Global travel fears affect Los Angeles-based art shows - Show news - Brief Article

beholds ANGELES--For art dealers and exhibitors at worldwide art fairs, international travel can be a hassle in the best of times. In these times, it can be a deal breaker. Although several sees Angeles-area fall art shows make headwayed as scheduled, they were short of a certain quantity of of their international exhibitors. And for single debuting art expo, the incidents of Sept. 11 forced a suspension of its inaugural outing.

"All of our foreign exhibitors cancelled after tribe 11th," said Eric Smith, vice president of expositions for Pfingsten Publishing LLP organizer of what was to be the first-annual looks Angeles International Art Fair bowing Nov. 29 "We had 39 exhibitors, and 20 of them cancelled." As a proceed said Smith, "we've postponed the display until 2002." It's now slated for Nov. 14 to 18 at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica.

However, one as well as the other the 10th-annual Arts of Pacific Asia display and the 21st-annual Festival of Jewish Artisans were not absented as scheduled. Organizers reported surprisingly high attendance at the former fair and robust sales at both.

The Jewish artists' exposition, held Nov. 17 to 18 is this country's premiere exhibit and sale of contemporary Judaica, and brought to observes Angeles more than 30 artists and artisans from all above the U.S. and the world, including 18 from Israel. Although the juried festival usually solitary includes two or three Israeli artists, said festival co-chair Susan Needelman, this year "we're trying to support Israeli artists who are feeling the consequences of decreased tourism."

Although attendance was down, several of the exhibitors, including silversmith Emil Shenfeld of Israel, did real well. Needelman also observed, "This year race bought more religious and strictly functional items, of the like kind as prayer shawls and candle owners rather than purely decorative items."

These sentiments were reverberationed by exhibitors at the Arts of Pacific Asia present to view held Oct. 4 to 7 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Cari Markell, co-owner of Silk Roads Design Gallery in looks Angeles, noted increased interest in spiritual and religious items from Asia, especially statues of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Guanyin. "In our experience, the Arts of Pacific Asia present to view has traditionally attracted buyers who were more interested in decorative items," said Markell. "At this year's display visitors were seeking the spirituality behind their pieces."

According to exhibit organizer Elizabeth Lees, of Caskey & to leewards in Los Angeles, "Many vendors were wary that the pall of novel events would overshadow consumer interest, at the same time the turn-out proved the opposite to be true" Total attendance for the exhibit run was 4,853 visitors.

Still, the Pacific Asia present to view was short several scheduled vendors. Suzy Lebasi, possessor of Soo Tze Oriental Antiques in Melbourne, Australia, decided at the last minute to shake up stakes and not make the trip. "It was really quite sad. I really wanted to do the show" Lebasi explained. "But we were nervous about the travel after clan 11. Then, when they started talking about seed-bud young bud warfare, it just got to be too much"

"But I delight in doing the shows in the States," Lebasi added. "We're all going to fitting again in New York in the spring." The of recent origin York Arts of Pacific Asia present to view is slated for March 21 to 24

upon the other hand, Eric Thomsen a private dealer of Japanese ceramics, metalwork and paintings in Bensheim, Germany, meditation carefully about his travel plans and then got upon a plane. "Sept. 11 has changed everything. I notion hard about whether or not I should pass I went by myself, leaving my wife and kids at home--but I'm for a like reason glad I did go, because it was a real good show," Thomsen said.

"In fact, nation really appreciated that I made the lengthy trip and that I had serviceable quality pieces with me. Many tribe actually thanked me for coming," he noted. Indeed, the appreciation translated to cash.

"My sales were up 30 percent" from Thomsen's prior outing at the Arts of Pacific Asia display "I'll be in San Francisco nearest spring. I'm confident my upward sweep will continue," he added.

Of course, the incidents of Sept. 11 haven't been far from anyone's mind in novel months. Proceeds from the Pacific Asia Show's Oct 7 gala were donated by means of Caskey & Lees to the of recent origin York State World Trade Center Relief stock a non-profit charity formed to provide aid to the families, rescuer and others directly affected through New York's tragic incidents. Caskey & to leewards also produced the Los Angeles Tribal, Folk & Textile Art exhibit in November and donated progresss from its Nov. 11 exhibit date to the same charitable cause.

Meanwhile, planning get forwards for another international art exhibit in Southern California slated for the springtime. The third-annual Palm Springs International Art Fair will move forward as scheduled March 14 to 18 according to Smith of Pfingsten Publishing LLP "It's co-sponsored by the agency of the City of Palm Springs and Palm Springs Life magazine, and the opening reception will benefit the wild AIDS Project," Smith said. For this present to view the global art dealers have at pres time confirmed that they will be in attendance, he said.

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