Hamptons Metalworker James DeMartis Joins Fabergé Big Egg Hunt in NYC

Springs metal artist James DeMartis’ sculpture “Egg I” will be included in the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, coming to New York City in honor of the Easter holiday next week.

The Hunt is a unique fundraising initiative featuring more than 250 large egg sculptures — each created by a renowned artist or designer — placed throughout the five boroughs and left on display during the month of April.

The public is invited to participate in the Hunt by finding all of the eggs, with gemstone prizes from Fabergé serving as an incentive. The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt will culminate with an egg show and an auction of the one-of-a-kind egg sculptures, held by Sotheby’s and online via Paddle8. The 2014 Hunt in New York will benefit two not-for-profit organizations, Studio in a School and Elephant Family.

DeMartis’ “Egg I” comprises multiple dark metal plates, put together with exposed rivets and propped off the ground on a white metal poles. “They found me over the internet. I get a lot of requests from nonprofits for work,” DeMartis says of his contribution to The Hunt. “I feel really strongly about both of these charities, they do great work,” he continues, adding, “I really got into it — that shape is fun to work with. I loved the play of the fragility of an egg and armoring it. I spent hundreds of hours on making, assembling and finishing my egg.”

While not all eggs have been made to survive the elements, DeMartis’ metalwork ensures his contribution to the “world’s biggest egg hunt” can be placed outdoors, where it will likely be more readily available for public viewing during the hunt portion of the event. At this time, prospective hunters will be given a magical fairy tale to guide their egg-finding journey. All of the eggs will be “hidden” in public places, both indoors and out, across all five boroughs. (See slideshow below for a look at the 2012 Fabergé Big Egg Hunt in London)

Other eggs have been designed by the likes of Diane von Furstenberg, Ronnie Wood, Martha Stewart, Marc Quinn, Bruce Weber, Peter Beard, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Cynthia Rowley, Carolina Herrera, Peter Max, Jacques Torres and William Wegman, to name a few.

The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt begins April 1. On April 18, the “hunt” part of the event ends and the eggs will be gathered in one location for viewing through April 26. The Grand Auction begins on April 22.

Auction beneficiary Studio in a School (studioinaschool.org) offers a community of professional artists that has been teaching visual arts to hundreds of thousands of New York City children in under-served public schools, daycare centers, and community-based organizations. Elephant Family (elephantfamily.org) is the UK’s biggest funder for the endangered Asian elephant.

And what’s DeMartis up to now? He’s spending most of his time in his studio—but do look for him in Darren Aronofsky’s new biblically-inspired film epic Noah, in which he portrays a blacksmith.

Visit thebigegghunt.org to learn more about the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. (Also see slideshow below)

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