Art crime seminar to focus on recovery, security, protection

Robert K. Wittman, Founder of the FBI Art Crime Team. Image copyright Donna Wittman.

Robert K. Wittman, Founder of the FBI Art Crime Team. Image copyright Donna Wittman.
Robert K. Wittman, Founder of the FBI Art Crime Team. Image copyright Donna Wittman.
PHILADELPHIA – For the first time ever Robert Wittman Inc. is offering a five-day seminar to the public that will focus on the practical application of investigative techniques to recover stolen art and cultural property. The seminar will be held June 12-17 at Philadelphia’s downtown Pyramid Club.

This seminar will focuses on real industry career opportunities in the fields of national and international investigation, art law, insurance, appraisal, museum security, conservation and art financial services. Presented by professionals, the emphasis is on practical application in careers in the industry.

The course will feature more than 20 hours of instruction spread across five days. Instructors are renowned in their fields, having won numerous national and international awards. Together they have served for more than half a century on the front lines of art security, protection and recovery.

Participants will stay at the luxurious Crowne Plaza Hotel on Market Street in downtown Philadelphia.

Lecturers will be Robert K. Wittman, Robert E. Goldman, James E. McAndrew and Herb Lottier.

Wittman was the founder and Senior Investigator of the FBI National Art Crime Team and was instrumental in the recovery of more than $300 million worth of stolen cultural property. He spent 20 years as an FBI agent, and upon retiring authored the New York Times Best Seller Priceless – How I went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures. Today, he is the president of the international art security firm Robert Wittman Inc.

Goldman spent 32 years working as a local and federal prosecutor. He prosecuted the first case in the nation under the federal Theft of Major Artwork Statute (18 USC 668) resulting in the first federal convictions under this law. Goldman was appointed by the Department of Justice as the first at large prosecutor in the nation for the FBI Art Crime Team. Today, he is the principle in the law firm of Robert E. Goldman Esq. and practices art law on a private basis.

McAndrew has worked with the U.S. government for more than 27 years, first with the United States Customs Service and then with the Department of Homeland Security. He is an expert on international art and antiquity investigations and on customs and international trade law.

Herb Lottier has been the Director of Protection Services at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the fourth largest art museum in the United States, since 1996. He manages a security force of 175 contract officers and 35 proprietary supervisors. Prior to his current profession, Lottier served for 21 years in the Philadelphia Police Department. For the last six of those years he held the rank of captain.

Seminar subjects include Civil and Criminal Art Law; Case Studies Focusing on Investigation Techniques; International Art Law and Topics; Museum Personnel and Collection Security; Conservation and Forensic Techniques to Identify Frauds, Fakes and Forgeries; Fine Art Insurance and Art Loss Database; Protection and Recovery Careers in the Insurance Industry and Private Sector; Gallery Issues; Antiquities Protection; Auction Protection Issues; and Fine Art Financial Service Careers.

Deadline for application submission, including a nonrefundable $100 application fee, is due no later than April 15. The application fee will be applied to the all-inclusive course cost with the remaining balance of $2,500 due by May 1.

Participants will receive individual attention and training. Class size is limited, and applications will be considered in the order they are submitted.

For additional information contact 610-361-8929, email info@RobertWittmanInc.com or visit their website at www.robertwittmaninc.com

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Robert K. Wittman, Founder of the FBI Art Crime Team. Image copyright Donna Wittman.
Robert K. Wittman, Founder of the FBI Art Crime Team. Image copyright Donna Wittman.
Course brochure for Art Crime Investigation Seminar. Image courtesy of Robert Wittman Inc.
Course brochure for Art Crime Investigation Seminar. Image courtesy of Robert Wittman Inc.

Met’s Feb. 5 Lunar New Year Festival celebrates Chinese arts, culture

Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957). Two Rabbits, 20th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper; 8 9/16 x 18 5/16 in. (21.7 x 46.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986 (1986.267.232). Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957). Two Rabbits, 20th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper; 8 9/16 x 18 5/16 in. (21.7 x 46.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986 (1986.267.232). Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957). Two Rabbits, 20th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper; 8 9/16 x 18 5/16 in. (21.7 x 46.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986 (1986.267.232). Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.

