Park Avenue Armory
- Art, Bernardaud, Calendar of Events, Legends of La Cienega, Life and Style, Park Avenue Armory, Sebastian and Barquet, Showrooms, The Weekender
The Weekender: Social Butterflies
LEGENDS OF LA CIENEGAOn Wednesday, May 9th, acclaimed interior furnishings company Rose Tarlow Melrose House hosted the VIP cocktail party that officially commenced the La Cienega Design Quarter’s 4th Annual LEGENDS of La Cienega.The opening event historically draws notables across categories and offers the design community an opportunity to gatherin celebration of the Los Angeles design scene, of which the LaCienega Design Quarter is the heart. Last night’s event reflected the “Windows to the World” theme with globally inspired catering by Taste that referenced the featured countries of the windows.
Partygoers from the East and West Coasts
The evening was attended by some of the world’s most celebrated names in interior design, including Amy Kehoe, Campion Platt, David Hicks, David Phoenix, Joe Lucas, Kathryn Ireland, Madeline Stuart, Malcolm James Kutner, Muriel Brandolini, Oliver Furth, Mary McDonald, Jeff Andrews, Suzanne Rheinstein, Todd Nickey, Trip Haenisch and Waldo Fernandez, as well as Susan Feldman, Co-Founder, Chief Merchandising Officer of One Kings Lane, among others. The Legends of La Cienega Kick-Off event was hosted by Meg Touborg, CEO of Rose Tarlow Melrose House.
Photos courtesy D. BlodgettJOHNNY SWING OPENING RECEPTION AT SEBASTIAN + BARQUETMurmuration brings together five examples of Johnny Swing’s iconic coin furniture, and will serve as the debut of his most recent and ambitious work to date. His recent publication is a fully illustrated catalogue showcasing each of the works from the series, with essays by David Collens, Judd Tully and James Zemaitis, will accompany the exhibition. The opening reception was hosted by Interior Designer, Geoffrey Bradfield.Geoffrey BradfieldMichael Brummel, Corice ArmanJim O’Donnell: Sitting on his Johnny Swing ChairPhotos courtesy High End Weekly™SAKE TASTING at BERNARDAUDBernardaud welcomed 150 guests to its flagship boutique on Park Avenue for a unique Sake Tasting reception on Wednesday, May 9th. Four kuramotos ot house masters from four of the most venerable sake breweries in Japan – Urakasumi, Sudohonke, Masumi, and Masuizumi. The four masters offered samples of their products, the fruits of centuries-honored brewing techniques, that were accompanied by unexpected food pairings of French cuisine (such as duck breast and pate) during the cross-cultural gastronomic event. Guests savored the various sakes in a Bernardaud Anno cup that was designed by architect Sylvain Dubuisson. The Sudohonke brewery boasts a legacy of 55 generations of family ownership. Many of Japan’s breweries have been severely impacted by the 2011 tsunami and earthquake.Katsuhiko Miyasaka, George Kakaty and Ryuichiro MasudaKoichi Saura, George Kakaty and Genuemon SudoPhotos courtesy BernardaudPARTICLES + WAVES at ILIADCornelia Thomsen at the the opening reception of Particles + Waves, which is a curated group exhibition at Iliad Gallery located at East 57th Street. The exhibition presents a group of twelve artists whose work resonates with quantum theory, the perplexities of the subatomic world, and various interpretations of the “observer-dependent universe” through visual metaphors presenting the paradox of particle/wave duality as a modern day parable. Featuring provocative works by Cair Crawford, Karen Gunderson, Alice Hope, Ron Kingswood, Kari Lindstrom, Nefeli Massia, Norman Mooney, Svetlana Rabey, Taney Roniger, Rhonda Smith, Cornelia Thomsen and Andrea Zemel, the exhibition will include a rich variety of artistic media in a broad range of 2D and sculptural works.VACHERON CONSTANTIN
Madison Avenue Watch WeekVacheron Constantin kicked-off the Madison Avenue Watch Week with an exclusive cocktail reception on the evening of Monday, April 30th at two locations. Hugues de Pins, president of Vacheron Constantin North America, welcomed guests at the Vacheron Constantin Madison Avenue boutique as well as a distinguished private bank across the street from Vacheron. Guests previewed the exclusive 2012 collection of timepieces, including the Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon, the Métiers d’Art Les Univers Infinis, and the newly redesigned Malte collection, the highlight pieces from this year’s SIHH.Hugues de Pins, President of Vacheron Constantin, and Aldo Sohm, world renowned Chef Sommelier at Le Bernardin
