When the 2014 edition of the METRO Show opens for its five-day run on Wednesday evening January 22, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, fairgoers will experience a thoroughly engaging concept billed METRO Curates.  This all-encompassing theme puts forth single-artist and/or focused presentations curated by METRO dealers to distinctly articulate their point of view and where their specialty lies.

Says Caroline Kerrigan Lerch, director of the METRO Show: "METRO Curates is our way of initiating a conversation between the dealer and the fairgoer, whether they are a veteran of the art fair scene or a newcomer. Our goal is to offer in-depth, thoughtful presentations in a manner similar to the way museum curators mount their exhibitions. We think METRO Curates will offer a comparable level of interest, education and engagement."

“I am delighted by the challenge the refined focus of the Metro Show provides," says METRO dealer Amy Finkel of M. Finkel & Daughter. "It should result in exceptional displays that are intrinsically interesting and will provide excellent opportunities for collectors."

According to Lerch, individual dealers will be challenged to think creatively for their exhibit and to coalesce various ideas into one coherent viewpoint. “We want to create a unique fair experience for collectors and visitors as well as ask our dealers to reveal more about their interests by focusing on one area in their inventory, or a common thread that runs through it, that will be both intellectually stimulating and will pique curiosity."

Carl Hammer of Carl Hammer Gallery agrees, adding “The curated booth programming of the METRO Show will provide to the public and exhibitor alike, not only clearer purpose and identity, but an opportunity to present to the New York art marketplace what we each do best in our galleries across America.”

“The METRO Show will still present an innovative mix of material, from historic to contemporary, and METRO Curates adds depth and focus,“ says Mark Lyman, President of the Art Fair Company. “We expect this new paradigm to both invigorate and intrigue collectors and fair attendees.”