NEW YORK – Visitors of all ages are invited to The Metropolitan Museum of Art on February 5, 2011, to enjoy a day-long Lunar New Year Festival celebrating Chinese arts and culture. The Museum will ring in the Year of the Rabbit with interactive programs, art-making workshops, and lively performances. Nearly all Lunar New Year programs are free with Museum admission.

The Lunar New Year Festival is presented by the Museum’s Multicultural Audience Development Initiative and its Education Department.

The festival begins with family programs, including a performance by Sesame Street’s Alan Muraoka and friends at 11 a.m. in the Carson Family Hall and storytime in the Nolen Library at 11:45 a.m. Afternoon programs begin with a dramatic lion dance procession up the Museum’s front steps and into the building at 12:15 p.m., followed by calligraphy and face painting workshops at 1 p.m.; a youth orchestra performing on traditional Chinese instruments at 1:30 p.m.; a Chinese tea ceremony at 2:15 p.m.; and fan and ribbon dances at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

The Lunar New Year Festival will culminate with Peking Opera performances at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Chinese Theatre Works’ production of the Peking Opera Little Red Riding Hood features stage acrobatics, martial arts, music, dance, pantomime, face painting, and lavish costumes to create a breathtaking, cross-cultural journey. A one-hour children’s version of Little Red Riding Hood, performed in English to a pre-recorded score, will be presented at 3 p.m. (tickets: $15). A full-length production of the classic tale will be presented at 7 p.m. (tickets: $30). The evening performance, introduced by an informative talk, will be spoken in English and sung in Chinese, accompanied by live music. Both concerts are in the Museum’s Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, and tickets include free Museum admission on February 5. To order tickets for Peking Opera: Little Red Riding Hood, call 212-570-3949 or go to www.metmuseum.org/tickets.

Event Information:

Lunar New Year Festival information will be available at the Information Desk inside the Museum’s main entrance on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, and in the Uris Center for Education, which is reached from the ground-floor entrance on Fifth Avenue at 81st Street. All Lunar New Year programs are free with Museum admission, with the exception of the Peking Opera Little Red Riding Hood. Recommended Museum admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors (65 and over), and $10 for students. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free.

A complete schedule of Lunar New Year programs can be found on the Museum’s website: www.metmuseum.org/lunarnewyear.aspx.

Museum information in Mandarin, including hours, admission, and directions, can be found online: http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/general_information_mandarin

In addition, the Museum’s cafeteria will be celebrating the Lunar New Year with a traditional Chinese menu including soy sauce chicken, pork buns, and napa cabbage with garlic and ginger.

Related Exhibition:

Visitors are also invited to explore the special exhibition The Emperor’s Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City, featuring 90 exquisite objects that once adorned an exclusive compound in the Forbidden City. The exhibition, on view February 1 – May 1, 2011, presents works of art that demonstrate the highest levels of artistic accomplishment in 18th-century China, including sumptuous murals, furniture, architectural elements, Buddhist icons, and decorative arts—almost all of which have never before been seen publicly. A lecture on The Emperor’s Private Paradise: Its Survival and Conservation will be presented by Henry Tzu Ng, Executive Vice President of the World Monuments Fund on Friday, February 4, at 6 p.m. In addition, on Saturday, February 5, at 11 a.m. there will be a public gallery talk for this exhibition.

The exhibition was organized by the Peabody Essex Museum in partnership with the Palace Museum and in cooperation with World Monuments Fund and has been made possible through generous support from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and American Express. Additional support was provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, The Freeman Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and ECHO (Education through Cultural & Historical Organizations).

Education programs are made possible by The Freeman Foundation.

College Group at the Met Event:

On Friday, February 4, at 8 p.m., the College Group at the Met will present Gilded Ink: Write like an Emperor, a reading of original prize-winning short stories by four college students. The event, hosted by David Rakoff (author of Half Empty and frequent contributor to NPR’s This American Life), will feature stories on the theme of a “private paradise” in conjunction with the exhibition The Emperor’s Private Paradise. The event is co-sponsored with Selected Shorts.

