By Steven J. Smith
Organizers of the 13th annual Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show say the event just got a whole lot bigger than ever before.
Scott Diament, president and CEO of the Palm Beach Show Group, said the event — spanning Feb. 10-16 — will extend from five to seven days and feature over 170 international exhibitors, a lecture series and a Designer Showcase, all taking place at the Palm Beach Convention Center at 650 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. It precedes another four-day event, across the state at the Naples Exhibition Center from Feb. 20-23.
“This is the first time we’ve gone with the seven-day format, at the request of the dealers,” Diament said. “For the last four years they’ve requested two extra days, calling it the best show in the United States. This year I was able to get more time from the Convention Center.”
Diament added items at the show that will encompass multiple genres, juxtaposing many periods and movements. Visitors will have the opportunity to view and purchase fine art across a broad spectrum from Old Master, German Expressionist, 18th- and 19th-century European to American regionalist, modern and contemporary. Some of the world’s finest collections of silver, glass, textiles, sculpture, porcelain, Asian art, furniture, antique and estate jewelry will also be on display.
“There are items for $500 and items for $20 million that kings, queens and princes once owned,” he said. “There will be diamonds, furniture from the 18th and 19th century, tapestry, porcelain, fine art and antiques. You can also come as an entry-level collector and buy here, because there is something for everyone.”
Bill Rau, CEO of M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans, said since the show coincides with President’s Day Weekend, his organization plans to provide an interesting array of presidential offerings of historical significance to supplement the many fine art, jewelry and antique items it plans to offer at the show.
These include George Washington’s hair and funerary case shavings ($22,850), a John F. Kennedy figural walking stick ($985), Jim Garrison’s court case files around the JFK assassination trial ($168,500) (made famous in the movie JFK), a George Washington cameo mourning pendant ($34,500) and a President John Quincy Adams land certificate ($8,850).
“In addition, we have two copies of the Zapruder film of President Kennedy’s assassination, which are extraordinarily rare,” Rau said. “We also have a pin that Martha Washington wore as well as a couple of pieces of china from the first presidential palace in New York. And we have china from Washington’s Mount Vernon home as well.”
Rau added he plans to bring an original German Enigma machine, developed by Alan Turing, which was featured in the recent movie The Imitation Game. The machine deciphered messages about German troop movements and gave the Allies a decided advantage during World War II.
“Most experts believe the machine shortened the war by two years,” he said. “Some believe it actually won the war for the Allies.”
M.S. Rau Antiques has been around for 104 years, Rau added, and is “the largest art and antique gallery in the Western Hemisphere.” The business has been in the Rau family for three generations.
“We look for things that people like to show off,” he said. “I’m not saying that in a negative sense. We specialize in items that people take great pleasure in. We’re bringing paintings to the show by Monet, Van Gough, Pissarro and Renoir. We’re bringing a painting by Winston Churchill, who was actually an accomplished artist. We like to bring beautiful things, with big names, of historical significance.”
An important aspect of owning great works of art, jewelry or antiques is staging them advantageously in one’s home. Diament said the Designer Showcase — curated by renowned interior designer Campion Platt — will feature room vignettes utilizing art, antiques and accessories supplied by show exhib
itors.
“Campion operates in New York and Palm Beach,” Diament said. “He has selected a handful of other designers to participate with him in creating these vignettes. This will allow people to experience the paintings, objets d’art and antiques commingled in staged rooms so that they can better envision these treasures in their own homes.”
The lecture series will include, free of charge, presentations on topics such as the art of appraising, the Cultural Revolution in China and wallpaper decors in historic and contemporary settings, all moderated by respected dealers and industry experts.
The show will kick off with an invitation-only VIP opening night preview party from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
“We expect to see collectors, interested parties, people who have come to the show before, art advisers, museum curators and interior designers at the preview party,” Diament said. “But there’s also the possibility for those interested to purchase a ticket for $125 for the party, which for them begins at 5 p.m.”
“This is the largest vetted art, antique and jewelry show in the U.S.,” he said. “The size, the caliber and the quality are at a very high-end level. There is 100,000 square feet of space for us, which allows us to present a show that has extraordinary depth and breadth. You couldn’t see everything, even if you spent the whole week. We have a restaurant, a sushi bar, a coffee bar and a champagne bar. It really is a cultural experience.”
If you go
General admission tickets to the show are $20 per person and valid for all general show days, from Feb 11-16. Show hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. except for Feb. 16, when it ends at 6 p.m. The show has negotiated a room rate of $280 per night at the Hilton next door to the Convention Center, which can be accessed and booked through the show’s website, www.palmbeachshow.com. The site also offers the lowdown on exhibitors, partners, daily activities, and frequently asked questions. For more information, call 561-822-5440.