The Young Antiques Dealers Association (YADA) calls itself “an incubator for the next generation of the antiques trade.” With a lineup of eight emerging dealers, the inaugural edition of the YADA Antiques Show is set to take place January 23-25 at the George F. Baker, Jr, Mansion in New York City. When we heard about this new event, we reached out to Peter K. Carlisle, one of YADA’s founding members, to get the scoop.
Can you tell us a little bit about your founding members and how the Young Antiques Dealers Association came to be?
It was quite serendipitous in its own way! All four of us [Carlisle; Lansing Moore, Jr; Naomi Sosnovsky; and Maxim Schidlovsky], thanks to the small world of antiques, connected socially at different points over the year in New York City. Quite possibly with a glass of wine in hand, we simultaneously pitched the concept of an antiques show for young emerging dealers, and the rest is history. Our first in-person team meeting took place in early November 2025 at the YADA Show’s venue, the George F. Baker, Jr, Mansion. Each member of the team spearheads specific initiatives to support YADA, including marketing, community relations and venue. I’ve worked remotely for the past five years; it has been so rewarding to be part of a collaborative team that is passionate about antiques and decorative arts and has collectively hit the ground running from the get-go.
In the antiques world, “young” can mean many things. How does YADA define it?
We are looking to welcome early career-stage and emerging antiques dealers, whose specializations vary within the art and antiques trade. We have not yet decided on a formal age limit; however, we are seeking to grow our group and will be releasing membership information following the show. If you are reading this, we look forward to welcoming you to YADA!
What is the goal of the YADA Antiques Show?
A central goal for YADA’s inaugural show is to build a platform for emerging dealers as a means of ensuring that the antiques trade can continue to thrive moving forward. Lately, the antiques world has been looking to the next generation, but with an emphasis on young collectors rather than young dealers. The future of the antiques trade includes both sides, and one of the goals of YADA was to put the next generation of experts in focus.
Hosting your first show at a historic home in New York City already sounds like an accomplishment. How did the organization get here?
Our fellow co-founder Maxim Schidlovsky was YADA’s connection to the mansion, which has been the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) since 1958. In addition to being a life-time member of the church with connections that extend to its founding, Maxim opened Maxim Dimitry, an antiques and jewelry gallery, in 2024, occupying a beautiful space on the second floor of the mansion. If you are looking for a preview of the venue prior to the show, you can visit Maxim’s gallery every week from Friday to Saturday (noon-6pm).
I first visited the mansion in 2024 to celebrate the opening of Maxim’s gallery. Though I was not fully aware at the time, I recently learned that my father was a train bearer in the church sanctuary (formerly the mansion’s ballroom) for his cousin’s wedding in the early 1960s. It’ll be fun to have my father visit the space again, this time for the YADA Show, after 60 years!
We are so grateful that the ROCOR has lent us their historic space for the show; they have been a dream to work with. Since the ROCOR purchased the mansion from Mrs George F. Baker, Jr, the church continues to preserve the Georgian revival character as a tribute to history, and its architects, Delano & Aldrich. Completed in 1916, the mansion was originally built for Mrs Frances Palmer, before it was purchased and later expanded by financier George F. Baker, Jr. Today, the mansion includes a church sanctuary, a small chapel, Maxim’s gallery and additional space for social gatherings; the upper floors of the mansion include offices and living quarters for the church bishops.
Historically, much of the church’s original membership was tied to the diaspora of Russian émigrés that left their homeland as a result of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, due to allegiance to the Tsar, and in many cases, their noble status. A piece of Tsar Nicholas’ coronation robe is among the Church’s most prized possessions.
YADA show space at the George F. Baker, Jr, Mansion.
When planning the show, were the timing and location particularly important?
We knew we wanted to stage the show in Manhattan, since it has only become more difficult for even established dealers to maintain a commercial footprint in the city. The cost to organize an art fair in NYC is astronomical, and while new fairs like the Taconic are taking place upstate, many of the regional antiques fairs that would have provided an accessible entry point for new dealers are disappearing.