and 2008 winner of the “Best Sommelier of the World.”Vacheron Constantin, The Value of Vintage TimepiecesPhotos courtesy Monica Schipper PhotographySPRING SHOW NYC 2012Earlier this month, at the Park Avenue Armory, astute organizers of art and antique fairs pursued a dual mission by appealing to museum professionals, seasoned buyers, and welcomed neophytes. No art and antiques fair anywhere in the world fulfilled those two goals with more aplomb than the Spring Show NYC, which opened on May 3rd and ran through May 6th. There, in a hospitable, non-intimidating setting, fair goers of all backgrounds were comfortably united in awe and appreciation of the wide range of the fair’s offerings.Serena Tufo, Mike Gallagher, Vyna St Phard, Rio HamiltonPhoto Courtesy Annie Watt
Magen H Gallery owner, Hugues Magen, and Benoist Drut, Partner, Maison Gerard LtdPhoto Courtesy High End Weekly™Nara Simmons, David Kristie, Andersen GumbsPaul Baker from WhistlepigPhotos Courtesy Annie Watt -
The Weekender: Spring Show NYC
The Spring Show NYC opening party is on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 from 5:00-9:00PM. The show runs from May 3rd through the 6th. Once again, this year’s show highlights the very best in English, Continental and American furniture, paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, glass and decorative arts; Asian works of art; folk art; 20th-century decorative arts; aesthetic movement and Arts & Crafts furniture; prints, photographs, maps, posters and wallpaper; antiquities and ancient objects; silver and metalwork; nautical art and objects; jewelry; garden ornaments; books, manuscripts and autographs;Abby Taylor Brown, Looks Like RainChinese export porcelain and decorative arts; Native American and tribal art; carpets and rugs; tapestries; textiles and needlework; and clocks.
This is the second anniversary year for the show which takes place at the prestigious Park Avenue Armory. Collectors and designers, and art enthusiasts can shop in confidence knowing that this is a vetted show – every item in every booth is examined by panels of experts for authenticity. The panels also ensure that comprehensive, accurate labeling is attached to every piece. Vetted shows are the standard for all quality art and antiques fairs.
Last year, I attended several VIP museum tours and visited several collectors homes. A good number of my designer friends got together for several “in-house” lectures that went on at the Park Avenue Armory. Next week, why don’t you join us for the following lectures:Friday, May 4th
3 – 4 p.m.Designs On Film: A Century Of Hollywood Art DirectionCathy Whitlock’s lecture covers a century of cinematic set decoration, featuring highlights from every decade of Hollywood history. A slide presentation will show photographs, behind-the-scene images and designer sketches of sets from Top Hat, The Fountainhead, Gone With the Wind, The Age of Innocence, Something’s Gotta Give-and many more! Cathy Whitlock’s book Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction(Harper Collins, November, 2010) represents the marriage of her two passions-design and cinema. She is also a contributing writer for Traditional Home magazine and*The Huffington Post, and features editor for Array Magazine. Cathy writes the blog Cinema Style, which chronicles trends and inspirations in film, reaches 70 countries, was named one of the Top Ten Best Design Blogs of 2010 by Fox News. A graduate of Parsons School of Design and a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, Cathy has more than 24 years of experience in the interior design industry and has had practices in New York, Chicago, Memphis and Nashville.4:30 – 5:30 p.m.Adoption, Absorption, Assimilation: Foreign Influences In Early Chinese ArtAbby Taylor, Archipenko Dr. Robert D. Mowry’s slide lecture examines China’s native artistic traditions as they developed during the Great Bronze Age (1600 B.C.- A.D. 220). Attendees will learn about the wealth of materials introduced from foreign lands via the Silk Route trade during the Han through the Tang dynasties and see how Chinese artists absorbed and assimilated these new influences.
*Dr. Robert D. Mowry is Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art and Head of the Department of Asian Art at the Harvard Art Museum. He is also Senior Lecturer on Chinese and Korean Art in Harvard’s Department of the History of Art and Architecture.
