Art and fashion come together as Scoop NYC and KiptonART (www.kiptonart.com) present the 13 finalists of the 2012 KiptonART Rising program. The artists’ works will be displayed and celebrated at the retailer’s flagship SoHo store on 473-475 Broadway, NYC, from November 10 through November 16, 2011. An event to honor the finalists’ work will take place at Scoop SoHo on November 16, 6:00PM-8:30PM.

Founded four years ago by Kipton Cronkite, KiptonART Rising is an annual program in which the KiptonART Curatorial Team (including artists Jade Doskow and Keren Moscovitch, as well as curators Dina Pugh and Shlomi Rabi) selects promising new artists to whom KiptonART will lend support, time and influence in order for them to achieve greater success and exposure among gallery owners, collectors and curators.

“I’m so proud of the work we are doing to help promote emerging artists” says Kipton Cronkite, founder of KiptonART. “It’s harder than ever to get a foothold in the art scene and with resources for artists disappearing more frequently, it’s more imperative than ever to help these talented individuals showcase their creativity.”

The increasing convergence of art and fashion made Scoop NYC’s SoHo location a perfect venue to showcase the finalists’ art. “There is an extremely strong connection between fashion and the arts, and we at Scoop NYC are thrilled to be able to strengthen that connection by supporting these rising stars,” says Susan Davidson, CEO of Scoop NYC. “Our SoHo boutique is the perfect venue to host KiptonArt Rising.”

KiptonART has been identifying and supporting emerging artists since 2002. With a client base consisting of museum patrons, major auction houses, interior designers, and world-class institutions, KiptonART.com is the leading e-commerce art site, with more than 1,800 registered artists and an inventory exceeding $40 million. Much of this inventory comprises affordable pieces by emerging artists who, thanks to KiptonART, have a global stage on which to share their work.

This year, the KiptonART Rising event is being taken to the next level as Scoop NYC, the ultimate New York City closet, is transformed into a gallery for one week to display more than 30 pieces from the talented finalists and winners. The 10,000 square foot space will be filled with art, in addition to the coveted brands that are always present, including Burberry, Helmut Lang, Rag & Bone, John Varvatos, Etro, and Paul Smith. The combination of KiptonART’s exciting and innovative artists and Scoop NYC’s fashionable boutique ensures an inspiring evening.

Each year, the Curatorial Team narrows down the list of national submissions by scoring each entry on a point system before selecting the 13 finalists, which then results in six winners. Interestingly, 11 of the 13 finalists in this year’s program come from the New York area. The 2012 finalists are listed below in no particular order:

* Vicki DaSilva: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/vicki-dasilva/
* Marc Dimov: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/marc-dimov/
* Stephan Fowlkes: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/stephan-fowlkes/
* Jon Galt: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/jon-galt/
* Michael Krynski: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/michael-krynski/
* Nora Mulheren: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/nora-mulheren/
* Shalom Neuman: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/shalom-neuman/
* Skye Nicolas: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/skye-nicolas/
* Nikolai Oskolkov: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/nikolai-oskolkov/
* Michael Rollins: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/michael-rollins/
* Gabriel Shuldiner: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/gabrielj-shuldiner/
* Andrea Tese: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/andrea-tese/
* Yu Zhang: http://www.kiptonart.com/artists/yu-zhang/