American International Fine Art Fair 2012 reports strong gate

Get 26 issues of Antique Trader delivered
>>For just a $1 an issue!

PALM BEACH, Fla – The American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF) opened strong Feb. 3, 2012. With early, substantial sales and a bigger than expected gate, a whopping 28,000 collectors visiting during the 10-day event.

Introducing a dramatic new design this year, the Fair featured a sleeker more modern look with LED lit fascia and black and grey toned wall coverings. “It was clear – this wasn’t going to be your grandmother’s antique show,” commented ARTINFO.com journalist Janelle Zara.“A new hipness was palpable.”

Featured at the 2012 American International Fine Art Fair, this circa 1891-1902 Tiffany coffee and tea service, pattern No. 9579 was exhibited by A.B. Levy Antiques.

Within the first two hours of opening night Holden Luntz Gallery of Palm Beach had sold the signature AIFAF Fair image, “Girls in the Window” by Ormond Gigli, for $30,000. Additional prints of the photograph were sold throughout the following days along with multiple other works.

Also with early sales – London gallery, Richard Green, reported several seven-figure sales to numerous collectors including a work by French impressionist Alfred Sisley priced at $2 million dollars, a painting by Le Sidaner priced at $1.2 million, a major Montague Dawson Battle of Trafalgar as well as four Grimshaw works from a special featured exhibition of the artist’s work.

Strong sales were reported across every genre of art and antiques:

Galerie Terminus of Munich sold an original Richter from 1986 for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, a major Tom Wesselman cut-out priced at $485,000 as well as additional works including an original Zhuang Hong Yi.

Waterhouse & Dodd of London sold an original work by American sculptor and artist Alexander Calder as well as a Picasso drawing and various other works.

Michael Goedhuis – long-time exhibitor specializing in Chinese and Asian contemporary art and antiques – reported numerous sales with mid six-figure range.

Mark Borghi Fine Art reported the sale of a Sam Francis acrylic painting, Untitled, 1994; a Jules Olitski pastel, Untitled; and a George Condo work on paper, Untitled, 1983.

Imperial Fine Books sold an extremely rare collection, Records of the Federated Convention, 1787, signed by the signers of the Constitution for 160,000 dollars.

Wick Antiques reported the sale of a French Dieppe ivory dagger from France and multiple other works.

The American International Fine Art Fair will return Feb. 6–10, 2013, with a new, more compact six-day format. In addition to a larger fair, a new educational symposia, a Gala Charity Vernissage and two Culinary Arts evenings with prominent visiting celebrity chefs, planned are planned early during the fair. Visitors and fair guests may also attend prominent Palm Beach charity balls at landmark locations February 8-9. For more information or to view photos from this year’s fair, visit IFAE.com.

More Resources For Collectors & Sellers

• NEW FOR FALL 2011: Antique Trader Antiques & Collectibles 2012 Price Guide