Fairs and Markets

DEALERS at Antiquarius say they are “devastated” after learning that they could be evicted within the next few months. It emerged last week that the landlords of the West London antiques centre have signed an agreement which will see the premises on the King’s Road, Chelsea become an American fashion chain store as early as this summer.

A major new conference for antiques and fine art auctioneers will take place at the Hilton Hotel, Birmingham, NEC on Friday, April 24.

CUT-price outside stands are available for the forthcoming Newark International Antiques and Collectors' Fair.

THE future of The Mall antiques centre in Camden Passage looks set to hang in the balance until well into 2009 following the public inquiry into the landlord’s proposals to redevelop the Grade II listed building.

LONDON-based organisers Brian and Anna Haughton have cancelled the International Asian Art Fair scheduled for March 11 to 15 at New York's Park Avenue Armory – the first major fairs casualty of the world economic turmoil.

DMG, one of the world’s biggest antiques fair organisers, have sold another show from their American portfolio.

AT the close of this month's Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair at Olympia there was no doubt that the worldwide banking crisis and now the recession had taken their toll.

DMG Antiques Fairs say they have increased security following the theft of £80,000 worth of jewellery at their Ardingly fair on September 3.

FLORIDA-based art fair entrepreneur David Lester is proposing a radical new relationship between exhibitor and fair organiser in response to the global economic turmoil.

Caskey-Lees' 18th staging of Arts of Pacific Asia next year has to leave its traditional venue, the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue.

THIS month's Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair, to be held at Olympia from November 10 to 16, has a particularly strong jewellery section, with international Geneva-based jewellers Grima showing for the first time at any fair, and one of London's fastest rising young stars of the jewellery scene, Symbolic and Chase, also making their debut.

NEXT summer the first Russian Art Fair will be launched at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Knightsbridge, London. It will run from June 6 to 9 to coincide with the Russian sales at the major auction houses.

Stall and hire rates have been cut in a move to attract more dealers to London’s Friday Bermondsey Market, now back in Bermondsey Square.

NEXT year's 22nd TEFAF Maastricht will see a record 240 exhibitors from 15 countries (this year there were 227) and for the first time there will be a dedicated section for 20th century and contemporary design.

Atlantique City is giving up its autumn slot in New Jersey and reverting to an annual spring show. Dealers and shoppers were told of the change at the October 18-19 fair.

THE balloon-like market for contemporary art lost much of its air last week as both the Frieze Art Fair and its related auctions suffered the full force of the global economic crisis.

The Watercolours & Drawings Fair is to move to a new venue at The Flower Cellars in Russell Street, Covent Garden for its next fair from February 4-8.

Cheshire fairs organiser Patricia Hier is to sell her company Specialist Glass Fairs to Cambridge-based Paul Bishop of Oxbridge Fairs.

DMG Antiques Fairs say there will be no quick sale of their portfolio of antiques fairs following the sale of ATG and the Palm Beach International Art and Antiques Fair.

LAPADA have announced new dates and a new Mayfair venue for the 2009 staging of their flagship London event. The LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair will be held from September 24 to 27 in a purpose-built marquee located in the centre of Berkeley Square in the very heart of Mayfair, London W1.