Brooks Mason reveals a new trend in Summer sales: following the crowd out of New York. Here’s her story in The Art Newspaper:
“In the summer, New York is very empty,” says private silver dealer Alistair Crawford, who six years ago set up a gallery on the island of Nantucket, off Massachusetts. “I met three of my top ten clients there,” he says, referring to clients who spend more than $100,000 a year.
“Today you have to follow the rich, as the target audience is more mobile than ever,” he says. So rather than staking out a single gallery, Mr Crawford has opted for a series of “travelling trunk shows”. After participating in the Nantucket Antiques Show from 30 July to 2 August, Mr Crawford set up his wares at the private Westmoor Club on the island before moving on to the Hampton Road Gallery in Southampton in August. Yet the recession continues to cast a shadow and Crawford reports sales in Nantucket are down almost 60%. “But sales are stronger than in New York, where it’s probably the worst place to be at the moment as the streets are dead,” he says.
Dealers Decamping to Vacation Spots such as the Hamptons to Score Sales (The Art Newspaper)