PFAF is the brainchild of Rick Friedman, who has pioneered the concept of upscale regional luxury fine art fairs around the nation. During the past decade, he has successfully produced a series of fine art fairs in affluent markets such as the Hamptons, Aspen, Houston, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Silicon Valley. After a short retirement, he has most recently produced fairs in the interior design/home decor sectors, and as well as Fine Jewelry.

Mr. Friedman has over 30 years experience in producing live events around the world. He has produced and staged many of the premier cultural events on the Hamptons over the past 14 years. His focus is on creating a memorable and lucrative show experience for all participants and effectively maximizing audience turnout.

Mr. Friedman is a serial and seasoned entrepreneur. During the 1990’s, he pioneered advanced software technology through his computer-oriented magazines, journals, conferences, books and trade shows. SIGS Publications became one of INC Magazines’ fastest growing businesses in America during that era, with offices in 5 countries. After selling that business, he focused on pioneering digital video in 2001 to 2005, producing The Digital Video Show, which was attended by tens of thousands in LA, NYC and Chicago. He ultimately acquired LA’s venerable ShowBiz Expo, from Variety magazine, the largest production/post conference/trade show for filmmakers in the world (18,000 filmmakers and 250 exhibitors).

A colorful entrepreneur, Mr Friedman has also been involved in other entertaining ventures in the late 1970s to 1980s. He pioneered the sport of volleyball, which culminated in gaining the production rights to the USA Volleyball Team, (men and women’s programs) playing at Madison Square Garden and a major nation tour (Volleyball Across America). During the late seventies, as member of the marketing team of both Studio 54 and Regine’s, he also created, produced and was MC of a series of disco dance contests that served as the foundation of the popular syndicated TV show, Dance Fever.

Mr. Friedman is an avid collector of modern and Post-war art, with over 300 museum level pieces. A portion of His personal collection will be subject of two upcoming museum shows in 2019 and 2020. “The Heroines of Abstract Expressionism” (2019) and “Artists in the collection of Rick Friedman and Cindy Lou Wakefield” (2020).

Mr. Friedman is a philanthropist, is a longstanding and distinguished member of the YPO. He resides in Southampton, NY.

Rick Friedman and Cindy Lou Wakefield with some of the more than 250 artworks on display in Mr. Friedman’s Southampton home, including pieces by Henri Matisse (“Head of Woman,” top far left), Jackson Pollock (“Untitled,” from 1940, top to the right of the mirror), Willem de Kooning and Lee Krasner. Read NYTimes Article

As a life long admirer of fine art, Donna is a seasoned sales and marketing professional, coming from the interior design/home decor sector. She was the Show Director of the successful Hamptons Contemporary Design and Décor Show.

Nanci has over a decade experience in event management executing all aspects and details of large scale events. She served as show manager for the 2018 Hamptons Jewelry Show. Previously she has been in the marketing, printing and direct mail sectors. She started her career as the Production Manager at Vogue magazine.

Christy began her career in the arts at The University of Pennsylvania where she studied the History of Art and Italian. She attended the Universita di Bologna in Bologna, Italy. She received a Coro Leadership Fellowship which took her to New York City where she founded Swim Pictures, and directed and produced an award winning feature film, raising $350,000. She later worked for The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania as Director of Major Gifts. During her eight years at the ICA, Christy directed the Leadership Circle and the Arts Council, preeminent donor clubs. She was also responsible for managing a partnership with Williams Sonoma in San Francisco, orchestrating their first contemporary collection. With patron Kathy Sachs, Christy managed the ICA Gala. In addition to creating donor visits to artists studios in New York City, she traveled to the Venice Biennial and Miami Art Basel. Christy has served on the Curatorial Committee of the Delaware Contemporary and as an advisor for The Street Road Artist Space. She lives in Chester County, PA with her two children.

Eve has a deep 20 years of experience in the fine arts, interior design, and fashion design industries overseeing sales, branding, marketing and curating. Most recently, she spent 6 ½ years as Gallery Director at the RJD Gallery in the Hamptons, running all aspects of the gallery’s operations. Previously, she was an interior designer managing renovations and decorating needs for her clients in the Hamptons and Florida. Prior, she was a fashion designer/ Marketing Director at Gianni Sport, a $48M fashion design and manufacturing company.