A little information can go a long way when it comes to the ins and outs of Americana Week. Use these tips to help plan and navigate the shows, auctions and attractions. More »
The hotels in New York are an attraction in themselves. From the Plaza to the Waldorf and New Yorker, each has its own stories to tell. Whether you seek luxury, charm or More »
Beyond the shows and auctions of Americana Week are countless other attractions of interest to a visitor. From the period rooms in the Brooklyn Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art to the More »
Antiques Week in Philadelphia is quickly approaching. Hundreds of dealers will be making their way to the City of Brotherly Love in April for the Philadelphia Antiques Show and the 23rd Street Armory Antiques Show, as well as museum exhibits, performances and gallery events.
This year there are more reasons than ever to come to Philly, take in the sights and stay longer. We offer just five at PhiladelphiaAntiquesWeek.com.
We couldn’t allow February to roll by without talking about Black History Month. I see by the New York Times that Macy’s is celebrating by honoring the legacy of Romare Beardon. He may well be the best known of the contemporary African-American artists, but he is not certainly the only one.
Until recently, many of the most noted African-American artists were tossed into the category of Outsider art, mostly because motivated dealers searching for something new tracked down the obsessive artists and cultivated them. Artists like Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859 – 1937) and Black modernists and Abstract Expressionists could be found among lots of American Art, Modern and Contemporary art.
William T. Williams (1942 - ), Eastern Star, acrylic on canvas, 1971
In an interesting dovetailing of interests, Swan’s Auction Gallery in New York and an NAACP fueled campaign are now putting these artists into a new category, African-American Artists. The new collections coming to the fore stand to be admired. The works are simply excellent.
An NAACP backed gallery show took place last Fall in Chelsea. It was big, it was broad, it was amazing. And, on Thursday, February 16, Swan’s Auction Gallery in New York will hold its 6th annual sale of African-American Fine Art.
According to Nigel Freeman, specialist, this is the time to buy African American art. It’s not undervalued, he said recently at an “Art of Leadership” lecture; its painters have simply been unknown.
Master works by Max Roach, abstracts by Norman W. Lewis, Mavis Pusey, William T. Williams, Hughie Lee Smith cmake a commanding presence in Swann’s catalog.
By next year, we expect a few auction houses to catch on the phenom. So, if you are into excellent Americana created by a sector of the art world thath as been overlooked, check out the offerings at Swann’s.
If you love Arts & Crafts and never been to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, now is the time.
First of all, the Grove Park Inn commissioned its furniture directly from Roycroft. So its trove of furniture and decorative arts is unrivaled.
Second, February 17-19 are the dates of the 25th National Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference.
This conference is “the most important weekend of the year for Arts & Crafts collectors,” says the New York Times.
Besides the Great Hall Displays of Mr. Stickley’s Metalwork (Craftsman Frams Museum), American Art Pottery: A Regional Approach (A.A.P.A.) and Arts & Crafts Bookends curated by Steve and Mary Ann Vorhees, there are daily demonstrations.
Demos include
There are also optional hands-on workshops on stains, dyes and finishes, decorating your own Arts & Crafts Tile and Block Printmaking.
Add to that landscape design, stenciling, kitchen design, decorating your own vase and basic Arts & Crafts embroidery.
Grove Park Inn is offering packages. For details, visit www.Arts-CraftsConference.com
Music City, TN is alive with dealers showing Country Americana. Nashville Antiques Week opens today.
Part of the excitement in Nashville this year is the premier of the Vintage Marketplace at the Tailgate-Music Valley show. On the cutting edge of vintage, art, design, and antiques, show promoter Jon Jenkins says this group of exhibitors are inspiring the next generation of enthusiasts with their unique style, energy, and determination to share what they love. 
The Vintage Marketplace is a new feature of the long running Tailgate-Music Valley Antiques Show, a nationally established event with a reputation as one of America’s best shows. The Vintage Marketplace will help move Tailgate-Music Valley into their new home, the Hendersonville Expo Center with an exciting inaugural event.
See some of the dealers exhibiting at the Vintage Marketplace here. Don’t miss early bird buying $40- 9 a.m. to noon-February 2 (includes readmission for entire show).
With Americana Week under our belts, it’s time to move south to Nashville and Antiques Week there. Right now promoters and dealers are busy setting up for the Heart of Country Show and the Tailgate-Music Valley Show, this year in a new location.
We’ve created a full schedule of activities for the week on NashvilleAntiquesWeek.com. Following Nashville will be promotions for Asia Week NYC, Philadelphia Antiques Week, Antiques Week NYC, and others. Also planned is a site to promote a nationwide Antiques Week in the U.S. Information is available at www.antiquesweek.com