Saturday, May 5th11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Legendary Designing Women: Inventing A ProfessionEmily Eerdmans discusses the history of interior decorating and how it evolved into a billion-dollar profession thanks to the seminal efforts of astute women like Elsie de Wolfe, Dorothy Draper and Madeleine Castaing.*Emily Evans Eerdmans is a noted design historian and expert with Corfield Morris, a private art advisory. She is the author of several books, including The World of Madeleine Castaing and the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Wendell Castle. She received her master’s degree in fine and decorative arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London and is an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.3:30 – 4:30 p.m.Château De Fontainebleau: 500 Years Of Royal Taste In Architecture And DesignNo French palace holds the living presence-the sweep of 500 years of French royal history-the way that Fontainebleau does. David Garrard Lowetraces its centuries-in-the-making transformation from a forested hunting ground for French kings into a magnificent royal palace in the 16th century. Tour Fontainebleau’s interiors, including Empress Eugenie’s astonishing Oriental Chamber with its rare Chinese porcelain, fine lacquer and jeweled Buddhas. Presented by French Heritage Society.*David Garrard Lowe is a well-known cultural historian whose articles have appeared in The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal and American Heritage. He is Chairman of Cultural Programs, New York Chapter of French Heritage Society and President of the Beaux Arts Alliance; and has lectured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Smithsonian Institution, among others. -
SOFA New York, April 20-23, 2012
SOFA New York will be back at The Park Avenue Armory (at 67th Street) in the Spring of 2012. Get ready for some wonderful surprises, cutting edge design schemes and an exciting roster of fifty-five international dealers.Merete RasmussenRed twisted Form, 2011, Stoneware, 17.5 in. h. x 19.5 in. wide x 11 7/8 in. deepThe 15th anniversary will kick off on Friday, April 20th through Monday, April 23rd. The invitation-only Opening Night VIP Preview is Thursday, April 19 from 5-7 pm, followed by a Public Preview from 7-9 pm by ticket purchase.Donna Davies, Director of SOFA fairs in New York, Chicago and Santa Fe adds, “In celebration of SOFA NEW YORK’s milestone 15th anniversary, plans are underway to reinvigorate the design and aesthetics of the exhibition hall. We look forward to presenting an exciting group of new dealers this fair who are strong in international ceramics.” This year’s new comers are: Cultural Connections CC (Missenden, England), specialists in Danish ceramics. Erskine, Hall & Coe located in London’s Mayfair, specialists in 20th century and contemporary ceramics. Former director of the prestigious Galerie Besson, Matthew Hall established the new gallery with his partners in the same Bond Street location when seminal ceramics dealer Anita Besson retired in June. Flow Gallery, also from London: Yvonna Demczynska of Flow said, “Our international selection of artists will include Dutch artist Henk Wolvers, master of porcelain who creates colorful, subtle forms alive with movement and translucency. Wolvers’s work, Lines, was recently purchased for The Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The Museum of Arts and Design in New York also purchased a Wolvers piece for its permanent collection. Megumi Ogita Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), focusing on young Japanese and American artists remarkable “for their absorption and adaptation of traditional materials and techniques in startling new expressions.”Of NoteSOFA Lecture Series, free with paid admission. Leading the way on this year’s docket is glass artist/designer Dan Dailey (Schantz Galleries, Stockbridge, MA), internationally-known for his vibrant, humorous sculpture and luminary art. AVIP Program for upper-level collectors and gallery clients will again offer VIP cardholders ultra-exclusive private collections and curator-led museum exhibitions tours. Over 400 VIPs participated in the program last year.Friday Evening Savvy Soirée, April 20 for the 35 and under set. Last year’s enthusiastic crowd included alumni from the Institute of Fine Arts, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), School of Visual Arts, New York University, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Boston University’s MFA Program, Pilchuck Glass School, and Chicago Art Institute; young collectors groups from the Museum of Modern Art, The Smithsonian, The Whitney Contemporary, Fuller Craft Museum, and Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses; and young designers from the offices of Bradley Stephens, Jayne Michaels, Adrianne Neff, Jennifer Eisenstadt, Tamara Eaton, and Tim Button.The 5th annual invitation-only Designer Breakfast Preview, Friday, April 20, planned in consultation with SOFA’s National Design Committee, which includes such notables as Alexander Gorlin, Amy Lau, Juan Montoya, Jamie Drake, Nancy Epstein, Steven Gambrel, David Ling, and Joyce and Maya Romanoff.
