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| Home | Articles | Show Review: Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show -- Presidents' Day Weekend -- February 16-20, 2007 |
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Presidents' Day Weekend -- February 16-20, 2007
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This year's Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show built on the steady momentum it has gained since its first appearance in 2004. Clearly it has become one of the most important shows in the country. Two hundred and five dealers from the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, England, Italy, Germany, France, Turkey, and Sweden transformed the Palm Beach County Convention Center into an international marketplace that attracted 50,000 attendees. No exhibitors were delayed by the inclement weather to the north of the state; some, however, drove to Florida in order to avoid airport delays.
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Kris Charamonde, co-owner and managing partner of the Palm Beach Show Group, with former New York mayor and presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani.
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On the evening of the preview a line of luxury cars extended for a quarter mile to enter the venue's over-capacity parking lot, a testament to the show's immense attraction. Once inside, individuals were treated to an experience that can be summarized in a single word: remarkable. From substantial hardbound catalogs containing insightful articles distributed to all who entered to a separate media lounge, the production was elegant in every respect. Sales were extremely strong and the overwhelming turnout of qualified buyers is no doubt the result of an aggressive promotion campaign overseen by Palm Beach Show Group partners Kris R. Charamonde, Scott Diament, and Rob Samuels. Funds in excess of $1 million were dedicated to publicity, which included national, regional, and local advertising via print media, radio spots, billboards, and banners, supported by an extensive direct mail campaign and cross-promotional activities with events taking place in or around Palm Beach in the months preceding the show. Additionally, the Group invited local and regional arts and cultural institutions to attend the show and provided hotels with tickets to distribute to guests the week of the show.
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Imported roses graced the entrance to the 2007 Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show.
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Visually stunning, the show improves on a yearly basis and among dealers new to the show were Brock and Co., Carlisle, MA; Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, York County, PA; Debra Force Fine Art, New York; Finnegan Gallery, Chicago; Gemini Antiques, Ltd., Chester, NJ; Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, New York, and Dallas; New York; Notus, Inc., New York; and Julia Santen Gallery, Charleston, SC. Lillian Nassau, LLC, sold an assortment of Tiffany Studio glass, Tiffany silver, and Art Nouveau furniture. Arlie Sulka, the company's managing director, was impressed by the presence of "serious, enthusiastic collectors" and the fact that "there was hardly a moment when we did not have someone in our booth; by the end we were tired, but good tired." "The show keeps getting better and better every year" remarked Katherine W. Baumgartner director of Godel and Co., Inc., New York. Exhibiting important American paintings for the third time, they brought range of inventory with prices between $25,000 and $50,000 as well as an Albert Bierstadt for $1.8 million. Godel and Co. sold works by Irving Ramsey Wiles and Willard Metcalf priced in the high six figures. Childs Gallery of Boston, returning participants, were equally happy with the show. Said D. Roger Howlett, president of Childs, "We always enjoy exhibiting at this show because we get to see our clients from across the country. We have done consistently well in terms of sales."
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M.S. Rau Antiques, New Orleans, LA exhibited a world class selection of fine art and period furnishings.
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Buyers took home examples of marine antiques, ship models, and scrimshaw from another returning participant, Alan Granby of Hyland Granby Antiques, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Mr. Granby praised the event, "Fabulous show, the finest I have seen in terms of attendance in my career. The number of serious collectors was amazing." Kunsthaus Buhler GmbH of Stuttgart, Germany, showed nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century paintings as well contemporary artwork. Among their offerings were three paintings by Gustave Courbet, one of which was taken on approval. Dr. Andreas Buhler, director of Kunsthaus Buhler, said he plans to return in 2008 for his third consecutive year, observing that the management did a "great job with organization."
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The A.B. Levy Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL display included a dining room suite by Francois Linke, a Redlich and Co. silver service, and a fine oil by Richard Ansdell.
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M. S. Rau Antiques of New Orleans offered works by William Bouguereau, Thomas Gainsborough, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and John William Waterhouse; also a collection of period furnishings by Francois Linke and Paul Sormani, and silver by Paul de Lamerie, Paul Storr, Hester Bateman, and Tiffany and Co. Showgoers purchased over $1 million worth of inventory from this New Orleans institution.
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LEFT: Fine jewelry offered by Camilla Dietz Bergeron, Ltd., New York, NY. Here signed pieces from Buccellati, David Webb, and Van Cleef and Arpels were in especially high demand. RIGHT: Gemini Antiques, Ltd., Chester, NJ showed prime examples of antique toys, Americana and folk art.
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Dealers were impressed with the steady volume of educated, serious collectors.
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New corporate sponsors AXA Art Insurance and NetJets joined Antiques and Fine Art Magazine, Palm Beach Daily News, and main sponsor, UBS Financial Services Inc., who have supported the show since its first year. The opening night preview party benefited the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. Proceeds from a special raffle augmented a generous donation presented to this charity by the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show. An eight-part lecture series run in tandem with this year's show included talks on fine art, furniture, jewelry, and collection management by prominent figures within their field.
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