by Jacques Caussin
MIAMI MODERNISM held its 6th Annual Show and Sale, January 22–24, 1999, at the Radisson Deauville Resort, a spacious mid-century, high design hotel on Collins Avenue at 67th Street on the North Beach oceanfront. The show opened Friday evening, January 22nd with a Gala Preview presented in collaboration with the Wolfsonian.
This year’s MIAMI MODERNISM was scheduled on the weekend between MDPL’s ArtDeco Weekend®, and The Super Bowl weekend at the Radisson Deauville Resort. Formerly a Ramada, the hotel changed ownership last year and underwent a $15 million refurbishment. The mid-century hotel has been the site of numerous “firsts.” Just one example: The Beatles taped their TV premier with Ed Sullivan at the hotel in 1964.
With 65 exhibitors from across the United States and Europe, MIAMI MODERNISM has gained an international reputation as a show of the highest caliber. It is the largest and most comprehensive exclusively 20th Century show in the country, and the only show of its kind in southern United States. The show offers the finest in furniture, lamps, clocks, fine art, ceramics, glass, jewelry, sculpture, photography, industrial design, posters, books and more, representing all major design and fine art movements 1900–1970.
A strong economy, the efforts of individual dealers to establish a clientele in the Miami area by exhibiting at the show over the years, and a growing number of knowledgeable collectors in the region combined to mean record sales for many exhibitors. In addition, Deco “snow birds” who fly in for the show help account for the focused and enthusiastic buying public that the show enjoys.
“MIAMI MODERNISM” is now known both for its wide selection of the best material in established 20th Century collection fields, as well as being the show where collectors can ‘get the jump’ on emerging collecting trends,” states Jacques Caussin. “Collectors, other dealers and museum curators from across the country and Europe fly in to Miami Beach to attend the Gala Preview and show.”
Just a sampling of the numerous outstanding furniture and decorative arts exhibitors who returned this year includes:
Bizarre Bizaar, Ltd. (N.Y.)
Boomerang Modern (FL)
Byrd/Braman (OH)
Collage 20th Century Classics (TX)
Decodence (CA)
Galere (FL)
Gallery Primavera (FL)
Gansevoort Gallery (NY)
Chris Kennedy(MA)
Kenneth Paul Lesko (OH)
Mode Moderne (PA)
Moderni (FL)
Modernism Gallery (FL)
The Modernist (MA)
Mondo Cane (NY)
Mood Indigo (NY)
Skyscraper (NY)
Springdale (MI)
Vertu (MI)
Fine art exhibitors returning to the show included
Fusco & Four (MA)
Sheryl Gorman (MD)
Papillon Gallery (CA)
Streamline Illustrations (NM), which specializes in original pulp fiction cover illustrations.Other specialty dealers include
Deco Phobia (FL), focusing on the colorful Catalin plastic radios of the 1920s and 1930s;
jewelry dealers Hot Stuff (PA) and Rover & Lorber (NY);
and rare book dealer Thomas G. Boss (MA).