Art Fair Company Will Launch Metropolitan Art Show: Art & Antiques

The Art Fair Company, which presents the Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fairs and the Art and Antique Dealers League Spring Show NYC, will launch The Metropolitan Art Show: Art & Antiques @ The Pavilion, a new art and antique fair which replaces The American Antiques Show (TAAS), formerly organized by the American Folk Art Museum, it was announced by Mark Lyman, the company’s president.

“The Art Fair Company will build upon the strength of The American Antique Show, which has now ended,” said Lyman. “We will add several new components to the mix of Americana and folk art, including modern design and photography.” According to Lyman, the presentation of the show will be upgraded with an exciting new layout using state-of-the-art 12 foot high walls and a sophisticated lighting system. Lyman anticipates that the new fair will debut with approximately 45 to 50 exhibitors, on January 18-22, 2012, at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, with the opening night preview benefiting the American Folk Art Museum. “We respect the tremendous effort that went into creating TAAS by the American Folk Art Museum, and look forward to partnering with the museum for their opening night.”

Featuring 300 years of great American design: folk art, furniture, fine and decorative arts, jewelry, ceramics, silver, American arts and crafts, and American Indian art, the former American Antiques Show was considered the premier show of its kind.

According to Lyman, an advisory board consisting of several dealers who were part of the original show is now in formation. “We encourage the active participation of the dealers themselves,” he said. “This show is an important venue to many specialists in the field and they are dedicated to building upon the success of the previous show.”

St. Louis Antique Festival Fall Show Sep 3-4

Fine antiques and collectibles abound at the St. Louis Antique Festival held twice yearly at the Belle Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville, Illinois. The fairgrounds have been home to the festival for over 20 years with a spring and a fall show most years. If you’reinterested in fine quality antiques, this is a must-do show. We feature many investment quality antiques from some of the top dealers in the country.

This upcoming Fall’s 35th Show will be held Labor Day Weekend–Saturday, September 3 & Sunday, September 4, 2011. Hours for the Show are Sat. 10 am – 5 pm and Sun. 10 am – 4 pm.

A few years back, Steve and Virginia Hallett of Scottsville, KY. purchased the St. Louis Antique Festival and have since expanded the show and improved its quality. The Halletts have over 40 years experience together in all aspects of the antique business.

It will feature 100 top quality antique dealers from 32 states displaying and selling items including: Dresden, Meissen, porcelain, jewelry, Nippon, knives, Orientalia, art glass, art pottery, bronzes, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, paintings, furniture, silver, china, country store, quilts, clocks, French Cameo glass, lamps, photographs, Civil War, coins, dolls, toys, signs, sports, advertising, Paper, glassware, prints, statuary, majolica, old west memorabilia, collectibles and more. Many of the dealers are Associated Antiques Dealers of America members.

The Belle Clair Fairgrounds is located 6 ½ mi. off of I-64, exit 12, south on Hwy. 159 at Hwy 13. The show is held inside a climate-controlled building with plenty of free parking. Admission is $6.

View the original article here

Antique Fairs: Making a Come Back

Over the years our shopping habits have changed from local shops to super markets and from high streets to internet shopping. In this tough economic time many retailers are reporting heavy losses but one form of shopping seems to be making a comeback. Antique fairs have been with us for years and years but the large antique fairs which take place on county showground's around the UK are a lot younger. Newark Antiques Fair is the largest in the world but only 25 years old. These fairs exploded onto the scene in the 80's before the days of huge malls and internet shopping. At this time they offered visitors something very different! The chance to see thousands of stalls from all over Europe in one day something which would not have been possible before then. As a result of this new innovation which was the brain child of a man called Geoffrey Whittaker attendances boomed! Thousands of people came from all over the globe to visit Newark's antiques fairs. As a result of the business's success the Daily Mail Group purchased the 2 largest fairs in the UK (Newark and Ardingly) amongst others from Mr Whittaker. The fairs continued to do well under their new owners until the mid 90's when attendances started to fall. With the dawn of the internet and eBay brought bargain seekers who would rather stay at home and click their mice than take a walk around an antique market. But has time finally been called on couch potato shoppers?

Fair organisers all over the UK have announced massive increases in visitor numbers over the past year. This comes at a time when retail giants are posting huge drops in profits largely due to the global credit crisis. So if we are seeing the attendances raising so much on these fairs in a recession thing must be looking up in the industry. Many UK TV shows are now based on interior design and making your home unique from your neighbours rather than the mass produced high street options.

Personally when I shop for furniture and clothing I always like to see and touch what I am buying as you can never get a true sense of an item from a picture. It somehow loses its soul but most of all I enjoy spending the day out hunting for an item, whether it be in a shop or at an antique fair. I feel I am not alone in this train of thought and this is why I think the antique fair industry is booming!


View the original article here