David Ebner
Oval Dining Table, Ovangkol, 35 x 55 x 96
William Zimmer GalleryPhoto: LuAnn Thompson
Hans Coper
Selected Works, 1960s – 1970s, stoneware, various sizesErskine, Hall, & Coe
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The Weekender: Young Collectors Night
Last week, 800 guests hobnobbed with dealers of the most exquisite collections of America’s antiques, at the prestigious Winter Antiques Show. For the last couple of years, The Young Collectors Night has become one of the most well attended show at the Park Avenue Armory, partly because it offers a whole new generation of collectors, and interior designers the opportunity to re-imagine the rules of design as they infuse their projects with the highest quality of antiques and modern design – from Regency to 20th Century Art and Furniture.
The gathering was also an opportunity to meet old friends and colleagues, and to make new ones. I enjoyed the high energy that was on display that evening. It was Co-Chaired by Courtney Booth, Emily Israel Pluhar, and Stephanie Clark. The Vice Chairs were Melissa D. Berkelhammer, Roric Tobin & Justin Concannon, Cristin & Britt deVeer, Clay Floren, Ashley & Charlie Fox, and others. Led by Chairwoman Wendy Goodman, Design Editor of New York magazine, the evening afforded guests the opportunity to meet Ms. Goodman, along with 77 of the country’s most distinguished designers. Proceeds raised from the evening went to benefit East Side House Settlements vital work in the South Bronx and surrounding communities. The sponsors were New York Magazine, Benjamin Moore and Elie Tahari.
Milly de Cabrol, Nate Berkus, Muriel Brandolini, Wendy GoodmanWinter Antiques Show Exhibitor Barbara Israel and daughter Co-Chair Emily Israel PluharYoung Collectors Night Co-Chairs Courtney Booth, Emily Israel Pluhar Stephanie ClarkValaer Van Roijen and Co-Chair Emily Israel PluharRobin WilsonElizabeth Brown and Tripp PotterMargaret Boyle, Ashley Rettenmaier, Chelsea RettenmaierGeoffrey BradfieldStephanie Woodmanse and Ellie ClymerElizabeth Pyne and Christopher SpitzmillerNate Berkus and Natalie ObradovichWendy Goodman and Muriel BrandoliniLacary Sharpe and Rebecca ReganAtmosphereRoric Tobin and Justin ConcannonLisa Yom and David LipkeMeghan Kelly and guestRenald WhiteAriel Ashe and James ReginatoScott Currie, Kyle Rouse, guest and Christian LeoneKatie Williams, and guestsPhoto credit: Billy Farrell Agency -
The Weekender: Young Collectors
Lillian Bassman: Portrait of a LadyWhat component of a photograph makes it beautiful to the viewer? Is it its sense of fantasy, mystery, or can it be its lucidness? For me, a great photograph lies in its significant form. Lines and colors combined in a particular way in order to create and stir aesthetic emotions. The photographs of Lillian Brassman evoke all these emotions, In truth, her photography is conceptional, which means that her subject matters are real, but it is strictly abstract. That is a good thing if you’re considering collecting art and willing to start with photography.Artists like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Jeffrey Conley, and Martine Franck blend in very well with her work. Lillian Bassman is considered one of the last great women fashion photographers. A breed of geniuses, which I hope one day won’t become extinct. Her work is all about high contrasts between light and dark, the graininess of the finished photos and the geometric placement and camera angles of her subjects. Starting a photography collection is certainly a great start for any young collector, and usually, the price point isn’t prohibitive. The Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica offers a wide variety of some of the most renowned artists, and now, you can view a number of their collections when you visit them at the Winter Antiques Show which is still open to the public at the Park Avenue Armory. The show ends on Sunday, January 29th. Last night, I had the opportunity to go to the Young Collectors Night which offered guests a private viewing of one of the world’s most prestigious antiques, from English, European, and Asian fine art, to decorative arts dating from antiquity through the 1960s. Starting an art collection may not be an easy process, but thankfully, one has many choices to select from, when you visit a fair such as this one.Lillian Bassman, It’s A Cinch, Carmen, Harper’s Bazaar, New York, 1951, gelatin silver print
Peter Fetterman Gallery
Lillian Bassman Photos (including Ms. Bassman herself, holding a camera)Cover: Lillian Bassman, Charles James Dress, 1960, gelatin silver printLillian Bassman, The Cost of Living: Barbara Mullen in a Dress by Omar Kiam for Ben Reig,New York, 1950, gelatin silver printLillian Bassman, Margie Cato, Junior Bazaar [White Dress and White Gloves], c. 1950,gelatin silver printLillian Bassman, Anne Saint –Marie, Chanel Advertising Campaign, New York, 1958,gelatin silver printLillian Bassman, Barbara Mullen, Flat Hat, Bare Back, c. 1950, gelatin silver printAbove images from Peter Fetterman GalleryAll rights reserved - Art, Celebrities, Design, Life and Style, Modern Art, Museums, Park Avenue Armory, Photography, The Weekender
The Weekender: The Winter Antiques Show & The Bard
A couple of days before I went to a Press Preview at the Bard Graduate Center, I had no idea who Jane Harding was. Although the actress was not so well known here in the United States, back in France, she was all the rage. It is said that during her lifetime, Ms. Harding was one of the most photographed women in the world. Enter Staging Fashion, an “absolutely required” exhibition for fashionistas, and those who are so enthused by the celebrity culture.Woman’s Hat by Joseph G. Darlington and Co. Philadelphia, circa 1908 – 10.Straw, silk flowers and leaves.
