Pebble Beach, Calif. – August 24, 2007 – Demand for automotive fine art continued to grow as the Automotive Fine Arts Society experienced a strong 15 percent increase in sales at the 57th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, August 19, 2007. Renowned artist Tom Fritz headlined the award winners by capturing the prestigious Peter Helck award for his stunning painting, “A Little Ahead of Schedule.” Sponsored by the Lincoln Division of Ford Motor Company, the amazing art show on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links included automotive subjects in a variety of mediums including watercolors, acrylics, oils, wood and various metals.
“Once again, we’ve enjoyed enormous success at the most elegant automotive gathering in the world,” AFAS President, Ken Eberts said. “Thanks to our 22-year partnership with the Pebble Beach Concours and endless support from our friends at Lincoln, we’ve heightened the awareness of automotive fine art and helped transform it into an elite genre. Our impressive increase in sales this year confirms that the demand for automotive art is at an all-time high.”
The organization’s top honor, The Peter Helck Award, went to Fritz’s dramatic depiction of a 1932 Ford hot rod at speed challenging a 4-8-4 Baldwin locomotive as it powers along the tracks. The award is given annually to the artist whose work represents what his fellow artists believe is the piinnacle of automotive fine art.
“It’s an honor to receive the Peter Helck award for a piece that was inspired by a vivid childhood memory,” noted Fritz. “We were somewhere in the flats of the Midwest during a sweltering July afternoon, when our 1950 Ford woodie station wagon rolled alongside the western end of an eastbound train. I recall my pop was mashing the pedal into the floorboard, making the flathead engine scream. The race was really on.”
AFAS Exhibit a Success at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours (2/2)
Additional award winners included Jim Dietz, who received the Lincoln Award for his elegant World War II depiction, “High Tea,” and Eberts, Barry Rowe, Charles Maher, Jay Koka and Stanley Rose, who each received Awards of Excellence for their original works.
For 22 years, AFAS artists have earned significant praise at the Pebble Beach Concours and are widely acknowledged as the premier automotive artists in the world. The AFAS will showcase new automotive depictions during their 13th annual exhibit at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March 2008.
About the Automotive Fine Arts Society:
AFAS was established in 1983 by a group of artists who are acknowledged by critics to be among the best in their field. Members work in many diverse mediums including oil, watercolors, acrylics, wood, gouache, pen & ink, clay and metal. AFAS participates in select shows across the country including the Pebble Beach Concours d´Elegance and the Amelia Island Concours d´Elegance. Information about AFAS is available at www.autoartgallery.com or by calling Scott Black at (214) 520-3430.