About the Metropolitan Museum:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world’s largest and finest museums, with collections of more than two million works of art that span 5,000 years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. The Metropolitan Museum, located at the edge of Central Park along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, received 5.24 million visitors last year and is New York City’s number-one tourist attraction.

The Multicultural Audience Development Initiative began more than ten years ago at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It reflects the Museum’s founding mission to educate and inspire by reaching out to all of its constituencies, including the many diverse communities of the New York Tristate area. Its objectives are to increase awareness of the Museum’s encyclopedic collections and programs, to diversify its visitorship and membership, and to increase participation in its programs.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957). Two Rabbits, 20th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper; 8 9/16 x 18 5/16 in. (21.7 x 46.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986 (1986.267.232). Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957). Two Rabbits, 20th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper; 8 9/16 x 18 5/16 in. (21.7 x 46.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986 (1986.267.232). Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.

Armory and Pier 92 shows are bigger, more diverse, says promoter

Tiffany lily lamp from Philip Chasen Antiques, at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.

Tiffany lily lamp from Philip Chasen Antiques, at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Tiffany lily lamp from Philip Chasen Antiques, at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
NEW YORK – Americana & Antiques at the Pier, Jan. 22-23, on Pier 92 is being billed “The freshest show of Antiques Week” by Stella Show Management Co.’s director Jeanne Stella.

This event offers the youngest and newest dealers in antiques selling the newest, innovative and trendy styles in decorating and collecting. The Pier show is a “smidge less polished” than other shows in New York for Antiques Week, but it makes up for that with spectacular buys that are ripe for picking, said Stella.

Many of the 200 dealers will have industrial furniture and design – considered by many the new Americana. Also included this January is a special section of antiquarian, art and collectible books: Book Alley.

Antiques at the Armory, Jan. 21-23, at the Armory on 26th Street is “The hub of Antiques Week,” with free shuttles to and from the venerable Winter Antiques Show uptown and the pier show on the West Side.

The Armory event offers 100 dealers with compelling and affordable antiques from many eras. Although Americana, folk art and American furniture are well represented at the event there is also a great selection of 20th-century modern, and international art, silver, ceramics and furnishings.

In addition to free shuttles between the two Stella shows, there is a combination ticket available for $20 (each show is $15 alone).

Antiques at the Armory show times are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Regular admission is $15.

Americana & Antiques at the Pier (12th Avenue at West 52nd Street) times are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Regular admission is $15.

Both Americana & Antiques at the Pier and Antiques at the Armory are presented by Stella Show Management Co. The company offers combination tickets ($20 for both shows) and free shuttle service between the two shows.

Show details and exhibitor information are available at www.stellashows.com.

Download Antiques Week at a Glance <http://www.stellashows.com/showmgr_imgs/ZJD1463_otherarmory20030117_7.pdf> to see a full antiques week calendar and map.

 

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Victorian pillow top from Odds & Ads. It is one of a few dozen circa 1902-1910 printed textiles they will be exhibiting at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Victorian pillow top from Odds & Ads. It is one of a few dozen circa 1902-1910 printed textiles they will be exhibiting at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Carved eagle sternboard from a 19th-century sailing ship named the Little Eagle out of the island of Ossawba, N.C. Firehouse Antiques will have it at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Carved eagle sternboard from a 19th-century sailing ship named the Little Eagle out of the island of Ossawba, N.C. Firehouse Antiques will have it at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Rare bottle doll, late 19th century, from South Road Antiques, at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Rare bottle doll, late 19th century, from South Road Antiques, at the Pier Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Exquisite extra-illustrated set of the ‘Life of Napoleon’ with Bonaparte’s signature, sumptuously bound for presentation from Mosher Books, ABAA, at the Pier show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Exquisite extra-illustrated set of the ‘Life of Napoleon’ with Bonaparte’s signature, sumptuously bound for presentation from Mosher Books, ABAA, at the Pier show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
George Jensen ‘Rose’ bonbonniere No. 262, 1920s, to be exhibited at Armory Show by Drucker Antiques. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
George Jensen ‘Rose’ bonbonniere No. 262, 1920s, to be exhibited at Armory Show by Drucker Antiques. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Set of six woven leather and oak armchairs designed by Stewart Ross James, Winchester, N.H., circa 1955. Andrew Spindler will have the set at the Armory Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.
Set of six woven leather and oak armchairs designed by Stewart Ross James, Winchester, N.H., circa 1955. Andrew Spindler will have the set at the Armory Show. Image courtesy of Stella Show Management Co.

