The Naples International Art & Antique Fair is different from the other art fairs and festivals that take place throughout southwest Florida between October and April. Its exhibitors are fine art, antique and jewelry dealers rather than artists and artisans. That speaks loudly not only to casual art lovers, but to the serious collector looking for artworks rarely seen outside of museums and elite art galleries.
Bonita-based organizer, International Fine Art Expositions, goes one step further. It also provides its attendees with educational content in the form of lectures and panel discussions not available anywhere else.
The highlight of this year's Fair promises to be “The Experts Eye," a presentation in which Tim Corfield selects works of art from NIAAF's exhibitors and discusses how art and antique experts assess the quality of the work, research its provenance, and determine its investment value. As Art Advisor of Corfield Morris (London & New York), Corfield is uniquely qualified to provide a high degree of insight into this process. His presentation will encompass estate jewelry, paintings, furniture, object d’ art and carpets.
David Setford, Executive Director of The Hyde Collection in New York will present “From Monet to Pollock,” a lecture discussing how Impressionism and Realism in Paris led to Abstract Expressionism in New York City. His presentation will provide listeners with a curatorial perspective on a selection of works featured in the fair. Each piece will highlight a varying element within the vast transformation between European Modernism and American Abstract Expressionism.
Expert appraiser Joyce Jonas will present “Jewels of the American Heiresses.” This lecture and presentation traces the American legacy of estate jewelry from the time of the Gilded Age, when “American Royalty” like the Vanderbilt and Astor families formally bought their way into English nobility and brought the French crown jewels to America. Precious gems have long been regarded as the ultimate status symbol, and in the 1960s, turned Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly into Hollywood royalty and Americans Mona Bismarck, Doris Duke and Millicent Rogers into international heiresses.
“Naples Cultural Landscape: From Boat Captains to Captains of Industry” will be presented by Old Naples historian, Dr. Lois Bolin. The leading voice behind the economic and sociological value of local history, Dr. Bolin has virtually transformed the consciousness of the Naples community. This educational and entertaining lecture presentation encapsulates the visual and special relationship of this area to an identity that captured the imagination of boat captains and Captains of Industry - all equally important in creating the magic in this paradise that many now call home.
Naples International takes place February 23-28 at the Naples International Pavilion at Immokalee and Livingston Roads. Tickets are $15 for a one-day pass and $20 for a multi-day pass, and can be purchased in advance at a discounted fair price on the NIAAF website. For more information on exhibitors and programming for the 2012 Naples International Art & Antique Fair, please visit www.niaaf.com or call 239.949.5411.
Comments