He had planned a small show of about 40 dealers but said that when Stella’s Double Pier Show got the go-ahead, dealers who might have signed up for his fair went for the alternative instead.
Originally to have taken place in SoHo’s Puck Building, The Decorative Arts Fair placed its focus on home decoration, with an emphasis on small furnishings, decorative objects and fabrics – “anything used to decorate a home,” according to Smith. Plans had been in the works to offer designer-led walking tours of the show and for a demo room to be created to illustrate how antiques can be incorporated into a decorating scheme.
Smith incurred several unenviable losses after the World Trade Center attacks, with cancellations of four of his events: the Antiquarian Book Fair, the Print Fair, the Connoisseur’s Antique Fair and the debut of Art Twenty, a top-end art show. The latter two events were already dealer sell-outs as of September 11.
Mr Smith has not said whether he will try to relaunch the Decorative Arts Fair next year.
New York Decorative event now cancelled
USA: New York fair organiser Sandford Smith has cancelled the Decorative Arts Fair planned for January 18-20 as part of New York’s Americana Week.
