Park Avenue Armory – Page 2 – High End Weekly™

The Weekender: Social Butterflies

LEGENDS OF LA CIENEGA

On 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. Blodgett

JOHNNY SWING OPENING RECEPTION AT SEBASTIAN + BARQUET

Murmuration 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 Bradfield

Michael Brummel, Corice Arman

Jim O’Donnell: Sitting on his Johnny Swing Chair

Photos courtesy High End Weekly™

SAKE TASTING at BERNARDAUD

Bernardaud 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 Masuda

Koichi Saura, George Kakaty and Genuemon Sudo

Photos courtesy Bernardaud

PARTICLES + WAVES at ILIAD

Cornelia 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 Week

Vacheron 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 Timepieces

Photos courtesy Monica Schipper Photography

SPRING 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 Hamilton

Photo Courtesy Annie Watt

Magen H Gallery owner, Hugues Magen, and Benoist Drut, Partner, Maison Gerard Ltd

Photo Courtesy High End Weekly™

Nara Simmons, David Kristie, Andersen Gumbs

Paul Baker from Whistlepig

Photos 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 Rain

Chinese 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 Direction

Cathy 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 Art

Abby 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 5th

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Legendary Designing Women: Inventing A Profession

Emily 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 Design

No 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

Sculpture Objects Functional Art Fair Celebrates 15th Anniversary in NYC

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 Rasmussen

Red twisted Form, 2011, Stoneware, 17.5 in. h. x 19.5 in. wide x 11 7/8 in. deep

J. Lohmann Gallery

The 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 Note

SOFA 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 Gallery

Photo: LuAnn Thompson

Hans Coper
Selected Works, 1960s – 1970s, stoneware, various sizes

Erskine, Hall, & Coe

The Weekender: Young Collectors Night

Young Collectors Night at the Winter Antiques Show, Thursday January 26, 2012

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 Goodman

Winter Antiques Show Exhibitor Barbara Israel and daughter Co-Chair Emily Israel Pluhar

Young Collectors Night Co-Chairs Courtney Booth, Emily Israel Pluhar Stephanie Clark

Valaer Van Roijen and Co-Chair Emily Israel Pluhar

Robin Wilson

Elizabeth Brown and Tripp Potter

Margaret Boyle, Ashley Rettenmaier, Chelsea Rettenmaier

Geoffrey Bradfield

Stephanie Woodmanse and Ellie Clymer

Elizabeth Pyne and Christopher Spitzmiller

Nate Berkus and Natalie Obradovich

Wendy Goodman and Muriel Brandolini

Lacary Sharpe and Rebecca Regan

Atmosphere

Jamie Drake

Roric Tobin and Justin Concannon

Lisa Yom and David Lipke

Meghan Kelly and guest

Renald White

Ariel Ashe and James Reginato

Scott Currie, Kyle Rouse, guest and Christian Leone

Katie Williams, and guests

Photo credit: Billy Farrell Agency

The Weekender: Young Collectors

Lillian Bassman: Portrait of a Lady

What 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 print

Lillian Bassman, The Cost of Living: Barbara Mullen in a Dress by Omar Kiam for Ben Reig,

New York, 1950, gelatin silver print

Lillian Bassman, Margie Cato, Junior Bazaar [White Dress and White Gloves], c. 1950,

gelatin silver print

Lillian Bassman, Anne Saint –Marie, Chanel Advertising Campaign, New York, 1958,

gelatin silver print

Lillian Bassman, Barbara Mullen, Flat Hat, Bare Back, c. 1950, gelatin silver print

Above images from Peter Fetterman Gallery

The Weekender: The Winter Antiques Show & The Bard

The Importance of Being Fashionable

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, 2012

The Bard Graduate Center

18 West 86th Street

New York City

Left: 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 White

All photos courtesy of the Bard Graduate Institute.

The Winter Antiques Show 2012

The 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 Ladies

Quintessential Victorian fairies from the 19th Century

Alexander Gallery

Clockwise: 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 Boos

Photos property of High End Weekly™

Americana Week: January 17 – 29, 2012

Your Guide to Americana Week

Monday, January 16
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts Opens
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York City

Sotheby’s Preview
Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets
1334 York Avenue

Tuesday, January 17
Hayes Fine Arts Building
The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

Fisher Heritage Specialty

305 East 61st Street

New York City

Bohemian National Hall
New York Ceramics Fair
Opening Night
5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
321 East 73rd Street
New York City

Christie’s
Preview of Important American Furniture and Folk Art
Rockefeller Center
New York City

Christie’s
Preview of Chinese Export Art
Rockefeller Center
New York City

Bonham’s
Preview of Fine American and European Furniture and Decorative Arts
580 Madison Avenue
New York City

Keno Auctions
Auction: Important Americana, Paintings, Furniture and Decorative Arts
48 E 84th Street

New York City

Sotheby’s

Preview: Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets

1334 York Avenue

New York City

Hayes Fine Arts Building

The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

A Fisher Heritage Specialty

305 East 61st Street
New York City

Wednesday, January 18
Metro Show Opening Night

7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

125 West 18th Street
New York City

Christie’s

Preview: Important American Furniture and Folk Art

Rockefeller Center
New York City

Christie’s
Preview: Chinese Export Art

Rockefeller Center

New York City

Bonham’s

Auction: The Mapping and Discovery of America

580 Madison Avenue

New York City

Bonham’s

Preview: Fine American and European Furniture and Decorative Arts

580 Madison Avenue
New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: Searching for Pots: 40+ Years Above and Below the Ground

12 Noon

321 East 73rd Street

New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: Getting the Blues: Cobalt Ornament on Tin-Glazed Earthenware from Around the World

2 p.m.