West Palm Beach Antiques Festival’s February show biggest of year

Doll specialist Jane Greenwalt. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.

Doll specialist Jane Greenwalt. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Doll specialist Jane Greenwalt. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival will celebrate spring early this year with a Spectacular event scheduled for the first weekend of February. The annual Spectacular event always has huge attendance and festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein expect this year to be the best ever with over 10,000 in attendance. More than 1,000 dealers are signed in for the festival which will feature dealers from all over the United States, England, France, Germany and many other locations.

The site for the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival, the South Florida Fairgrounds, features ample dealer spaces and comfortable aisles and walkways for customers with more than 90 percentof the space inside and air conditioned. However, one of the most popular locations is the breezeway, offering a little of both inside and outside.

Among the prominent dealers in attendance will be Brett Gregory Antiques of Indiana with a large selection of decorative mirrors and accessories covered with seas shells in a Florida theme. Also among the eclectic cadre of dealers will regulars like Peter Mellon of Pompano Beach, Fla., who will offer his collection of over 2,000 vintage watches and pocket knives for the smalls enthusiast, and he is willing to share a wealth of information about vintage Zippo lighters.

On the decidedly upscale end of the spectrum is Rosemary Dawson’s Cathedral Place Gallery of St. Augustine, Fla. Dawson specializes in hard to find porcelain sculptures from Giuseppe Armani, Lladro, Boehm, Old Staffordshire and other antique selections. She makes a market in sold-out editions of new issues and retired issues that are hard to find.

One the dealer booths that has been a fixture at the West Palm Beach Festival for many years is that operated by Gladys and John Ezzo. The Ezzos have been in the same location for over 20 years and have seen the world come and go by their booth. The Ezzos specialize in higher-end artifacts in the area of art glass with selections of Lalique, Galle and LeGras and from the 19th and 20th centuries. They also carry a variety of Tiffany bronze with a concentration of desk sets and dresser items. But the real eye-opener in the booth is the sign that relates to silver plate. John offers a resilvering and silver plating service that is utilized by both dealers and retail customers who need to “freshen up” a silver item.

Another Florida dealer who always has a good show is the Doll Lady, Jane Greenwalt. She has always had a love of dolls and when she retired the first time she began to rehabilitate old dolls to give to charity. Naturally she eventually came across dolls she didn’t want to part with so she started her own collection which rapidly grew out of control and she became a doll dealer by accident – and a major dealer, at that.

One of the interesting stories to be found at West Palm Beach Antiques Festival revolves around dealer Cody McQueen and his journey to the antiques world. Cody originally was a fashion photographer in New York always seeking new locations and backdrops for his art. When he started using antique shows for background he started to notice the art and the artifacts found in these locations. He says he was the first person to display Highwayman paintings in a New York style art gallery in Florida. McQueen still enjoys displaying and buying and selling Highwayman art but he says the current market is better suited for more affordable art and artifacts and he concentrates on what buyers are likely to find interesting at friendly prices.

The mother-son team of Susan and Andrew Muchnikoff will be in their customary booth. Matthew’s Antiques and Collectibles will be offering British Royalty memorabilia dating back to the coronation of King Charles II in 1651 and Americana, American political memorabilia and historical commemoratives that cover the full breadth of this country’s history.