The show is mostly about how celebrities like Jane Harding, Lily Elsie, and Billie Burke dominated the fashion scene back in the early 20th Century. They managed to do so by one important medium – Photography. Carefully staged photographs represented a vital self-promotional tool by which the actresses asserted their status as Fashion Arbiters. Sound very much like our current culture right? Back then, the images by Harding emphasized an image of an attractive, elegantly dressed, and poised woman, who offered herself for admiration and at the same time, scrutiny. A close collaboration between photographers and actors was crucial back then as it is today. The promotional interest between the media to its public is phenomenal and is ever increasing. In this sophisticated exhibition, Fashion and Theater came together beautifully to form a brilliant and lasting marriage.January 18 – April 8, 2012The Bard Graduate Center18 West 86th StreetNew York CityLeft: Reutlinger Studio (French, 1850-1937). Postcard of Jane Hading in La Pompadour, ca. 1901. Hand-colored photograph with glitter. Private collection. Photographed by Bruce White. Right: Foulsham & Banfield (English, 1906–1920). Postcard of Lily Elsie in The Merry Widow, ca. 1907. Private collection.
Photographed by Bruce White.Advertisement for Rogers & Thompson’s Soirée Silk featuring Billie Burke. Photograph by Sarony Studio. From The Theatre (September 1916): 165. Private collection. Photographed by Bruce White.Jane Hading: Paul Boyer. Jane Hading in Plus que Reine. Cover of Le Théatre (May 1899). Private collection.Photographed by Bruce White.Postcard of the Théâtre du Vaudeville and the Boulevard des Italiens, ca. 1905. Hand-colored photograph. Private collection. Photographed by Bruce WhiteAll photos courtesy of the Bard Graduate Institute.© All Rights ReservedThe Winter Antiques Show 2012The illustrious Winter Antiques Show opens today at the Park Avenue Armory for the 58th Year in a row. This year, be prepared to get reacquainted with old dealers and meet new ones. Jonathan Boos is displaying an impressive collection of Alexander Calder’s standing mobiles.Originally gifted by the artist to a family who cared for his mother in the 1950’s, these pieces were kept there for over 50 years and now are ready to embrace a new home. Highlights from the show included a rare and important African-American Pictographic Plantation desk, ca. 1870, from Madison, Mississippi. This particular desk is attributed to “Willie” Howard, a favored slave at Kirkwood Plantation, owned by pre-Civil War Governor McWillie. Art Deco dealer, Maison Gerard, have several new acquisitions from Leuleu. They are exquisite and offer themselves as perfect additions to any art deco collector. Another exciting dealer to look for is Keshishian. Mr. Eddy Keshishian, a carpet dealer from London, is exhibiting a jaw-dropping Art Deco carpet made for the Maharajah of Indores palace. This magnificent piece demonstrates the widespread appeal of Art Deco design, which was originated in France and quickly spread as far as India. Go inside the show, by visiting us on Facebook, for more photographs. The Winter Antiques Show benefits the East Side House Settlement which was founded in 1891 to help immigrants and lower income families on the East Side of Manhattan. In 1962, it moved to the South Bronx where it serves 8,000 residents annually within one of America’s poorest congressional districts, the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx.
