The 16th International ARC Salon Exhibition | 7/15-7/24 | New York, NY

An International Array

Sotheby’s New York hosts the 16th International ARC Salon Exhibition in a display of nearly 100 juried works of contemporary realism.

The largest competition in the world for contemporary representational art, the 16th International ARC Salon Exhibition, will feature 95 works selected from over 5,400 entries representing 75 countries.

“Although we hold exhibitions every other year, in many ways each one is a once in a lifetime experience,” says Kara Ross, ARC co-founder, co-chair and chief operating officer. “All of the works in the show were created within the last four years and collectively it is a sort of global snapshot of the current times [and] it is unlikely they will ever be exhibited together like this again.”

The ARC Salon features nearly 100 works by top artists from around the world.

The artworks are divided among categories that include figurative, portraiture, imaginative realism, drawing, landscape, still life, plein air, from life, sculpture, animals and a special category for teens. More than $130,000 in cash prizes are awarded in conjunction with the competition.

The exhibition will be on view at Sotheby’s flagship location in New York City, with a grand public opening on July 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and runs through July 24. More than 50 percent of the showcased works—60 lots total—will be available for sale in an online auction hosted by Sotheby’s, with bidding to take place throughout the duration of the exhibition. The remaining works are on loan from private and institutional collections.

Chanel Cha, Dreaming, oil on linen, 36 x 26"

Ruth Fitton, The Abduction of Time, oil on linen, 36 x 48"

On July 22, Sotheby’s will host The Art and Beauty Behind Fashion, a special collaboration between the Art Renewal Center (ARC) and Fashion Week San Diego (FWSD) for which designers have selected 10 works in the ARC salon to create original couture outfits inspired by them. The artworks will be on display alongside the garments worn by live models. The event will take place at Sotheby’s from 6 to 8 p.m., and is open to the public but reservations are required. Email info@fashingweeksd.com to RSVP.

Jon Bøe Paulsen, It Is Served!, oil on canvas, 16½ x 22¼"

Mark Pugh, An Unsatisfying Ending, oil and ink on linen mounted panel, 36 x 24"

“We always want the exhibition to capture this global sense of community, our differences and similarities while simultaneously capturing the vibe of the current representational art world,” says Ross. “The show as a whole is intended to tell the current story of humanity, what is on people’s minds and what they find beautiful or thought-provoking. In the end, we want viewers to leave the exhibition feeling awestruck by the quality and inspired by our exhibiting artist’s unique interpretations of the world. We feel there are pieces for everyone in the show and hope that each viewer will leave with seeing at least a few works that really resonated with them and moved them emotionally.” —

The 16th Annual International ARC Salon Exhibition
When: July 15-24, 2023
Where: Sotheby’s New York, 1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Information: www.artrenewal.org