Curating Perfection

The Washington Winter Shows sees record-breaking sales over the course of a weekend of exquisite fine art and antiques, and engaging programming

Drawing roughly 2,500 visitors to the Katzen Arts Center at American University over the weekend of January 13, sales at the 2023 Washington Winter Show exceeded those achieved at any recent show to date.

According to the producers of the event, this year’s most popular categories were ceramics (in particular Delft, Asian, English and European), furniture, mid-century pieces, silver, paintings, small precious objects, rugs and jewelry. They saw many collectors making purchases across multiple dealers and eras ranging from the 18th- to the mid-20th century. “Much like the show itself, the buying was eclectic covering a wide spectrum of themes, interests and periods,” says executive director, Jonathan G. Willen.

The Washington Winter Show was held at the Katzen Arts Center at American University and opened with a special preview night celebration.

The theme of this year’s show, Curating: From Classic to Contemporary, was brought to life by half a dozen “master curators” through a series of lectures, panels, discussions and book signings over the course of the weekend. Aldous Bertram, the inaugural artist in residence, masterfully captured this year’s theme through a curated collage bridging past and present from collectible antiques to contemporary with various touch points of the exhibition. Ken Fulk, the engaging keynote speaker at the Lecture & Luncheon, took guests on a journey into his world of exceptional design from homes and hotels, planes and parties to restaurants, bars and beyond.

Fine art and antiques spanning centuries were in abundance at this year’s event.

The Show continued into a weekend full of inspiring and insightful panel discussions The Design Panel, moderated by Tori Mellot of Frederick Magazine with designers Robin Henry, Laura Hodges and Nestor Santa-Cruz, shared their methodologies for working with clients that have collections from classic to contemporary and tricks on how to curate personal objects into the most beautiful spaces.

Saturday continued with a look into the world of Bunny Mellon with a special lecture by this year’s loan exhibit partner, Oak Spring Garden Foundation. The lecture was a mix of personal stories from her grandson, Thomas Lloyd, and an insider’s look at Bunny Mellon’s ongoing legacy and incredible collection from Sir Peter Crane, president of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation.

Aldous Bertram, the inaugural artist in residence, masterfully captured this year’s theme through a curated collage.

The final day of the Washington Winter Show began over savory waffles and chilled mimosas hosted by the talented and witty Jane Scott Hodges of Leontine Linens. Hodges shared her secrets for setting the perfect table, creating the most inviting and comfortable bedrooms and—most importantly—how to have fun doing it. One of her most inspiring tips shared during her lecture, “The Art of Living With Linens,” is to look around your house for small treasures to add to your table. In her words, “Your table top is not just for dishes, linen and cutlery! Setting the perfect table should be a reflection of you and the process should bring you joy.”

Many of the leading art and antique dealers from the U.S. and beyond had a presence at the 2023 Washington Winter Show.

Additional weekend highlights included “Booth Chats” by Carole Pinto of Carole Pinto Fine Arts and Paul Vandekar of Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge as well as an insightful lecture hosted by presenting sponsor PNC Private Bank exploring the latest steps from industry experts in protecting fine art investments and generational antiques.

Visit www.washingtonwintershow.org for updates on details about the 2024 event.