Arcadia Contemporary | 8/11-9/1 | New York, NY

Accessible Art

Arcadia Contemporary’s Five and Under show is an annual opportunity to acquire fine art at accessible prices.

Every year, Arcadia Contemporary scours the global art scene for skilled and distinctive painters creating impressive works to be a part of their August Five and Under group exhibition. More than 30 international artists and 100 original works will be featured in the event, all of which will be available for $5,000 or less to provide access to fine art for relatively affordable prices.

Known for his discerning eye and uncompromising standards, it is a great honor for many of the artists to have been selected by Arcadia Contemporary owner Steve Diamant to participate in the show.Larry Preston, Three Sunflowers, oil on panel, 12 x 9"

“To be included in any show with Arcadia is a great opportunity,” says Naima Aouni, whose work Mono No Aware No. 6 is pictured here. “Not only do they represent some amazing representational artists, they are a well-respected and known gallery in the representational art market. To be included, is therefore also to be recognized.” A Belgian artist born to Tunisian parents, Aouni describes her works as somewhat melancholic and indicative of her reflective nature.

There is no theme to the exhibition, opening it up to broad spectrum of drawing and painting styles, subject matter and mediums. The only requirement is that the works be representational and priced accordingly. Naima Aouni, Mono No Aware No. 6, oil on panel, 14"

“Arcadia’s 8th Annual Five and Under is an extraordinary opportunity for collectors for a number of reasons,” says Diamant. “It allows collectors to acquire works created especially for this exhibition from artists whose works routinely sell for more than $5,000; it allows the gallery to feature works by up and coming artists that we think are creating strong works and to introduce them at a low price, and it allows the gallery to feature some artists that may be represented by other galleries, but who are able to create a few works specifically for this invitational.”

Judith Peck was invited to be in the show after Arcadia saw her work at the Art on Paper fair in New York City. Her recent work concerns the intensifying effects of climate change. Her painting Coastal Communities features a figure on a roof awaiting rescue from a flood. “Global sea level has been accelerating every year,” Peck says. “Ignoring this is no longer an option.”Tania Rivilis, I Still Think About who I was Last Summer, oil on panel, 12 x 12"

Nick Douillard, Boys of the Alleys, oil on vintage photograph, 8 x 10"

Tanya Rivilis was born in Ukraine, then lived in Russia before moving to Germany in 2012, and now splits her time between there and Portugal. Discovered by Arcadia on Instagram, Rivilis says, “since I started painting and became involved in the art world I have followed Arcadia’s accounts on social media and news. To be part of this incredible show is an absolute pleasure and honor for me. To display my paintings among amazing artists is a great feeling.” The 2022 show will feature her portraits with an emphasis on male models. “I’m bringing an old pictorial tradition up to date with modern worldviews—in my portraits the sensual ceases to be an outcast, love is freed from hierarchies and precepts of gender, authority and power.”Judith Peck, Coastal Communities, oil on canvas, 40 x 30"

Nick Douillard grew up in San Diego and attended New York University, where he received a BFA in film and television production. Since then, he has focused on filmmaking, art and social media content creation. Currently living in Los Angeles, the artist employs acrylic paint to “erase” people out of vintage photographs.“I wanted to show that even when we physically lose a loved one, when they are gone from our day to day lives, we can feel their lasting impact,” he says.Hogan Brown, Reflection, oil on canvas, 12 x 15¾"London artist Hogan Brown was also discovered by Arcadia through Instagram and this will be his second year in Five and Under. His work reflects his interest in evoking subtle and tenuous moods that remain open to interpretation. Brown says, “In my experience, affordable exhibitions are a fantastic way of showcasing ones work to new collectors who then will hopefully follow one’s future progress.” —