This aerial view of the show on opening night gives an insight into just how many exhibitors were present: just around 135 — and some had multiple booths! Photo courtesy Jamie Maness, Capehart Photography.
Review & Onsite Photos by Kiersten Busch
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Every Presidents’ Day Weekend in West Palm Beach for the past 22 years has seen a large-scale celebration of luxury goods, the arts and meaningful connections across nations at the Palm Beach Show, which once again found its yearly home in the Palm Beach County Convention Center from February 13-18.
“This year’s show drew unprecedented crowds, with tens of thousands of attendees exploring the six-day event. Collectors, art connoisseurs and industry leaders from around the globe gathered in Palm Beach to experience an extraordinary selection of fine art, antiques, jewelry and luxury design presented by top-tier exhibitors,” reported the post-show press release compiled by the Palm Beach Show Group, the show’s organizers, who also host various other jewelry, fine art and luxury goods shows nationwide every year.
Antiques and The Arts Weekly attended the show’s VIP Opening Night Preview Party on February 13, which saw more than 4,500 guests throughout the night. The evening was sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, Belvedere Vodka, Woodinville Whiskey, Palm Beach Illustrated and Florida Design Magazine, and set the tone for what would be a five-day-long foray into networking, sales and new knowledge gained.
This year’s show also saw the introduction of “design!”, presented by Florida Design Magazine. “Celebrating modern and contemporary design,” the dedicated section of the show’s floor included exhibitors such as Andrew Libecki, B. Peterson, Lillian Gorbachincky Atelier, Mac Fabrics & Design Center and Soberon Studio, all of whom displayed curated selections of furniture, accessories, lighting and other statement pieces.
The folks who make it all happen! The Palm Beach Show Group team. From left, Barbara Goodwin, Riley Lassiter, Kelsi Monteith, Jamie Kantor, Kim Parrot and Scott Diament. Photo courtesy Jamie Maness, Capehart Photography.
Of “design!”, Terry Duffy, publisher of Florida Design Magazine commented in the press release, “Our exhibitors had remarkable interactions with the enthusiastic guests who explored the ‘design!’ space. The energy was electric, with attendees fully engaged and delighted by this unique addition to the Palm Beach Show. Given the overwhelmingly positive response, several exhibitors have already committed to returning in 2026, eager to build on this year’s success.”
Presented by DeMusson, works by Bahraini artist Rashid Al Khalifa greeted guests as they walked through the entrance of the show. One of two immersive installations organized for the week, Al Khalifa’s art “immersed guests in a dynamic display of light and color, reflecting Bahrain’s cultural and geographical diversity while bridging traditional Middle Eastern art with modernity.”
While most of Al Khalifa’s works remained flat to the wall, “Mobile Column V,” a recent piece completed by the artist in 2024, was made from enamel and stainless steel, and hung from the ceiling from a metal chain. The layered effect of the red and blue material used resulted in a blend of colors, tricking the eye into believing it was seeing purple. Its shadow, due to its suspension from the ceiling, created intriguing patterns against the lightly colored carpet and wall behind the work.
Before crossing into the main exhibition space, attendees were greeted by various artworks by Bahraini artist Rashid Al Khalif, which had everyone talking.
Deep within the center of the show’s vast spread was the second interactive installation: Venetian artist Anna Paola Cibin’s “The Funny Birds’ Secret Garden.” The show’s press release described the installation as “Inspired by Venice’s natural beauty” and that it “reimagined an enchanted aviary, where art and nature blended seamlessly to spark wonder and imagination.” If you needed a place to take a short rest during the night’s goings-on, you could enter Cibin’s installation to sit at one of a few chairs placed within. From there, it was easy to view the 46 handcrafted Murano glass bird sculptures that were housed in different areas of the work.
In addition to visual installations, the Palm Beach Show hosted its Booth Talk Series, which allowed attendees to participate in expert-led discussions, designer panels and artist meet-and-greets. Friday’s talks included “From Wall Street to the Canvas” (Leila Pinto), “Timeless Design and Transcending Trends” (Pedro de Aranda), “Design Journey with David Harber” (Lior Kristal), “Meet the Artist, Charles Fazzino” (Charles Fazzino), “How Can High Jewelry Become True Art?” (Édéenne), “The New Generation of Art Collecting: Where to Begin” (Jacob K. Kodner) and “Timeless Treasures: Modern vs Antique Jewelry” (Eric Gantwarg).