A “don’t miss” booth is the prominent lobby booth occupied by Americana dealers Nancy and Woody Straub. The Straubs are veteran dealers in American fine art circa 1860-1945 and American furniture ranging from the Arts & Crafts period of the early 20th century to the Colonial period. They have been antiques dealers for over 40 years and have family ties to the business going back beyond that. Nancy and Woody have been regular exhibitors at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival since the Puchsteins took over the Show in late 2008.

The February Spectacular edition of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival will be held Feb. 4, 5 and 6. Festival hours are Friday noon – 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Early buyer’s admission is Friday 9 a.m. – noon and the $25 admission is good for all three days. Adult daily admission $7, seniors $6. Anyone 12 and under is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the South Florida Fairgrounds located at 9067 Southern Blvd. in West Palm Beach, 1 1/2 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of U.S. 441/SR7.

For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Brett Gregory and some of his shell creations. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Brett Gregory and some of his shell creations. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
The Breezeway offers the best of both worlds to both dealers and buyers. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
The Breezeway offers the best of both worlds to both dealers and buyers. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.

Holiday spirit drives sales at West Palm Beach Antiques Festival

Talavera charger (blue and white). Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.

Talavera charger (blue and white). Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Talavera charger (blue and white). Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – West Palm Beach Antiques Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein reported over 400 dealers set up at the Dec. 3-5 edition of the event with all outside dealer spaces sold out to take advantage of the Chamber of Commerce weather. Attendance exceeded the previous month and visitors were in a holiday buying mood, said the promoters.

Dealers gladly accommodated the holiday shoppers with wide selections of tempting gift ideas like Steiff animals, silver items, vintage linens and mid century modern furniture leading the way.

In gearing up for the 2011 season the Puchsteins have installed free wi-fi computer access to aid dealers in searching for information for customers, and a new series of television ads aimed at attracting a younger audience has premiered in South Florida touting marbles, postcards, vintage handbags and modernism furniture and accessories dating from the 1930s to the 1960s. Everyone attending the show will appreciate the wide selection of estate jewelry and silver and investment quality art, said the Pucksteins.

One of the dealers who specializes in investment quality art is Michael Perez of Ellen & Michael Perez Art and Antiques. Michael was raised in New England surrounded by antiques and art, and Ellen has an art education. The business seemed to be a natural for them. They specialize in Asian art, American folk art, American and European art and tribal art. Michael has an affinity for sculptured objects in those categories and has begun some of his own works in the field.

The Perez’s typically display several hundred items in their booth at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival including a display case of exquisite smalls. The inventory ranges in price from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars and all of it is guaranteed to be interesting according to Michael. In fact he says “so many interesting things” is the most frequently heard comment in his booth during a Festival weekend.

The Festival is now on Facebook under West Palm Beach Antiques Festival and anyone is welcome to become a fan. The Puchsteins plan on posting photos of merchandise unloading during setup so fans can get a sneak preview of what to expect at each show.

The January edition of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival will celebrate the New Year Dec. 31 through January 2. Festival hours are Friday noon-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Early Buyer’s admission is Friday 9 a.m.-noon and the $25 admission is good for all three days. Adult daily admission $7, seniors $6. Anyone 12 and under is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the South Florida Fairgrounds located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, 1 1/2 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of U.S. 441/SR7. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, e-mail info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Modernist bronze of woman. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Modernist bronze of woman. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Large Japanese Bizen Foo dog, brown ceramic. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Large Japanese Bizen Foo dog, brown ceramic. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Spanish colonial stirrup cup, silver over incised gourd. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
Spanish colonial stirrup cup, silver over incised gourd. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
African Lobi stool. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
African Lobi stool. Image courtesy of West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.

Collectors flock to Miami Beach for opening of Art Basel

Logo courtesy MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd.
Logo courtesy MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd.
Logo courtesy MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd.

MIAMI BEACH (AP) – South Beach is ready to host a huge art party.

Art Basel Miami Beach organizers chose about 250 galleries from more than 700 applications to show their art during the fair, which kicked off for VIPs on Wednesday. It opens for the public today, Dec. 2, 2010, and ends on Sunday.

