From left: Francine Guichard, artist Kristine Mays, George Lucas, and Andre Guichard. Photo: Courtesy Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series

Hip Hop star Swizz Beatz and Star Wars director George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, were among the high-powered celebs spotted at the Scope Art Fair this past weekend. At the Armory Show satellite fair, Swizz Beatz stopped by the booth of lower east side gallery Dorian Grey, where work by Jeremy Penn was on view. The musician discussed some of his recent Penn purchases at the recent Scope fair in Miami (see Scope Miami Is Anything But Subtle). Lucas, another admirer of Penn’s selfie-friendly art, also stopped by for a selfie photo op.

Jeremy Penn’s work at Dorian Grey Gallery at Scope turned the booth into “selfie central.”
Photo: Courtesy Dorian Grey, New York.

Lucas and Hobson purchased work by San Francisco artist Kristine Mays, who forms intricate sculptures from hundreds of pieces of wire. Her solo exhibition, titled “Pearls of My Experience,” was on view in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Exhibit at Scope—where free drinks were offered during the VIP opening on Friday March 6. (See Scope Art Fair Delivers a Colorful Punch of Wild, Wacky Art, Including Björk and What’s Really Cool at the Armory Show? Brian Boucher Points It Out).

Lucas and Hobson bought a work titled the Four Souls of Birmingham, which was inspired by Spike Lee’s documentary “4 Little Girls,” a historical film about the murder of four African American girls on September 15, 1963 as a result of the 16th Street Baptist church bombing.

In addition to the work, which they paid $10,000 for, they also commissioned Mays to create two additional wire-frame dresses in honor of their seven-month old daughter, Everest.

At this past year’s Art Basel in Miami Beach, Mays was named the National Grand Finale Winner of the 5th Annual Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series. The program was launched in 2010 by Russell and Danny Simmons’ RUSH Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Bombay Sapphire gin. Each year, a handful of finalists are selected from thousands of online submissions to showcase their work at Scope Miami Beach.

Since its inception, the competition has received more than 15,000 submissions and has sold finalists’ work at a value of more than $200,000. And Lucas is not the first celebrity buyer either. In 2012 Chicago finalist Hebru Brantley sold his finale piece to Jay Z for $20,000 during Art Basel. He went on to paint Lil Wayne’s skate park and was commissioned by Swizz Beatz in 2013 to create another custom piece.