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November 5 - 8 | Park Avenue Armory | New York
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The 2009 Print Fair
"Splendidly varied, elegantly casual and cheerfully
affordable." - New York Times, 11|6|09
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 The
International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA) presented the 2009 Print Fair at the
Park Avenue Armory in New York City from November 5 - 8th. The Fair opened on
Wednesday, November 4th with an exuberant Preview Party that drew
over 2,000 and generated a lively sense of excitement about the works on view and among
the artists, collectors, curators, and dealers present. Several attendees
pronounced it the "best party the Print Fair had done" and Printeresting.org
dubbed it "The Star-Studded (and Diamond-Dusted) IFPDA Preview."
 Preview
guests enjoyed a first look at the unique wallpaper created by artist and
designer Madeline Weinrib for the
Fair's entrance and café as well as elegant 20th century
furniture provided by modernist gallery Sebastian + Barquet which included a classic "hand" table by Pedro
Friedeberg. They were treated to a sauvignon blanc
donated by Napa Valley's Kelham Vineyards and illy caffe's
new illy issimo, a chilled espresso drink. Adding to the merriment was the Treasure Hunt which launched on Preview Night and continued through the weekend.
The New York Times called the Fair "splendidly varied, elegantly casual and cheerfully
affordable." Dealers brought prime works to offer and were rewarded
with good sales and a drumbeat of follow-up contact from collectors that
continued through the week after the Fair with sales of works priced from under $500 to $2
million. Exhibitors described attendees as "focused,"
"knowledgeable," and from a "refreshingly broad range of ages."
 Several new
initiatives contributed to the overwhelmingly positive response to the Fair
which reported overall attendance up 35% over 2008. The Fair's Treasure Hunt
invited newcomers and seasoned Fair-goers to search exhibitors' booths marked
with the Hunt's pink elephant logo for prints which answered clues and riddles.
Players remarked that they "saw prints they never would have looked at before"
and "stayed longer, visiting more booths than they have in the past." Players
who correctly answered all ten clues were entered into a drawing for prizes
generously donated by the Treasure Hunt's sponsors who also contributed coupons
for the gift bags distributed on Opening Night. This year's sponsors were
ARTBOOK, Bark Frameworks, Blaue Gans and KG-NY Restaurant Group, Daniel Boulud & Bar Boulud, Equinox Fitness Clubs, Mauboussin, Elisa Monte Dance, The
Morgan Library & Museum, Neue Galerie NY, New Museum, Nobu Fifty Seven,
Parkett, SD26, MoMA, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and Tracy Stern SalonTEA.
 Fairgoers
eagerly partook of the opportunity provided by the Fair's curator-led
tours organized in conjunction with IPCNY entitled Conversations across Time. The Fair's Program on Saturday featured Art & Antiques editor in chief John
Dorfman who interviewed collectors Richard Gerrig and Chris Annalora, and
Shelley Langdale, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art. The panelists candidly discussed their buying strategies and
presented a slideshow of works from their collections during an hour-long
conversation punctuated with wit and humor.
Fresh from the resounding success of the 2009 Fair, the
International Fine Print Dealers Association now looks forward to 2010 when it
will celebrate the Fair's 20th anniversary. Mark your calendars and make your hotel
reservations! The Fair will take place from November 4 -7 with an
Opening Night Preview on November 3!
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The Fair thanks its In-kind Partners
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 Artist and designer, Madeline Weinrib provided the
concept and design for entrance, Collector's Lounge, and Café. She created
bespoke wallpaper especially for the Fair which complemented her rich repertoire
of signature textiles and carpets and reflected her interest in reinterpreting
traditional forms and motifs. With its emphasis on lush color and opulent
pattern, her work draws on a myriad of influences and sources gleaned from her
travels. By parsing scale, color and other formal elements, Weinrib reframes
tradition, presenting it through a singular and contemporary lens that is
patently her own.
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 Sebastian + Barquet provided furniture to compliment Weinrib's design. International in scope, with two locations in New York's Chelsea
gallery district, Sebastian + Barquet is dedicated to presenting
well-curated, museum-quality exhibitions that celebrate the works of
established masters such as Buckminster
Fuller, Donald Judd, George Nakashima, Gio Ponti, Jean Prouvé and Vladimir
Kagan, while simultaneously showcasing the work of lesser-known
designers.
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Kelham Vineyards generously provided Sauvignon Blanc from their prized estate in Oakville for the Opening
Night Preview Party. Rich and ripe, dominated with perfume of citrus and green
apple, this wine has a balance of spice characters that marry the complex fruit
flavors from the dry-farmed vineyard.  While the focus of illy has always been
to produce an excellent product, the company goes far beyond its role in the
coffee world to take the lead in culture, sustainability and the arts. They
have provided "illy issimo," from their new line of chilled espresso
drinks.
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And Media Partners
Artnet; Apollo: The International
Magazine for Collectors; Art on Paper Magazine; The Burlington Magazine; Art
& Antiques Magazine; Modern Magazine; The Magazine Antiques; Art + Auction;
Art New England, Artfacts.net; Antiques and Fine Art Magazine.
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 Paper/Ink Committee
(PIC)
This new group is comprised of young dealers, art
advisors, collectors, museum curators, and artists who will work in conjunction
with members of the IFPDA to contribute new ideas and strategies to introduce a
new audience to prints. The Treasure Hunt was the PIC's first
event. |
SAVE THE DATE:
2010 celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Print Fair.
The Fair will be held November 4 - 7, 2010 at the Park Avenue Armory,
Park Avenue at 67th Street, New York City.
Opening Night Preview
Wednesday November 3rd, 5 - 9 pm.
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About the IFPDA The
IFPDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the highest ethical
standards and quality among fine print dealers, and to promoting greater
appreciation of prints among art collectors and the general public. www.ifpda.org
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