My Fair LadiesQuintessential Victorian fairies from the 19th CenturyClockwise: From Nicholas Grindley Works of Art, Ltd. A ceremonial fan of circular leaf shape made of three boards crudely joined together and carved on the face with radiating ribs with an incurved lip at the top. Thai, 18th – 19th Century. Egyptian gilded and painted cartonnage mummy mask. Ptolemaic Period, c. 4th – 3rd century BC, from Rupert Wace Ancient Art. Foreground – One of three remarkable series of Alexander Calder standing mobiles (untitled) from Jonathan BoosPhotos property of High End Weekly™ -
Americana Week: January 17 – 29, 2012
Your Guide to Americana WeekMonday, January 16
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts Opens
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York CitySotheby’s Preview
Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets
1334 York AvenueTuesday, January 17
Hayes Fine Arts Building
The Modern Art of Antique QuiltsFisher Heritage Specialty305 East 61st StreetNew York CityBohemian National Hall
New York Ceramics Fair
Opening Night
5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
321 East 73rd Street
New York CityChristie’s
Preview of Important American Furniture and Folk Art
Rockefeller Center
New York CityChristie’s
Preview of Chinese Export Art
Rockefeller Center
New York CityBonham’s
Preview of Fine American and European Furniture and Decorative Arts
580 Madison Avenue
New York CityKeno Auctions
Auction: Important Americana, Paintings, Furniture and Decorative Arts
48 E 84th StreetNew York CitySotheby’sPreview: Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets1334 York AvenueNew York CityHayes Fine Arts Building
The Modern Art of Antique QuiltsA Fisher Heritage Specialty305 East 61st Street
New York CityWednesday, January 18
Metro Show Opening Night7 p.m. until 9 p.m.125 West 18th Street
New York CityChristie’s
Preview: Important American Furniture and Folk ArtRockefeller Center
New York CityChristie’s
Preview: Chinese Export ArtRockefeller CenterNew York CityBonham’s
Auction: The Mapping and Discovery of America580 Madison AvenueNew York CityBonham’sPreview: Fine American and European Furniture and Decorative Arts580 Madison Avenue
New York CityLecture: Searching for Pots: 40+ Years Above and Below the Ground12 Noon321 East 73rd StreetNew York CityLecture: Getting the Blues: Cobalt Ornament on Tin-Glazed Earthenware from Around the World2 p.m.321 East 73rd Street
New York CityLecture: The ImpressionistsDishes: Ceramics in the Florence Griswold House and the Odd Way They Were Collected4 p.m.321 East 73rd Street
New York CitySotheby’s
Preview: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets1334 York AvenueNew York CityAmerican Folk Art Museum
Music: 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.Performed by jazz guitarist Bill WurtzelHayes Fine Arts Building
Fisher Heritage SpecialtyShow: The Modern Art of Antique Quilts305 East 61st Street
New York CityThursday, January 19
Winter Antiques ShowOpening Night Party5 p.m. until 9 p.m.Park Avenue Armory643 Park Avenue @ 67th Street
New York CityChristie’s
Auction: Silver AuctionRockefeller Center
New York CitySotheby’sAuction: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets1334 York Avenue
New York CityChristie’s
Auction: Important American Furniture and Folk ArtRockefeller Center
New York CityChristie’s
Preview: Chinese Export ArtRockefeller Center
New York CityBonham’sAuction: Fine American and European Furniture and Decorative Arts580 Madison AvenueNew York CityLecture: Going Beyond Chromium Green: Overglaze Enamel Formulations and the Dating of Factory and Hausmaler-Decorated Meissen Ware12 noon321 East 73rd Street
New York CityNew York Ceramics Fair
Lecture: American Blues: Printed Pottery Celebrating a New Nation2 p.m.321 East 73rd StreetNew York CitySotheby’s
Preview: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets1334 York Avenue
New York CityHayes Fine Arts Building
A Fisher Heritage SpecialtyThe Modern Art of Antique QuiltsShow: at 305 East 61st Street
New York CityFriday, January 20Christie’s
Auction: Important American Furniture and Folk ArtRockefeller Center
New York CityChristie’s
Preview: ‘Chinese Export ArtRockefeller Center
New York CitySotheby’sAuction: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets1334 York Avenue
New York CityStella Shows10 a.m. until 7 p.m.69th Regiment ArmoryLexington Avenue at 26th Street
New York CityHayes Fine Arts Building
A Fisher Heritage SpecialtyThe Modern Art of Antique Quilts305 East 61st StreetNew York CitySaturday, January 21
Christie’sPreview: Chinese Export ArtRockefeller Center
New York CityNew York Ceramics Fair
Lecture: From a Mere Lump of Clay: Harry Potter and Ceramic Technology12 noon321 East 73rd Street