Saturday’s roster consisted of “The Legacy of Art Collecting” (Glenn Fuller), “Art of Gifting; Investing in Emotion and Lasting Impressions” (Pedro de Aranda), “Working In The Modern Art World” (Jeff Whyman), “South African Ceramics: Art, Heritage, and Impact” (Ed Pascoe) and “My Wolfie: America’s Superstar Colorist” (J. Steven Manolis).
“The Funny Birds’ Secret Garden” by Venetian artist Anna Paola Cibin. Photo Courtesy Jamie Maness, Capehart Photography.
Sunday’s lineup included, “The Magic of Venice Lagoon, the Velvet and the Murano Glass” (Anna Paola Cibin), “Understanding Gemstones and the State of the Industry” (Pedro de Aranda) and “Stocks, Bonds or Bags? Luxury Accessories as Alternative Investments” (Diane D’Amato).
Monday, the final day of Booth Talks, added “International Mathematics in Feng Shui Art” (Agnes Beleznay), “Modern Alchemy” (Adam Neely) and “The Gem Globetrotter” (Veronika Marsoner).
Entering onto the convention center’s property, it was hard to miss the gigantic, yellow alligator skin Birkin sculpture advertising the show, set up just off the sidewalk of the short walk between the venue and the Hilton West Palm Beach Hotel, where many attendees were staying during the show’s run. The large replica of one of Hermès’ most iconic luxury bags was truly a testament to the amount of Birkins we would see once inside the main exhibition hall. Not only did they grace the arms of many of the elegant guests traversing the aisles of fine art and luxury goods, The Boutique by Heritage, based in New York City and Palm Beach, Fla., dedicated their entire booth to the bag and its just-as-famous cousin, the Kelly.
The “bag lady,” Diane D’Amato, director of luxury accessories at Heritage Auctions, brought a colorful array of Birkin and Kelly bags with The Boutique by Heritage. New York City and Palm Beach, Fla.
Diane D’Amato, director of luxury accessories at Heritage Auctions, said that the booth had “just about every color of Birkin and Kelly,” and gushed that Heritage had brought “a really nice selection” with them this year. Dodging around interested customers, she showed us some of her favorites, including a lizard skin Mini Kelly in the Vert Cypress color, which was, in her words, “just spectacular!” Additional highlights included a special-order Birkin in Mauve Sylvestre, which had an interior that was a much darker red or pink, and a Kelly Picnic in Rouge de Coeur.
“We’ve been coming for over 20 years, and we love coming here. It’s where we see some of our favorite clients,” said Reagan Garvin, the sales operations supervisor for M.S. Rau. The New Orleans-based firm was offering “some pretty heavy hitters” in both of its booths, according to Garvin, including works such as “Vue du village de Giverny” by Claude Monet, “Still Life with Two Sacks and a Bottle” by Vincent van Gogh and “Girl with a Banjo” by Mary Cassatt. “It’s one of the best [Cassatts] I’ve ever seen,” Garvin said of the pastel on board.
After the show’s completion, Garvin shared, “The Palm Beach Show has been an exceptional experience for M.S. Rau… Our goal was to bring the experience of our 40,000-square-foot New Orleans gallery to the show floor, and based on the incredible response from attendees, we did just that. We were delighted to reconnect with longtime friends, meet new collectors and do what we love most: sharing the stories behind our pieces in person. In an increasingly digital world, these face-to-face moments are more valuable than ever, and we’re grateful for every one of them.”
Just one of the two impressively stocked booths by M.S. Rau, which housed paintings from artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Renoir and Dalí, among others. New Orleans.
