The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show came to a close last Tuesday, February 16, attracting over 50,000 enthusiasts and many of the world’s most prominent collectors, solidifying its status as the premier art, antique and jewelry event of the United States. The Palm Beach County Convention Center was transformed into one of the finest art, antique and jewelry exhibitions in the world, drawing enthusiastic crowds to view the offerings of more than 175 international exhibitors over Presidents’ Day Weekend.

Now a hallmark and the premier event of the Palm Beach social season, the show is known for bringing together thousands of works of art and antiquities from domestic and international galleries, in addition to fabulous antique and estate jewels from many of the world’s elite jewelers –boasting that there is no other place on earth to find such an exceptional assemblage of exhibitors – all in one place, all in one time.

The Show kicked off with an Opening Night Preview Party on Wednesday, February 10 sponsored by Palm Beach Illustrated and Illustrated Events where Show Producers Scott Diament and Rob Samuels greeted guests with champagne and hors d’oeuvres and guests received a “first look” of the show and previewed the Designer Showcase, curated by renowned interior designer, Campion Platt.

With an extended show format of 7 days, the show attracted brisk attendance daily, and exhibitors were rushed with eager collectors, coming from miles around to enjoy the enviable South Florida weather and admire the offerings of the elite dealers assembled at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. The Show caused such a stir on Opening Night that traffic delays were reported down the main streets of West Palm Beach and additional police and security detail were required to escort the droves of people who came to view and purchase from the dealers.

“For the thirteenth year, the enthusiasm of of the local Palm Beach community, as well as collectors from around the world has made the show an exceptional success,” stated Scott Diament, President/CEO of the Palm Beach Show Group. “We work timelessly to make each edition better than the last, and this show stands out as the best and most important show to date for the Palm Beach Show Group.”  

Highlights of the 2016 Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show:

New exhibitor, Steinitz constructed one of the most extravagant booths at the Palm Beach Show, turning heads with its lavish design and extraordinary offerings. The gallery attracted visitors with its 17th and 18th century European furniture, sculpture and chandeliers.

Indianapolis based Long-Sharp Gallery presented the gallery’s largest booth to date, and the most expansive booth in the Palm Beach Show history. At over 1,400 square feet, the impressive booth was enclosed in glass and included a large scale-sculptural fountain by contemporary sculptor Gino Miles alongside works from modern masters such as Picasso and Miro.

Prominent international galleries, and British Art Dealer Association (BADA) members, each leaders in their respective categories were represented at the show including; Apter-Fredericks, Berwald Oriental Art, Butchoff Antiques, Callaghan Fine Paintings, Cohen & Cohen, Daniel Crouch Rare Books, David Brooker Fine Art, Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, Gladwell & Patterson, Haynes Fine Art of Broadway, Imperial Fine Books, Jonathan Cooper, Park Walk Gallery, Lawrence Steigrad Fine Art, Mallett, Peter Finer, Priestley & Ferraro, Richard Green Galleries, Santos, Trinity House Paintings and Willow Gallery.

The Designer Showcase once again added a unique design highlight to the Show, bringing together five outstanding interior designers to create beautiful vignettes that reflected their unique, individual aesthetic, which demonstrated how art and antiques could be integrated into today’s major decorating trends. Acclaimed designers for the 2016 Designer Showcase included Campion Platt, Jennifer Garrigues, Christopher Coleman, Joseph Pubillones and Lars Bolander. In addition, the design team shared their expertise during a panel discussion on “The Art of Decoration” on Saturday afternoon. The experts offered tips on how to incorporate art into interiors. 

New exhibitors to this year’s show included Apter-Fredericks, Cala Diamonds, Charon Kransen Arts, Daniel Crouch Rare Books, Elemental Fine Natural Art, Fine Art Commissions, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Gallery Biba, Holden Luntz Gallery, Jayne Thompson Antiques, Joseph Saidian & Sons, Martine Boston Antiques, Menorah Galleries, Patricia Robalino Designs, Priestley & Ferraro, Rossin Fine Art Commissions, Silver & Silver, LTD., Sima G., Smith-Davidson, Steinitz, The Fine Mineral Collection, and the McLoughlin Gallery.

The annual lecture series remained a favorite activity for guests and exhibitors alike. Popular lectures included “Condition and Value in Art: How Damage and Conservation Impact Value of Works of Art” with Gordon Lewis, The Fine Arts Conservancy, “All About Appraising: Bronze Sculpture” with Ron Cavalier of Cavalier Galleries, “Fine Natural Art – The Emerging Collectible Art Class of Fine Minerals and Crystals” with Dr. Robert Lavinsky of Elemental Fine Natural Art, “Stitches in Time – Sailors Woolies and Arts” with Paul Vandekar of Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, “European Prints on Chinese Export Porcelain” with Will Motley of Cohen & Cohen, “The New Cultural Revolution in China” with Michael Goehuis, and “A Walk through elegant and famous homes in Europe and America: Papiers Peints – Wallpaper décor in historic and contemporary settings” with Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz.

“It has always been our goal to provide an environment that fosters the understanding and appreciation of antiques in addition to offering an enormous selection of high-quality items,” stated Diament. “The lecture series enhances the total show experience and was-well received by our guests again this year.”

The energy was electric throughout the event, and the atmosphere seemed to incite the sales that were consistently generating on the show floor, with exhibitors reporting excellent quality of visitors and constant activity. Diament insisted, “This show continues to exceed all expectations of excellence. We were once again thrilled, but not surprised by the heavy volume of sales and major interest in the show from across a wide spectrum of collectors.”