Gallery owners at the Miami Beach Convention Center are hoping to sell works ranging from Spain’s Pablo Picasso and Colombia’s Fernando Botero to Argentina’s Mondongo group and New York-based Kehinde Wiley. Collectors from around the world walked through the booths, with some strictly browsing and others ready to buy.

Organizers have also planned for fairgoers to visit Miami art museums, talk to artists, see outdoor art projects, attend receptions and even visit artists’ studios.

“Part of the reason why Art Basel came to Miami Beach in the first place is because it is a gateway to the Latin American countries, and for many years we have been hoping that would catch on creating more opportunities for galleries to come,” said fair co-director Annette Schonholzer.

Sean Kelly, who owns a New York-based gallery, said he has already sold some of the 40 works he brought. The pieces range from $8,000 to $500,000.

“I think everybody feels it’s going to be a very strong year,” he said.

Kelly said he believes that collectors are now more willing to put money in art because they’re less confident about having financial instutitions guide their investments.

“We are benefiting from the trust being placed in us,” he said.

At the NeugerRiemschneider gallery’s booth, Tim Neuger was also hopeful he would profit from the fair. Works at the booth included nine plastic and metal sculptures by Pawel Althamer, which resembled modern versions of bandaged mummies.

“We see the fair as platforms, advertising billboards,” he said. “We focus on the greatest installation we could have.”

Fair organizers said they are expecting a better turnout than in previous years because the Art Basel fair in Switzerland in June was very strong.

“Of course, the blue chip work, the work that if you don’t buy it now you’ll never have access to again, will move, in the same way of course that some young artists will be favored,” said fair co-director Marc Spiegler. “But, I think, what we have seen in the last two years, with the economy being different, is that people are really focused as much on the midcareer artists as the young artists.”

But, in the end quality always sells, he said.

South Florida collector Norman Braman, chairman of the fair’s host committee, agreed.

“What the fair brings is excellence and collectors. We’re always looking for something that will improve our collection, that will raise our level,” he said. “I think what the recession has done is positive in one sense that it’s brought those prices down to a realistic level.”

Collector Jutta Kraus came from Munich, Germany. She collects modern German paintings, but she said she doesn’t anticipate buying anything unless the price is good and painting is appealing.

“I don’t think we will buy, but you never know,” she said.

Pat Davidson flew down from New York City “to visit the things I would like to have bought.”

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Online: http://www.artbaselmiamibeach.com

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Early buyers set attendance mark at West Palm Beach Antiques Festival

This pitcher decorated with Abraham Lincoln’s likeness was produced for the 16th president's second inauguration in 1865. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
This pitcher decorated with Abraham Lincoln’s likeness was produced for the 16th president's second inauguration in 1865. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
This pitcher decorated with Abraham Lincoln’s likeness was produced for the 16th president’s second inauguration in 1865. Image courtesy of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After a cold front with rain rolled through South Florida, the weather for the Nov. 5-7, the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival was perfect with sunshine and highs in the low 70s. The show was sold out of inside dealer spaces and over 50 dealers basked outside in the semitropical climate.

Another early buyers record was set, and they came early to buy, especially silver and gold with precious metal prices spiking in the last few weeks. Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein reported buyers returning day after day and carting off loads of silver and gold. Gold was doing especially well.

Other categories benefited from the buying mood with decorator pieces, holiday items including Christmas pieces, quality oil paintings (both listed artists and Highwaymen), and Modernism furniture and accessories making for brisk commerce.

The Puchsteins reported that dozens of dealers are showing up at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival for the first time in years and are bringing fresh merchandise with them to South Florida. Attendance was strong, only a few hundred short of the record. The upcoming Dec. 3-5 festival is nearly sold out of dealer spaces, and dealers are signing up for the remainder of the winter shows.

Family partnerships are nothing new in the antiques and collectibles business, but the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is fortunate to have one of the power teams of the trade as regular dealers. Matthew’s Antiques & Collectibles features the mother/son team of Susan and Matthew Muchnikoff. Susan has been in the business over 40 years and Matthew did his first show at age 15. Their accumulated knowledge base is impressive and they are willing to freely share it with visitors to their booth.