Also a nearly 20-year veteran was Stella Callaghan of Callaghans of Shrewsbury. The England-based duo, consisting of Stella and her husband, Daniel, have “built up fabulous clients” in their time at The Palm Beach Show, and are always “excited to bring fresh new work, predominantly European and quite eclectic,” to their clients here in the States. Stella was enthusiastic about “La Plage de Cannes,” a painting they had on offer by Henri Lebasque. However, there was also an elephant in the room — or to be more precise, a rabbit, numerous birds, various large cats and other animals — that also needed to be discussed. All bronze sculptures, these animals were commissioned by Stella and Daniel by local Shrewsbury-area artists Tobias Martin, Richard Smith and one other unnamed artist, who the couple have been working with for 25 years. How did the idea come about? “Usually, galleries just represent artists,” Stella explained. “We wanted to commission them instead, so they could use their creativity and work freely.”
Traveling from Shrewsbury to the capital city of London, we headed to the booth of Butchoff Antiques, where directors James and Adam Kaye were both deep in conversation with interested attendees. Their assistant, Miki, instead explained, “We’ve been coming 11 years. We love Palm Beach and the Palm Beachers; it’s good for us here. It’s good business, and they appreciate our research.” Butchoff specializes in a little bit of everything elegant: English period furniture, Nineteenth Century French furniture, porcelain, glass art, Black Forrest, bronzes and sculpted marbles, all of which were intricately placed around their booth.
Butchoff Antiques, London, specializes in art for the table, including this colorful and eclectic setup which occupied the back half of their booth. “We love the table,” added Miki, assistant to directors James and Adam Kaye.
“All of this work is ceramic art from South Africa, hand sculpted and painted, and one of a kind. It’s all signed by two artists, a painter and a sculptor,” said Pascoe Gallery owner Ed Pascoe, Miami, of the colorful ceramics of various shapes and sizes that filled his booth. Representing about 40 artists, Pascoe’s offerings all had a theme: South African flora and fauna, including elephants, leopards, hippopotamuses, flamingos and flowers such as waterlilies. “I’ve been selling art all my life,” Pascoe explained, “and I discovered some of these artists about 20 years ago. I wanted to support them.” In terms of the Palm Beach Show, Pascoe has been in attendance for 10 years: “This is my 10th year. It’s so successful, and we get people here who are so enthusiastic about the art.” Some standout pieces included the 46-inch Elephant Urn centerpiece by Sabelo Nene (paint) and Tebogo Nalovu (sculpt), as well as a Leopard, Grass and Leaves bowl by Junoth Ncube (paint) and Phomotso Mafura (sculpt).
Tucked away in a corner of the convention center was Bibi Mohamed, the owner of Imperial Fine Books in New York City. Entering her booth felt like entering into a study from the Twentieth Century; it was filled from top to bottom with finely leather-bound sets, children’s books, special bindings and first and rare editions of any type of book imaginable. “It’s been busy,” Mohamed said casually, but with a smile. “It’s been at least 20 years since I started here. I’m waiting to win the one-million-dollar lottery,” she joked when asked why she keeps coming back. “Really, I’m hoping to find that one, perfect client.” Some of Mohamed’s favorite leather-bound sets included one of Charles Dickens’ published stories, as well as The Iliad and The Odyssey.
Bibi Mohamed (center), Imperial Fine Books, shared a booth with Mostafa G. Hassan, Imperial Oriental Art. The two have attended the show for more than 20 years. New York City.
Initially drawn to the booth of Arader Galleries, New York City and Philadelphia — manned by director Lori Cohen — because of a wall of aviary portraits by John James Audubon, we quickly discovered there was more than what met the eye. “We’ve sold a couple little things, like a pair of watercolors,” Cohen reported happily. She was also happy to share that the Audubons on offer were “some of his most iconic works: the osprey, American robin and the snowy heron.” However, the lefthand wall of the booth was Cohen’s favorite, adorned with original watercolors by botanical and aviary artists. In particular, she pointed out “Bouquet of Roses” and “Bouquet of Auriculas and Anemones” by Pierre-Joseph Redouté. The pair were “painted for Emperess Josephine and Napoleon by [the artist]. He was the French Court flower painter.”