New York CityNew York Ceramics Fair
Lecture: Hot Plates: Every Dish Tells a Story2 p.m.321 East 73rd Street
New York CityNew York Ceramics Fair
Lecture: A Variegated History: Tortoiseshell Earthenware in Colonial America4 p.m.321 East 73rd StreetNew York CityAntiques at the Armory
Show: 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.69th Regiment ArmoryLexington Avenue at 26th Street
New York CityShow: 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Pier 92
New York CitySunday, January 22
Christie’sPreview: Chinese Export ArtRockefeller Center
New York CityAntiques at the Armory
Show: 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.69th Regiment ArmoryLexington Avenue at 26th Street
New York CityAmericana and Antiques at the Pier
Show: 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.Pier 92
New York CityMonday, January 23The Modern Art of Antique QuiltsShow: A Fisher Heritage SpecialtyHayes Fine Arts Building305 East 61st StreetNew York CityChristie’sAuction: Chinese Export Art
Rockefeller CenterNew York CityTuesday, January 24 – Saturday, February 25Folk Tales: Bringing Folk Art Home Exhibition & SaleThe New York Design Center
200 Lexington AvenueNew York CityChristie’sAuction: The Peter H B Frelinghuysen Jr Collection of Chinese Export PorcelainRockefeller Center
New York CityThe Modern Art of Antique Quilts
Show: A Fisher Heritage SpecialtyHayes Fine Arts Building305 East 61st Street
New York CityWednesday, January 25
National Academy Museum and SchoolExhibit: The Annual: 20121083 Fifth Avenue
New York CityMusic: 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.Performed by jazz guitarist Bill WurtzelThe Modern Art of Antique QuiltsShow: A Fisher Heritage SpecialtyHayes Fine Arts Building305 East 61st Street
New York CityThursday, January 26
New York Historical Society Homes of Early New YorkLecture: Birth of an American Style6:30 p.m.
170 Central Park WestNew York CityFor tickets inquiries, contact: East Side House Settlement | 718-292-7392Winter Antiques Show Young Collector’s Night
Park Avenue Armory643 Park Avenue @ 67th StreetShow: 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.New York CityOutsider Art Fair
Preview7 West 34th StreetNew York CityFriday, January 27
National Academy Museum and School The AnnualExhibit: 20121083 Fifth Avenue
New York CityThe Modern Art of Antique QuiltsFisher Heritage SpecialtyShow: at Hayes Fine Arts Building305 East 61st Street
New York CitySaturday, January 28, 29National Academy Museum and SchoolThe Annual: 2012 Exhibit1083 Fifth AvenueBringing Home A LegendA handful of rare and historical objects will go on view, during Americana Week in New York City. This time honored tradition kicked off yesterday at Keno Auctions with a gallery talk entitled American Still Life Painting in the 19th Century by Doctor William H. Gerdts.
This lecture marked the beginning of a series of high profile art fairs, auctions, and showroom events. Americana Week is in fact two weeks of sales, viewings and symposium devoted to three centuries of American craftsmanship in all its forms, including important furniture, decorative arts, and of course, folk art. Young and old collectors will become transfixed by an impressive mix of the finest museum quality art, and antiques. Yours truly will make the rounds to most of these events, shopping for clients, and gathering materials for you lovely readers out there. I’m looking forward to a couple of impressive lectures and auctions at Christie’s as well as the January 24th event at 1stDibs entitled: Folk Tales – Bringing Folk Art Home.Life Guards from Just Folk(Michael and Gael Mendelsohn Collection)Iconic FiguresCover photo: Marionettes, also from Just FolkExtremely Rare 34 Star FlagUsed as a national parade flag during the Civil War period it features four different size stars on a blue canton, Jeff R. Bridgman American AntiquesAbove photos courtesy of 1stDibsAll right reservedThis will be an important selling exhibition of rare and extraordinary examples of American Folk Art and Ephemera curated by five of the country’s leading Americana specialists, and 1stdibs dealers including Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, Just Folk and Judith and James Milne. Ames Gallery and A Bird in Hand will be displaying their antiques as well. Folk Tales is a group show of independent dealers from across the United States who will highlight collectible quilts, weathervanes, flags, outsider and tramp art, game boards, original-surface painted furniture, trade signs and one-of-a-kind pieces, all of which offer a fascinating view into the American decorative past. This show will include a broad range of items priced from the affordable (under-$500) to pique the interest of the budding collector to museum-quality to satisfy the ardent enthusiast ($100,000).January 24 – February 25, 2012
