Mixing Old with New

Last week was Philadelphia Antiques week and the shows were working with clients to develop tastes between traditional and contemporary.  The shows had young collector events as well as offerings to help collectors blend old and new tastes and styles.

This is nothing new, and something many shows and dealers have been involved in for several years.  What is interesting is that it has not hit at the high level of some of the more prestigious antiques shows in the country. Collectors tastes and buying habits have been changing, and shows and dealers need to change as well, with one area being blending old with new items and decorative items.  Sometimes this may dilute the antiques show, but it is a sound strategy to generate additional and new interest.

Philly.com reports on Philadelphia Antiques Week

When Nina Neel and her husband, Carlton, built their house in Villanova five years ago, they used a mix of styles on the interiors, even though the architecture was traditional. Without a thought, Nina would feel comfortable placing an antique chest next to a Lucite table and a modern lamp.

In her early 40s, the mother of four is representative of a new generation of antiques collectors who care not just about the age of furniture and decorative arts, but also about whether they are well-designed. Curvaceous studio furniture from the '60s is better for the soul than clunky cabinetry from the 18th century. Period rooms are out, and eclectic interiors are in.

The result: Philadelphia's Antiques Week - comprising two auction previews and two shows starting Friday night - offers inspiration on how to mix periods harmoniously, a party for new collectors, and a broadened roster of vendors that will display antiques through the 20th century.

Even the Philadelphia Antiques Show, which runs Saturday through Monday, has an added subtitle - "Antiques & Art/17th through 20th C" - an attempt to redefine the 52-year-old show. Although that goal may not be fully realized for a few more years, the dealer mix is gingered up to appeal to a broader clientele.

In its second year at the Convention Center, the event has expanded its roster slightly to include about 64 dealers. But more important, one-quarter of them are new to exhibiting there. Some of them focus on traditional antiques fields, but most are art dealers, including Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts and Hawthorne Fine Art from New York, the Cooley Gallery from Connecticut, and the Somerville Manning Gallery from Delaware. They will be displaying a wider range of 20th century paintings and sculpture to complement the examples from earlier centuries on the floor.

(A number of familiar names have departed, citing reasons from too-high city taxes to changing markets. Among them are art dealers Hirschl & Adler Galleries, folk art specialist Fred Giampietro, Brant Mackley with American Indian and world tribal art, and textile dealers Cora Ginsburg and Jan Whitlock.)

On Saturday, the show also will offer its fourth annual New Collectors Night. Although there will be tasting sessions of local food and wine, the primary goal is to build relationships between the show's exhibitors and younger potential customers.

A cochair of the party, Gabrielle "Gaby" Evers, who just turned 40, said, "There's a new focus on artwork this year, which I think is very appealing to a lot of people. We expect to see a wider range of price points, so owning art will be more tangible for our group."

Evers, like many of her peers, cultivates interiors that mix styles.

"For me personally, I might find a piece that inspires the decor of an entire room," Evers said.

To encourage that idea, a group of local interior designers has highlighted "inspiration pieces" on the show floor, and New Collector partygoers will get a list of their picks.

"I'm just getting to that point in my life where I can start thinking about collecting antiques," Evers said. ". . . There's no place to start like the antique show."

It's an event Nina Neel and her friends have attended since its inception.

"We wander around, talk to the different dealers - and ask questions . . . . I always leave there with a bunch of business cards," she said. "Even if I don't have a spot for something I saw, I like to keep track of the exhibitors."

Decorative arts are a good place for new collectors to start.

Source: Philly.Com