Traveling out from La Habra Heights, Calif., for his first year at the show was second-generation art dealer and auction house owner William Scollard and his team at William Scollard Antiques. One of the first booths visible when entering the exhibition hall, Scollard’s display immediately drew the eye; it could have been something out of a history museum with various suits of armor, guns and other antiquities set out to enchant attendees. “I haven’t even visited here before,” he said, “I just thought, ‘let’s take a shot and do it.’ The audience has been great!” Scollard specializes in arms and armor, which he procures mostly through his vast network in the auction world. “I’ve got resources all over the world,” he said happily. His two favorite pieces in the booth were a full suit of Daimyo samurai armor from 1851 and a Fourteenth or Fifteenth Century mamluk from the Middle East. “It’s Islamic,” he explained, “it’s double-riveted chainmail. I’ve been doing this my whole life, and I’ve never seen one like this.”
William Scollard was particularly proud of this 1851 Daimyo samurai suit of armor, which was made up of all matching pieces and was in all original condition. William Scollard Antiques, La Habra Heights, Calif.
There were few booths more sparkly than that of VK Gallery, owned by artist Victoria Kovalenchikova. The Amsterdam-based gallery represents various international artists working in different genres: painting, sculpture, photography and digital art, among others. One of those artists is Astrid Dodd, whose corner of the booth sharply contrasted with that of the eye-catching jewel of Kovalenchikova’s own work. Dodd, also from Amsterdam, uses muted tones from mixed natural pigments in her circular carved polystyrene pieces, which occupied the far-right wall of the booth. “I like to see things from every angle. I change and fold the sides [of the pieces] to play with lighting,” she said of her construction process. When asked what her inspiration was for her work, Dodd explained, “Nature. The beach is a large inspiration.”
“I’m just a normal bloke from Amsterdam. I work every day in the studio,” said Erik Renssen, Renssen Art Gallery, whose first time at the Palm Beach Show had been going extremely well before Antiques and The Arts Weekly checked in with him; he’d already sold upwards of six pieces only a few hours into the evening. “Seventy percent of my [sold] work is hanging here in the US. There’s also some in Punta Verde, Japan, China, Australia and Indonesia.” Renssen and his wife Suzka modeled their booth after Pablo Picasso, with works by the famous Cubist interspersed with Erik’s throughout the display. After the show, Suzka Renssen caught up with us quickly via email to share, “This was our first time exhibiting at The Palm Beach Show. It won’t be the last. Thank you, Palm Beach, for such a warm welcome.” To describe the five-day-long experience in three words, Suzka said, “Elegant. Knowledgeable. Decisive. This sums up the Palm Beach collectors we met. See you next year!”
Suzka and Erik Renssen are pictured here with “Seated Woman With Hat” by Erik Renssen, 2024, oil on canvas, which was not only the centerpiece of Renssen Art Gallery’s booth but she was the cover girl on their business cards, too! Amsterdam. Photo courtesy Suzka Renssen.
From newcomer to seasoned veteran, we headed to the booth of Toulouse Antique Gallery, based in Los Angeles. Attending since the first show, John Dugan recognized Antiques and The Arts, saying “They helped me practically start my business! I was buying [from the shows/auctions listed] every week.” The gallery specializes in French decorative arts and sculpture, more specifically, those of the Nineteenth Century. When asked if he had a favorite item in his booth, Dugan replied “Every one is my favorite,” but he eventually settled on the French porcelain he brought. “There are degrees to it, like a diamond. This is some of the best in the world.”
We finished out the night with artist Janina Leigue, from Boca Raton, Fla. “Everything has been going good,” she shared, when we arrived at her booth. “It’s been perfect. I’ve sold one piece.” The piece in question was “The Road of Mastery,” an oil on linen measuring 40 by 40 inches. When asked about the inspiration behind her paintings, Leigue shared, “Everyday life. I try to capture happy and beautiful things and try to develop things people will enjoy. I like to connect my history with a new one.” After the show, Leigue shared, “This is my third time participating, and each year has been increasingly successful for me. I have been preparing my new collections for the event for months, working diligently to offer the audience something fresh and improved annually. In terms of sales and connections, I feel the show is growing larger, which has provided me with the opportunity to attract new collectors and clients. I sold several pieces at the show, and I have had people reaching out to schedule meetings. Many have expressed strong interest in acquiring my art, and some have even requested commissions.”
The 2026 Palm Beach Show will take place February 12-17 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. For information, www.palmbeachshow.com.
