about the importrait salon:

The importrait salon is a unique on-going series of invitation-only events in New York and Los Angeles created by tomversations artist Tom Schreiber. Since October of 2002 when the first salon was held in a SoHo collector’s apartment, each salon has brought together a small, select mix of people around the arts for a vibrant exchange of ideas and personalities. The events reinvigorate the nineteenth-century salon form for the digital age of instant messaging. Schreiber, whose paintings consist of conversations on canvas, creates one of his ‘importraits’ at each event through an improvised conversational performance between him and a pre-selected special guest. Subjects of the importraits have included Elle magazine editor-in-chief, Roberta Myers; actor, musician, Lee Curreri and NYCLU executive director, Donna Lieberman.

Among the many guests of the importrait salon, which has taken place at the Chelsea Hotel in New York and the Hollywood Standard Hotel in LA, have been conceptual artist, writer and musician, Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky; author, cartoonist, Anthony Haden-Guest; artist, director, Lucas Reiner; NY nightlife fixture and social activist, Zelda Kaplan and couture designer, Elizabeth Cannon.

Schreiber’s most recent solo exhibition, "importrait salon," was held at Dance Theater Workshop in New York City. His work was recently seen at the –scope Los Angeles art fair. In February 2004, Schreiber teamed up with artist Stephen Lipman to stage the benefit exhibition, “Open Proposition: Artists for the Bill of Rights” which brought leading visual artists such as Ross Bleckner, Louise Bourgeois and Robert Rauschenberg together with a broad range of supporters in the arts, entertainment, business and politics to benefit the New York Bill of Rights Defense Campaign.

SALON NINE
APRIL 9, 2005

HOTEL CHELSEA, NYC
IMPORTRAIT GUEST:
LIZZ WINSTEAD,
FOUNDING MEMBER,
AIR AMERICA RADIO
GUEST ARTIST:
MARSHALL G. ALLAN COLLECTION

SALON EIGHT
MAY 21, 2004

-SCOPE ART FAIR,
HOLLYWOOD STANDARD, LA
IMPORTRAIT GUEST:
XANY RUDOLF, ACTRESS
GUEST ARTIST:
ALLAN D. HASTY

SALON SEVEN
APRIL 17, 2004

HOTEL CHELSEA, NYC
IMPORTRAIT GUEST:
ROBERTA MYERS,
EDITOR IN CHIEF, ELLE
GUEST ARTIST:
JUN ISEYAMA

SALON SIX
NOVEMBER 8, 2003

HOTEL CHELSEA, NYC
IMPORTRAIT GUEST:
DONNA LIEBERMAN,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NYCLU
GUEST ARTIST:
JEREMY KIDD

SALON FIVE
SEPTEMBER 27, 2003

HOLLYWOOD STANDARD, LA
IMPORTRAIT GUEST:
LIANE WUNDERLICH, ACTOR
GUEST ARTIST:
LUCAS REINER