Sales Include:

• William Cook Antiques sold a unique conceptual sculpture by contemporary artist JK Brown made from stainless steel cutlery, titled Graze.
• New York based Macklowe Gallery brought many different collecting categories to the show and was happy to report the sales of some of everything: Art Nouveau furniture, art glass, sculpture and lighting, Tiffany lamps, glass and metalwork and antique and estate jewelry.
• Galerie Jacque Bailly reported the sale of a significant oil painting by Armand Guillaumin (1847-1927) titled La Cruese, c. 1898 in addition to many Jean Dufy paintings throughout the show. 
• London based Richard Green Gallery sold an important Henri le Sidaner (1862-1939) painting titled La Table Sur la Cour, signed 1908.

• New York based Rehs Contemporary Galleries sold a collection of oil on panel paintings by contemporary artist Anthony Mastromatteo, titled Where Art Often Starts Deluxe. The gallery also reported the sales of many significant paintings from artists including Edouard Cortes, Julie Bell, Timothy Jahn, Ben Bauer, David Palumbo, Todd Casey and Ken Salaz.
• Philadelphia based Colm Rowan Fine Arts reported the sales of several works by Zhao Kailin (1962- ) including an oil on canvas titled Girl Reclining in Sleep. The Gallery also reported the sales of contemporary bronze pieces by artist Nnambi Akonkwo.
• Waterhouse & Dodd reported the sale of a Henri Jean Guillaume Martin (1880-1943) title L’autommne c. 1910.
• Betteridge Jewelers reported the sales of several fantastic pieces including a pair of Cartier gold and diamond drop earrings and an antique Maltese cross set in diamonds.
• Jonathan Cooper Park Walk Gallery, based in London, sold a pastel on museum board titled Cheetah – Large as Life IX, by contemporary artist Gary Stinton.
• London-based, David Brooker Fine Art report the sale of a Ludwig Mechlenburgh oil painting titled, Venice at Night, c. 1870.

Other notable galleries reporting sales include Carlson & Stevenson, Oliver & Espig, The McLoughlin Gallery, Stephen Kalms Antiques, Lawrence Steigrad Fine Art, Michael Goedhuis, Boulderton Fine Art, Schiller & Bodo, Deco2Mid Century Modern, Gladwell & Patterson, Guarisco Gallery and Newell among several others. 

The Palm Beach Show Group received praise from attendees as well as exhibitors about the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show. Diament added, “It is truly gratifying to know that so many people appreciated the hard work and creative approach applied by each of our participating exhibitors. Our intent is to connect attendees to the exhibits on display in an atmosphere that exudes, elegance, education and entertainment.”

“This Show has truly set a benchmark of excellence for any event of this kind, stated Rob Samuels, Vice President of the Palm Beach Show Group and owner of Provident Jewelry.  “The dealers at this show represent the absolute best fine art, antique and jewelry found almost anywhere in the world – there are so many things to see and to buy.”

Prominent collectors from around the globe were in attendance at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show throughout the weekend including: Tom Quick, Carter Pottash, Greg Welteroth, Catherine Vecellio, Audrey Gruss, Denise Meyer, Andrea Stark, Harriet Himmel, Carlos Morrison and Sydell Miller among many prominent interior designers including Scott Snyder and Ellie Cullman among many others.

Participating exhibitors expressed a wide-range of admirable praise based on their experiences and interactions, from exemplary sales and promotion, to the lavish design and accommodations of the show:

“This show is truly at its best, and we are very pleased with its diversity,” stated James Butterworth, Antique American Wicker, who reported the sales of numerous pieces and sets of furniture throughout the weekend.

“This year’s show was absolutely phenomenal,” stated Ben Macklowe of Macklowe Gallery. “We saw educated clientele, talked to a tremendous amount of people and most importantly had very important sales.”

“The selection, quality and attendance gets better every year,” stated Michael Teller of TK Asian Antiquities.

“This show will go down as one of the best Palm Beach shows we have ever done,” stated Colm Rowan of Colm Rowan Fine Art.

Over 175 premiere exhibitors showcased their collections of a wide variety of works from American Art, French sculpture, Asian antiquities, Majolica, Tiffany glass, contemporary art, estate jewelry, European silver and much more. Sales were prevalent on Opening Night and continued at substantial pace throughout the weekend with many important sales occurring on the last day of the show.

“We are extremely proud of the outstanding roster of dealers that presented their collections at this year’s show,” stated Diament. “The Palm Beach Show once again exceeded all possible expectations! We are looking forward to the 2017 Show.”

The 2017 Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show is scheduled to take place over Presidents’ Day weekend, February 15-21, 2017 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.  

Please click here for a list of galleries presented at the 2016 Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show.

Recognized as the nation’s leading producer of premier jewelry, art and antique shows, the Palm Beach Show Group owns and operates eight shows nationally including:
 
Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show (August 25-28, 2016)
New York Art, Antique & Jewelry Show (November 9-13, 2016)
New York City Jewelry & Watch Show (October 28-31, 2016
Palm Beach Jewelry – Antiques - Design (December 1-5, 2016)
LA Art Show (January 11-15, 2017)
Los Angeles Fine Art Show (January 11-15, 2017)
Naples Art, Antique & Jewelry Show (February 2017)
Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show (February 15-21, 2017)
 
For more information visit www.palmbeachshowgroup.com.