A New York Minute
Florence Grant, Gallery Director
As the first signs of spring emerge, the days grow longer, and we finally warm up from the bitter chill of New York weather, we look back on another year exhibiting at the Winter Show.
The worries are the same every year - Will the stock arrive on time? Will the stand come together happily? Will there be interest and appetite? Will we get a table at our favourite restaurant? Of course, some of these questions remain unanswered until the doors close on the final Sunday of the fair and the “de-install” and reflection begins.
New York hadn’t changed much since our last visit, but it certainly felt different. I’m unsure what this was down to; perhaps economics, perhaps because this year we had moved from the West Village, to Brooklyn, which we were unfamiliar with and had yet to explore, or perhaps it was the feeling that the “Antique Wave” as Michael Diaz Griffiths, co-chair of the Winter Show’s Young Collectors Committee, put it, is just around the corner…
There is a buzz around art and antiques that seems to have grown over the last few years, and this is being seen across the creative board; in film, tv, fashion, interior design, and food. A new generation of young collectors or, even just admirers, who “love old things” is emerging and an interest in, and patience for, older, “slower” objects with interesting narratives and cultural significance, is louder than ever. I suppose that in a world that has become centered around instant gratification, from social media to amazon prime, it seems there is a gap in the market for harder to come by, one of a kind, handmade pieces that fit perfectly in that spot by the sofa you’ve always wondered how to fill.
In a currently uncertain world, the atmosphere created by the fair was a welcome breath of fresh air. Helen Allen, Executive Director of the Winter Show, said “2025 exceeded expectations”, with a surge of 80% in attendance at the Show’s midpoint and 30% overall. These staggering statistics reinforce the magnetism of art and antiques and proves they’ve still got it!
So, as the year moves gently forward, we feel inspired to try new things, continue old things, and explore different realms of possibilities within our creative space. This might just be the year of the big idea…….