The Muchnikoffs specialize in commemorative items and memorabilia from almost all significant events of the last 200 years and the personalities that drove them. Their inventory ranges from items relating to royalty like Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth to political figures like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Then there are artifacts relating to events like the various World’s Fairs including the 1964 World’s Fair, the Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851 and many more. Matthew and Susan know their inventory and can discuss everything they are selling.

They want to educate not only their customers but also people who are just passing through. Making the booth different each month is a sales technique the Muchnikoffs have used with great success since monthly shows attract many of the same shoppers time after time. The team is diligent about rotating in fresh stock during every show. They maintain a storage facility near the fairgrounds where the show is located and can go to the facility and bring in whatever customers are asking for. They also offer something seldom seen at shows – a layaway plan for the more expensive items. Since they do the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival every month, and have done so for 15 years, customers are assured of the safety of their purchases.

This season, Matthew’s Antiques and Collectibles will be offering British Royalty memorabilia dating to the coronation of King Charles II in 1651. Americana, American political memorabilia and historical commemoratives will cover the full breadth of this country’s history. The centennial celebration of President Ronald Reagan’s birth coincides with the dates for the West Palm Beach Antiques Extravaganza in February Matthew’s Antiques & Collectibles will be ready. They will also offer an interesting array of early American and English pottery and porcelain, transferware, Flow Blue china, fine equestrian, and dog antiques and collectibles.

December 3-5 Festival hours are Friday noon-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Early Buyer’s admission is Friday 9 a.m.-noon, and the $25 admission is good for all three days. Adult daily admission is $7, seniors $6. Anyone 12 and under is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the fairgrounds.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the South Florida Fairgrounds located off Southern Boulevard, 1 1/2 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of U.S. 441/State Route 7.

For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at www.wpbaf.com.

 

Syracuse promoter gives Madison-Bouckville show new lease on life

The Results Group’s staff (from left): Donna Seamon, office manager; Tom Tarry, president; Gunnar, company mascot; Kristin Ploettner, exhibitor concierge; and Joel Comfort, exhibit sales. Image courtesy of The Results Group.
The Results Group’s staff (from left): Donna Seamon, office manager; Tom Tarry, president; Gunnar, company mascot; Kristin Ploettner, exhibitor concierge; and Joel Comfort, exhibit sales. Image courtesy of The Results Group.
The Results Group’s staff (from left): Donna Seamon, office manager; Tom Tarry, president; Gunnar, company mascot; Kristin Ploettner, exhibitor concierge; and Joel Comfort, exhibit sales. Image courtesy of The Results Group.

BOUCKVILLE, N.Y. (ACNI) – The sight of field of corn waving in the sun next summer could have signaled good-bye to the Madison-Bouckville Antique Show, but a new development this week ensures the show will go on.

Antique show promoter Jock Hengst announced two weeks ago he would no longer produce the event and had sold his 90-acre field on U.S. Route 20 to White Eagle Farms for agricultural use.

When the news reached Tom Tarry, president of Syracuse-based The Results Group, he renewed his efforts to acquire the 39-year-old show.

Tarry worked out a three-year lease with new owner Ed Carhart of Hamilton-based White Eagle Farms for his company to continue the antique show at the site. The lease price was not disclosed.

Tarry said he tried to buy the property when Hengst listed it for sale in 2007. “But we were never able to come to terms,” said Tarry, whose company produces approximately 20 events from Buffalo to Long Island.

Our “Taste of Rochester” draws 50,000 to 100,000 people,” said Tarry, who grew up in nearby Oneida.

“I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Madison County. It’s like home,” said Tarry. “I just got an e-mail from the mayor of Oneida congratulating us.”

Tarry anticipates the show will continue to be on the third weekend in August.

“Details will be ironed out when the new Madison-Bouckville Antique Dealers Association meets Nov. 30,” he said.

