studios.

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John Grande, Cigar Girl

Gerhard Richter, Motorboat. private collection. 1965.

In celebration of our launch of John Grande on ArtStar for Fashion Week we asked John to tell us about his favorite artwork of all time.

Says Grande, "one of my favorite paintings is Gerhard Richter's Motorboat for reasons that become evident when standing in front of  such a successful piece of art history. It emotes such energy while conveying the idea of freedom which is created by Richter's signature brush work and, application of paint. This painting allows me to immerse myself fully while losing my self completely. Visually delicious!!!"

Enjoy Grande's pick above (we couldn't agree more) and check out his two new prints, available exclusively through ArtStar.

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On our radar this week:

- Dagny + Barstow - this very chic women's wear boutique on Gansevoort St launched during Fashion's Night Out and is already having a great response. And not only are the clothes absolutely gorgeous (sigh!), the boutique's art is curated by ArtStar's own Jessica Hodin. Featuring work by Roni Feldman, Noel Kerns and Sophie Crumb, check out D+B's opening night pics (see above) and fall in love with their gorgeous space.

-  Project for Empty Space, cofounded by ArtStar curator Meenakshi Thirukode has launched their lastest project at 181 Stanton Street  featuring the interactive work of Alex Callender. Callender's project documents the migration of New York City's earliest inhabitants, deer, as they travel through the lower east side in search of an alternate ecosystem. See more photos here.

- Finally, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has joined the jury for the Pritzker Prize, architecture's more prestigious award. Architects everywhere play it cool but are secretly terrified.

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While the last minute venue change was a bit of a let down, we still had a great time on Saturday at the Courthouse. Thanks to all who came out for pics and ping pong!

Catch all of Mark's Graflex photos on our flickr. Plus more on our facebook page! And see more from Mark's website here. Sorry you missed it? Mark will also be photographing at PS1's next Warm Up party! Don't miss it!

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These photos are absolutely incredible! London-based artist Stephen Witshire, who is autistic, completed this 18 ft long portrait of New York City from memory after only a 20 minute helicopter ride over the city. See the finished work here and read more in the Daily Mail, then ask yourself again why you can't even remember your best friend's phone number.

Images copyright: Barcroft Media.

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ArtStar is looking for a video intern to help us film artist studio visits and other digital pieces in and around our New York office. This would be a perfect internship for a student interested in digital media, film and contemporary art. The candidate must be able to work on a flexible schedule (2-3 studio visits per month), have advanced video and video editing skills and be able to provide their own laptop. Attention to detail and enthusiasm for contemporary art is a must. School credit can be arranged for students pursuing relevant degrees.

We are a small & energetic office and would love for you to join our team - so show us what you've got!

Email us at hello@artstar.com with "Video Intern" in the subject line and please include your availability. Preference will be given to those who can commit for the academic year.

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Above:  The Fan Dance & Corset and Tassels

We're feeling slightly saucy about the new photos by Mark Mann that we're launching this week on ArtStar. Corsets and tassels and feathers - oh my! And yet, as in all of Mark's work, the sophistication and artistry of the art form shines through. It has been said that burlesque is a dying art and yet we're pretty sure that for many, including Toronto's Skin Tight Outta Sight, it never went anywhere. Instead, its popularity continues to grow.

Join us, Mark Mann, St-Germain and the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto on September 9th at SPiN Toronto to celebrate the launch of these new images (including 2 diptychs, a first for ArtStar!). Mark will be there with his Graflex Super D snapping guests - and wow us with your ping pong skills and you may be going home with a signed print by Mark Mann!

RSVP to rsvp@artstar.com by Sept 8th and we hope to see you there!

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