As for timing, New York’s Antiques Week seemed the most promising way to set this new venture up for success. Many collectors are in town, and the city really wakes up in the midst of the winter doldrums for The Winter Show, the accompanying auctions and Master Drawings New York. These events bring out our milieu of specialists in historic art and objects so YADA could be a new addition to the January calendar.
Your announcement noted that there are eight exhibitors signed up for the show. Who are they?
When we first pitched the idea of the YADA Show to dealers, we were thrilled with the enthusiasm to sign up! We are very pleased that we will be able to offer such great variety to show attendees.
Christopher Cawley: Christopher specializes in English and Continental furniture, paintings and decorative arts from antiquity to the early part of the Twentieth Century.
Maxim Dimitry: Maxim Dimitry offers a range of jewelry, inspired by historic examples, designed and handmade by Maxim Schidlovsky in New York City. In addition to Maxim Dimitry jewelry, the showroom offers a selection of antiques including furniture, artwork, objets d’art, silver, vintage jewels and more.
Margot Mayer of Curio Shop: Margot Mayer is a Brooklyn-based antiques dealer with a keen eye for old-world beauty. Sourcing directly from across Europe, she searches for pieces that possess a particular feeling, strongly believing that antiques are windows into another world.
Peter K. Carlisle: Grounded in history, and driven by curiosity, Peter sources an eclectic mix of antiques inspired by the decorative arts heritage of the American East Coast and his time living in Europe and East Asia. With an eye for quality — and character — Peter is particularly drawn to objects that fit into a room with distinct elegance.
Jarrett McCusker: For over a decade, Jarrett McCusker has remained dedicated to connecting institutions and collectors with an eclectic range of art from the Sixteenth Century to present day. Jarrett offers works in a variety of price ranges with a focus on quality, research and story.
Oliver Garland: Oliver Garland is an American-based English antiques dealer. He strives to procure objects from a wide range of periods and categories, with a common thread of eclecticism, uniqueness and rarity. His focus leans towards material culture from the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries.
Nickolas Roudané of Teremok Antiques: Teremok Antiques was formally established in 2016, growing out of a long-standing personal engagement with historical objects. The business focuses on European and Asian decorative arts from the Sixteenth through the Nineteenth Centuries, with particular attention to works shaped by cross-cultural exchange between Europe, East Asia and the Americas.
YADA founders Peter Kent Carlisle; Lansing Moore, Jr; Naomi Sosnovsky; and Maxim Schidlovsky.
Aside from the age of exhibiting dealers, what do you hope sets the YADA Show apart from others?
I think bringing this fair to other interesting historic venues and having a “preservation partner” is one way we can distinguish YADA while giving something back to the preservation community. We are not hosting a large-scale fair with a large number of dealers, and the fair can bring attention to unique landmarks as well as the work of our participating exhibitors.
We want this to be an annual occurrence, and maybe in the future, other dates and times of year would make sense. Another major component of the fair is its function as a fundraiser. Ticketing proceeds from this fair will be split between the American Friends of the Georgian Group, our presenting nonprofit partner, and our venue, the George F. Baker House, which is currently being restored by the ROCOR.
The George F. Baker, Jr, Mansion.
How have you been spreading the word about YADA and the Show?
In jest, we sometimes say that we spend our days walking the streets of New York with loudspeakers, bellowing “YADA, YADA, YADA..!” However, in reality, much of our outreach has included the utilization of our network in the antiques, design and decorative arts communities; building a website and social media presence; and in a more old-fashioned manner by mailing and distributing flyers to auction houses, antiques shops and art venues throughout New York City. Our exhibiting dealers have also utilized their network to promote the show, whether on their website, social media pages or through direct outreach.
For the January issue, co-founder Lansing Moore, has written a wonderful piece for The Magazine Antiques, which discusses, in quite some depth, the founding of YADA.
Do you plan to have other membership events in addition to the show?
In addition to the YADA Show, we are looking to include some programming for our membership, possibly in collaboration with analogous groups, such as The American Friends of the Young Georgians and The Fine Objects Society.
—Carly Timpson
[Editor’s note: For information, www.yadaantiques.com, @yadaantiques on Instagram or [email protected].]