321 East 73rd Street
New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: The Impressionists

Dishes: Ceramics in the Florence Griswold House and the Odd Way They Were Collected

4 p.m.

321 East 73rd Street
New York City

Sotheby’s

Preview: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets

1334 York Avenue

New York City

American Folk Art Museum
Music: 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.

Performed by jazz guitarist Bill Wurtzel

Hayes Fine Arts Building
Fisher Heritage Specialty

Show: The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

305 East 61st Street
New York City

Thursday, January 19
Winter Antiques Show

Opening Night Party

5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Park Avenue Armory

643 Park Avenue @ 67th Street
New York City

Christie’s
Auction: Silver Auction

Rockefeller Center
New York City

Sotheby’s

Auction: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets

1334 York Avenue
New York City

Christie’s

Auction: Important American Furniture and Folk Art

Rockefeller Center
New York City

Christie’s
Preview: Chinese Export Art

Rockefeller Center
New York City

Bonham’s

Auction: Fine American and European Furniture and Decorative Arts

580 Madison Avenue

New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: Going Beyond Chromium Green: Overglaze Enamel Formulations and the Dating of Factory and Hausmaler-Decorated Meissen Ware

12 noon

321 East 73rd Street
New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: American Blues: Printed Pottery Celebrating a New Nation

2 p.m.

321 East 73rd Street

New York City

Sotheby’s

Preview: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets

1334 York Avenue
New York City

Hayes Fine Arts Building

A Fisher Heritage Specialty

The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

Show: at 305 East 61st Street
New York City

American Indian, circa 1900s
via The Financial Times: How To Spend It

Friday, January 20

Christie’s
Auction: Important American Furniture and Folk Art

Rockefeller Center
New York City

Christie’s
Preview: ‘Chinese Export Art

Rockefeller Center
New York City

Sotheby’s

Auction: Important Americana: Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets

1334 York Avenue
New York City

Antiques at the Armory

Stella Shows

10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

69th Regiment Armory

Lexington Avenue at 26th Street
New York City

Hayes Fine Arts Building

A Fisher Heritage Specialty

The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

305 East 61st Street

New York City

Saturday, January 21
Christie’s

Preview: Chinese Export Art

Rockefeller Center
New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: From a Mere Lump of Clay: Harry Potter and Ceramic Technology

12 noon

321 East 73rd Street
New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: Hot Plates: Every Dish Tells a Story

2 p.m.

321 East 73rd Street
New York City

New York Ceramics Fair

Lecture: A Variegated History: Tortoiseshell Earthenware in Colonial America

4 p.m.

321 East 73rd Street

New York City

Antiques at the Armory

Show: 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

69th Regiment Armory

Lexington Avenue at 26th Street
New York City

Americana and Antiques at the Pier

Show: 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Pier 92
New York City

Sunday, January 22
Christie’s

Preview: Chinese Export Art

Rockefeller Center
New York City

Antiques at the Armory

Show: 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

69th Regiment Armory

Lexington Avenue at 26th Street
New York City

Americana and Antiques at the Pier

Show: 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Pier 92
New York City

Monday, January 23

The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

Show: A Fisher Heritage Specialty

Hayes Fine Arts Building

305 East 61st Street

New York City

Christie’s

Auction: Chinese Export Art

Rockefeller Center

New York City

Life size Nubian Goat Sculpture on Wheels

Photo courtesy of 1stDibs

Tuesday, January 24 – Saturday, February 25

1stDibs

Folk Tales: Bringing Folk Art Home Exhibition & Sale

The New York Design Center
200 Lexington Avenue

New York City

Christie’s

Auction: The Peter H B Frelinghuysen Jr Collection of Chinese Export Porcelain

Rockefeller Center
New York City

The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

Show: A Fisher Heritage Specialty

Hayes Fine Arts Building

305 East 61st Street
New York City

Wednesday, January 25
National Academy Museum and School

Exhibit: The Annual: 2012

1083 Fifth Avenue
New York City

American Folk Art Museum

Music: 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.

Performed by jazz guitarist Bill Wurtzel

The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

Show: A Fisher Heritage Specialty

Hayes Fine Arts Building

305 East 61st Street
New York City

Thursday, January 26
New York Historical Society Homes of Early New York

Lecture: Birth of an American Style

6:30 p.m.
170 Central Park West

New York City

For tickets inquiries, contact: East Side House Settlement | 718-292-7392

Winter Antiques Show Young Collector’s Night

Park Avenue Armory

643 Park Avenue @ 67th Street

Show: 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

New York City

Outsider Art Fair

Preview

7 West 34th Street

New York City

Friday, January 27
National Academy Museum and School The Annual

Exhibit: 2012

1083 Fifth Avenue
New York City

The Modern Art of Antique Quilts

Fisher Heritage Specialty

Show: at Hayes Fine Arts Building

305 East 61st Street
New York City

Saturday, January 28, 29

National Academy Museum and School

The Annual: 2012 Exhibit

1083 Fifth Avenue

Bringing Home A Legend

A 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 Figures

Cover photo: Marionettes, also from Just Folk

Extremely Rare 34 Star Flag

Used as a national parade flag during the Civil War period it features four different size stars on a blue canton, Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques

Above photos courtesy of 1stDibs

This 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 Center

200 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor

@ 33rd Street

New York City

Free and Open to the Public
Monday – Friday: 9:00AM – 5:00PM

Saturday 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 Downtown

This 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 PM

Jean Prouvé

Circa 1942, Dining table

Charlotte Perriand

1955, “Shadow” chair

Pierre Jeanneret

Ca. 1955, Armless easy chair

Charlotte Perriand

1961, Bench with drawer box

The Fine Art and Antiques Show

The Spring Show at the Park Avenue Armory

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 Avenue

New York, NY 10065
212-744-8180