“There was a perception, which wasn’t really true, that the loss of this show would spell doom for the entire event, but many people thought it would have been the beginning of the end,” said Tarry.

Jim Walter, executive director of Madison County Tourism, stated in a news release Thursday that the annual Antique Week brings in more than $1.5 million for the community each year, including more than $360,000 in hotel lodging.

“The Results Group’s involvement ensures that Antique Week will continue to provide the best outdoor antiquing experience in all of New York State and will continue to help drive our local economy,” Walter said in the release. “We are looking forward to working with them and all the show promoters to grow the festival in the coming years.”

Tarry lauded the owner of White Eagle Farms for putting the community first.

“I firmly believe that leasing the field to us was not in their best interest financially. They would be better off growing corn and feeding it to their cattle. But they’re community-minded folks,” said Tarry.

With the field sown to grass, the farm will harvest one or two cuttings of hay before the show in August, said Tarry.

Changes are in store for the show, said Tarry, but no change in price is expected. One improvement planned is luxury restroom facilities exclusively for show exhibitors. He also promised improvements in the guest experience.

“Our guests will be able to plan the details of their trip to the show before ever leaving home,” said Tarry.

Copyright 2010 Auction Central News International. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

Grand Rapids museum celebrates Princess Diana’s life

Princess Diana’s diamond tiara. Photo courtesy of AEI (Arts and Exhibitions Inc.).

Princess Diana’s diamond tiara. Photo courtesy of AEI (Arts and Exhibitions Inc.).
Princess Diana’s diamond tiara. Photo courtesy of AEI (Arts and Exhibitions Inc.).
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) – An exhibit chronicling the life of the late Princess Diana is going on display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

“Diana – A Celebration” opened Tuesday and runs through Feb. 16 in Grand Rapids. It includes 150 items that include her royal wedding gown and the diamond tiara she wore for her July 1981 marriage to Britain’s Prince Charles.

The show in Grand Rapids will include the text of the eulogy given by Diana’s brother at her 1997 funeral.

The display is part of the museum’s 100th anniversary celebration.

___

Online:

Exhibition website: http://www.dianaexhibition.com

Grand Rapids Art Museum: http://www.artmuseumgr.org

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-CS-11-09-10 0400EST

 

New show and festival to join NH Antiques Week 2011

From Out of the Woods Antique Center in Goffstown, N.H. Image courtesy of Donna Welch, Out of the Woods Antique Center.
From Out of the Woods Antique Center in Goffstown, N.H. Image courtesy of Donna Welch, Out of the Woods Antique Center.
From Out of the Woods Antique Center in Goffstown, N.H. Image courtesy of Donna Welch, Out of the Woods Antique Center.

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. (ACNI) – From Out of the Woods, a multi-dealer establishment that has been a popular destination for antiquers in southern New Hampshire for more than 20 years, will host a new event during the 2011 edition of New Hampshire Antiques Week. Billed as the 1st Annual New England Country Antiques BBQ and Festival/Show, it will take place at the antique center from 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7, under a spacious white tent as well as within the main building.

The free event will be open to the public, and a full New England home-cooked dinner will be served to the first 200 people purchasing a $10 meal ticket. The menu will include home-cooked barbecued chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, cornbread, lemonade and cookies.

Donna Welch, owner of From Out of the Woods, assures there will be ample free parking, bathroom facilities on site, and porters for transporting purchased merchandise to buyers’ vehicles. Additionally, live entertainment will be provided so those in attendance can “sit down and enjoy some good music after you shop,” Welch said.

A restored 19th-century barn with three shopping levels, From Out of the Woods features goods from more than 80 antique dealers. Twenty invited guest dealers will be selling their antique and vintage wares during the new event. No reproductions, crafts or newer items will be allowed. The business is located at 465 Mast Road in Goffstown, N.H., eight miles from the center of downtown Manchester, epicenter of New Hampshire Antiques Week.

For additional information, contact Donna Welch at From Out of the Woods by calling 603-634-8668. Online: www.fromoutofthewoodsantiques.com.

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