Snow Hampers, but Doesn't Hurt, Stella's Modern Show

NEW YORK CITY

:The Modern Show opened at the 69th Regiment Armory with a gala preview party on Thursday evening, February 24, in the midst of yet another winter snow storm. A moderate sized crowd of die-hard shoppers braved the snow to attend the preview, a benefit for the 69th Regiment Family Support Group, which aides the families of enlisted soldiers from the armory that are currently serving in the Middle East.

The evening proved to be an emotional one for many in the crowd as troops from the armory that were home on temporary leave appeared at the show to express their gratitude to management, supporters and dealers alike.

Despite the snow, the opening went well and business seemed to be good for many of the dealers. A host of decorators made their way into the show for preview with management commenting that they were pleased to have seen so many sold tags around the floor as the evening came to a close.

This is the second time during the past three Stella events that snow has hampered a show, yet this time, unlike January, the inconvenience presented by Mother Nature was temporary. By Friday morning, when the show opened to the public for a three-day run, the snow was but a memory and it was business as usual at The Modern Show.

Management reported a "nice crowd" on Friday, and Saturday and Sunday were really busy. "There was a steady stream of people right from the time we opened at 11 on both Saturday and Sunday and the floor was nicely populated straight through till closing," commented the Stellas. Management also reported taking in a record number of credit card transactions totaling more than $100,000; this aside from the normal cash and check business that dealers normally do.

One dealer had sold to the bare walls shortly after opening on Saturday morning as Closeout, a specialty dealer from Kerhonkson, N.Y., that sells vintage commercial binoculars from the tops of buildings and ships, had moved all of its 20-plus large-scale looking devices.

Art Deco seemed to be selling well with furniture and glass moving briskly from the show.

Abstracta, an Alabama dealer that was new to the show, offered a wonderful selection of Scandinavian glass from the "golden age of Scandinavian Modernism" from the 1950s and 60s. The dealer offered an assortment of artist designed pieces from Orrefors and Kosta including a face vase designed by Ingabor Lundin in 1969 that was executed in the "Ariel" method. Another of the interesting items in the booth was a Vicki Lindstrand vase by Kosta titled "Autumn Leaves."

Chicago dealers Modbag and Moderntimes once again combined their booth to feature cutting-edge materials from the 1950s and 1960s with a good selection of designer handbags appealing to the women in the crowd, while the men seemingly gravitated toward the streamline selection of furniture and lighting offered.

Long Beach, Calif., dealer Jeffery Winter Fine Arts had a booth filled with fine art that ranged from modern figurative paintings to a selection of pastels by American modernist Virginia Berresford executed while she was studying in Paris under the direction of Amedee Ozenfant. The dealer offered a collection of 19 well-executed pastels, all done circa 1925.

Ars Longa Gallery, Hillsborough, N.H., filled its stand with attractive abstract art that ranged from an interesting oil on canvas from the New York School of abstract expressionism that was executed by Lillian Ross Richmond, circa 1955, to a geometric abstraction by Omer Lassonde, circa 1940. A nice selection of pottery by Schier was also offered along with a contemporary pottery sneaker by Lillian Dodson and a nice plaster torso by Mina Harkavy.

Pottery and porcelains were featured in the booth of Leonard Davenport including a robust offering of Italian pottery from the 1950s and 60s. Highlighting the selection were three carved and glazed pottery lions by Guido Gambone, with one particularly attractive in a multicolored geometric pattern red, blue, brown and white glaze. The dealer also offered a wonderful porcelain "imaginary" piece with a flower being supported by winged dragons by Tom and Sue Benesch titled "Winged Creatures."

Janet Drucker and her son Bill, Drucker Antiques, Mount Kisco, N.Y., offered their usual stunning assortment of Georg Jensen silver, yet for this show the dealers were particularly pleased with the assortment of jewelry offered. Standouts in the booth included two pieces designed by Astig Fog in the late 1960s, a rare eight-drop adjustable necklace and a "hard edge" bracelet. "I just love her work," stated Bill Drucker of Fog. "It is always large and flowing."

Assioson20 offered a great selection of pottery from the Arts and Crafts period to Modern. Among the assortment was a Grueby vase, several pieces of Newcomb, Martin Bros, Clarice Cliff and Amphora.

New York State dealer Freeform LLC offered a stunning assortment of Swedish pottery from the 1940s and 1950s with several pieces by Wilhelm Kage attracting attention. The pieces in the Farsts style were produced for Gustavsburg and featured cascading forms with brilliant glazes. Pieces by Axel Salto were also offered including an unusual vase that was in a Danish ox-blood glaze. Other vases in budding form by Salto were also available in both Sung and Fang glazes.

Mode Moderne reported a good show with a nice selection of furniture lighting and accessories finding new homes. Included in the booth was a nice Finn Juhl desk that was attracting a great deal of attention, as were a chair and ottoman by Robsjohn Gibbings, and a server by the same designer.

Bridges Over Time, Walden, N.Y., offered a good assortment of fun items including a large pair of ameba-form wall lamps that had been used in the Paris Café Brigalle. With a red-painted metal-mesh free-form grill and brass supports holding individual glass tubes, the lights were quite interesting. The dealers also offered a rare set of furniture by a designer that is coming into the limelight, Ernst Schwadron. The Vienna designer from the 1940s executed a commission for the American Crayon Company in 1945 and all of the furniture was constructed in the shop of Vladimir Kagan. The dealers offered a settee and chair pictured in the American Crayon showroom as well as a cabinet and other case pieces.

Kimcherova Gallery also featured a good assortment of furniture including a Vienna Secession console by Kolman Moser that was produced, circa 1902, by J.J. Kohn. A Carlo Bugatti hanging corner cupboard with three shelves and decorated with metal inlay and embossed copper and bone applications was another item ion the booth attracting attention.

Westport, Conn., dealer Glen Leroux offered a plush line of modernist furnishings and a grand selection of jewelry; however, it was a Paul Frankl cork-top table that was garnering the loin's share of attention from the booth.

Stella Management is currently planning a November Modern show based on the strength of this past one. The next Stella show will be at the Piers on March 12 and 13.