1stDibs at New York Design Center200 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor@ 33rd StreetNew York CityFree and Open to the Public
Monday – Friday: 9:00AM – 5:00PMSaturday 10:00AM – 5:00PM -
Pavilion of Art & Design at The Park Avenue Armory
November 11 – 14, 2011
Since its grand opening in Paris 15 years ago, the Pavilion of Art & Design fairs, better known as PAD, have been closely associated with presenting works of art of the highest quality which have been vetted by distinctive panels of experts. This year, PAD brought their “oeuvre d’art” to the prestigious Park Avenue Armory.Galerie DowntownThis inaugural fair brought together 49 international galleries who are exhibiting works of Modern Art, Design, Decorative Arts, Photography, Jewelery and Tribal Art. The exhibit is inviting and full of design inspirations. Many of the dealers are carrying some of the most exquisite pieces that I’ve ever laid eyes on.One such dealer is Galerie Downtown. Its owner, François Laffanour created the gallery with a thoroughly avant-garde brief: the rehabilitation of 20th century architects’ furniture which had sunk into oblivion. He is championing the works of two pioneers of 20th century Decorative Arts: Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand (joint founder of the Union des Artists Modernes with Le Corbusier in 1929), as well as that of Serge Mouille and Isamu Noguchi. I like the fact that these blue-chip artists were passionate about freedom, they were able to re-invent far more than a way of life or a way of dwelling, rather a life project, no less, a manifesto of the period’s technical and scientific modernity. Charlotte Perriand once said “What interests me is people. Spare lines whose functional quality goes hand-in-hand with everyday gestures, and simple materials (wood, metal, bamboo) combined with a keen sense of detail contributed to the refinement of their works”. This in fact is a huge interest of mine as well.For this first Pavilion of Art and Design, the French architect Jean de Piépape exclusively designed Galerie Downtown’s stand with all the geometry and subtlety that are the hallmarks of his reputation. His deft selection of furniture and objects include a seating and a staircase by Jean Prouvé, a bench, seats and shelves by Charlotte Perriand.Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue
(67th Street)
New York, New York 10065
212-744-8180
Hours: 11 AM – 8 PMJean ProuvéCirca 1942, Dining tableCharlotte Perriand1955, “Shadow” chairPierre JeanneretCa. 1955, Armless easy chairCharlotte Perriand1961, Bench with drawer box -
The Fine Art and Antiques Show
Now that the first New York Spring Show is out of the way, I can comfortably reflect upon how vibrant and well organized it was. Kudos Mr. Clinton Howell for pulling one of the most memorable fair – to date.The opening night had such a great turn out that at some point, I even thought perhaps they were expecting a dozen head of states, but no, what was happening was the gathering of a great number of well dressed New Yorkers, who were gamed to enjoy some of the best art and antiques from around the world. I love how the show engaged its audience by having a variety of VIP tours. Just today, my husband and I were at a private tour over at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, enjoying the special exhibition Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels. The museum’s curator, Ms. Sarah D. Coffin, adroitly directed more than a dozen attendees (more than all the other tours combined). Truly, I was puzzled that not many people took advantage of these VIP tours. Since this was the 1st Spring Show, perhaps more people will join in the fun in the years to come. The pictures above represent my key highlights, from Iliad Gallery, where classicism meets modernism, to those gorgeous carpets from Sonia Delaunay (there is a current exhibit of Ms. Dalaynay’s work at the Cooper-Hewitt until the beginning of June) at the Vojtech Blau to that not so beautiful easy chair from Alexander Cohane which happens to be one of the most comfortable seating you will ever have the pleasure of lounging in. The Spring Show had some earthly treasures for all those art and furniture lovers.Park Avenue Armory
643 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10065
212-744-8180Daphne Alazraki Fine ArtVojtech BlauGeoffrey Diner Galler
Michael Pashby AntiquesLost City Arts
www.lostcityarts.comJack Kilgore & Co.Douglas DawsonRobert Simon Fine ArtCarlotn Hobbs
www.carltonhobbs.netRM Barokh AntiquesConruAlexander Cohane