Jan Sostrom outlines the changes at the American International Fine Arts Fair, David Lesters’s fading Palm Beach venue, which include shifting toward a focus on design, classic cars and other collectibles:
The 68 exhibitors continue to include dealers in fine art, ancient art, photography, ceramics, textiles and other traditional wares. But many top dealers have departed over the years. Some stalwarts remain, such as Richard Green and Mallett.
But Veronique Bamps, Marilyn Garrow, Axel Vervoordt, Galerie Thomas, Bernheimer-Colnaghi, Galerie Gmurznska, MacConnal-Mason and others have dropped out. Anchor jewelers such as Graff, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co. and David Morris have fallen away as well.
“We left, after having hung on as long as we could,” said London-based fine-art dealer David Mason, who showed at the fair for 15 years. “Most of the good dealers have left, because it isn’t the fair it was.”
They deserted, because the fair has been poorly promoted and doesn’t attract the well-qualified buyers it once did, Mason said.
American International Fine Art Fair reinvented to add design emphasis (Palm Beach Post)
