The producers of AD 20/21: Art & Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries, the only annual art and design show of its kind, are honored to announce that Tom Veilleux Gallery of Portland, Maine will premiere a select group of works by the noted American modernist sculptor Elie Nadelman (1882-1946) at the show this year.  AD 20/21 takes place April 7-10, 2011 at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama, and features 50 selection exhibitors offering modern to contemporary fine art, photography, jewelry, furniture, glass ceramics, sculpture, fine prints and more, including 15 exhibitors in the 12th annual Boston Print Fair, which runs concurrently at the same location. The show opens Thursday, April 7 with a Gala Preview benefiting The Boston Architectural College.  Weekend show hours are Friday, April 8 from 1-9pm, Saturday, April 9 from 11am-8pm, and Sunday, April 10, from 11am-6pm.  Admission is $15 (under 12 free) and includes admission to all special programs.  For information, please call 617-363-0405 or visit www.AD2021.com.  The entire catalog of the show is now available online on the show's website.

Now recognized as an important modernist sculptor, Nadelman was born in Poland, and lived in Paris from 1904 to 1914.  During the outbreak of World War I, Nadelman moved to the United States, becoming a citizen in 1927, working in the Bronx until his death in 1946.   He lost his wealth during the Depression, and his sculpture was not well received by the art world.  Disenchanted, he stored away all of his pre-1935 work in the attic and cellar of his home.  Reintroduced to the world in a 1948 retrospective at the museum of Modern Art, New York, his work is now held by numerous museums and is highly prized by private collectors of modernist art.    Among the several sculptures to be offered by Tom Veilleux Gallery at the Gala Preview of the AD 20/21 show is the compelling bronze Wounded Stag, c. 1915, which measures 14.5" x 21" x 8" on an onyx base.

Also among the vast array of fine art, furniture and decorative arts on offer at the show will be a1917 oil on canvas by Max Weber (1881-1961) from the estate of the artist, shown by Martha Richardson Fine Art , Boston; a selection of rare Schneider and Le Verre Francais art glass offered by La Verrerie d'Art, Maryland; exquisite modernist carpets offered by Orley Shabahang, New York; stunning Art Nouveau pottery presented by Terra Mare Antiques, Connecticut; a set of six 1969 Butterfly Chairs by Arne Jacobson offered by DSCALE, Boston; an outstanding display of Boch Freres Keramis by Charles Catteau, including a monumental vase with parading pelicans, featured by TOJ Gallery,  Maryland; contemporary furniture by Sebastian Carpenter and Paula Garbarino; and whimsical paintings by Anne Lyman Bowers (b. 1922) offered by Childs Gallery, Boston.   For a sneak preview, the complete show catalog is now online at www.AD2021.com.  

In addition, the show's special programs focusing on modern and contemporary design are:

Friday, April 8, 2011, 6:00 – 7:30pm

Special Guest Speakers Massimo & Lella Vignelli

AD 20/21 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Massimo and Lella Vignelli will present a talk tracing the pivotal stages of their careers.  For over 50 years, the Vignellis have achieved renown as two of the most innovative minds in the design world.   Sponsored by Knoll.

Saturday, April 9, 2011, 3:00pm

Special Guest Speakers and Book Signing

Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes with 

co-authors Jane Thompson and Alexandra Lange. Founded by Ben Thompson in 1953, this innovative store in Harvard Square became synonymous with modern interior design, and its legacy can be seen in the showrooms of Crate and Barrel and Design Within Reach.

Sunday, April 10, 2011, 2:00pm

Saving Mid-Century Modern Homes

Boston Home Editor, Rachel Slade will lead a discussion on the preservation of modernist residential architecture.  Led by architects like Marcel Breuer and Serge Chermayeff and influenced by the teachings of Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus movement, mid-century homes are most noted for their small scale and integration of the outdoors.

Sunday, April 10, 2011, 2:00pm

Designers’ Salon: Emerging Design in Boston

Four Boston designers present a roundtable discussion of the obstacles and opportunities facing emerging designers in the creative economy of our city.  Panelists include modern sculptor and furniture designer Jacob Kulin, couture designer Michael DePaulo and milliner Marie Galvin.  Moderated by Debbie Hagan, Editor-in-Chief, Art New England.

Launched in 2008 by producers Tony Fusco and Robert Four, AD 20/21 has captured imaginations and drawn rave reviews.  With exhibitors from across the United States, the four-day fair features both 20th and 21st century fine art in all disciplines, as well as decorative arts representing major movements such as Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, and Mid-Century Modern.  Notably, the show also includes outstanding 21st century studio furniture, glass, ceramics, decorative arts, and more.  It is the first fair to bridge the gap between historical styles and contemporary works, with a goal of deepening collectors' appreciation for both.  Two of the fairs pavilions are also dedicated to the 12th Annual Boston Print Fair, which offers fine prints, photography, drawings and works on paper.

The show takes place at The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts.  This historical exhibition hall is location in the heart of Boston's South End in a complex that includes the Boston Ballet School, four theatres, artists' studios, restaurants, a jazz club, and more.  The Cyclorama has become a mecca in Boston for the arts, and is also the venue for The Boston International Fine Art Show (BIFAS) and the Ellis Boston Antiques Show, both of which are also produced by Fusco & Four.

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Editor’s Note:            • Interviews are available with Tony Fusco and with many of the exhibitors.

                                    • Media coverage of the Gala and show is encouraged.

                                    • Additional background and photos on request.