PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The Philadelphia Show – one of the nation’s leading art and design fairs, known for the exceptional quality of its exhibitors – announced its 61st Edition, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, from April 28 – April 30, 2023. This year’s event will feature more than forty of the most outstanding exhibitors in the US, specializing in fine art, collectible design, antiques, Americana, folk art, ceramics, porcelain, silver, jewelry, textiles, and decorative arts.
The Philadelphia Show will welcome several new exhibitors, joining longstanding and returning galleries, to showcase works spanning from the 16th to 21st centuries. With its core rooted in American art, the Show is further bolstered by international influences, with many galleries also showcasing important European and Asian works. While firmly established as a premier destination for antiques, The Philadelphia Show also welcomes dealers who specialize in underrepresented artists.
For the second time since its inception, The Philadelphia Show will take place on the grounds of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on the institution’s East Terrace. This shift, which began in the fair’s 60th edition, has proven to be highly successful, having amplified both the number of fair attendees and sales in 2022. The location offers the fair an opportunity better serve its distinguished audience of collectors, designers, industry experts, and tastemakers.
"We are proud that the Philadelphia Show supports the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Education Department and outreach to our community,” says Ellen Caplan, Chair of The Philadelphia Show. “The show is a place where both seasoned and entry-level collectors are welcome to discover and purchase works of art. We hope visitors see our show as a destination in which they may educate themselves about different genres of art and design and learn more about collecting from our very knowledgeable dealers. "
Throughout its six decades and counting, The Philadelphia Show has become a mainstay of the city’s flourishing culture, art and design scene, serving as the go-to destination to experience, discuss, and exhibit fine art, antiques, and collectible design. All proceeds from the Philadelphia Show support all proceeds will support tThehe Philadelphia Museum of Art’s education and outreach programs.
This April, The Philadelphia Show welcomes back many of its longtime exhibitors who have enjoyed success as regular participants of the fair including Jeffrey Tillou Antiques, Ralph M. Chait Galleries, S. J. Shrubsole, Olde Hope, Kentshire, Lillian Nassau LLC, Moderne Gallery and more.
“I had to take a year off of The Philadelphia Show for the birth of my son, but luckily I was able to sneak into the show last year and was so impressed by the look and feel of it,” says Taylor Thistlethwaite, Owner of Thistlethwaite Americana. “Now that the show is being held in front of the Museum, with some of the best dealers in the US, it has grown beautifully and it feels like such an honor to be a part of it.”
The Philadelphia Show will welcome new and returning exhibitors including A La Vieille Russie, M. Hanks Gallery, Old Print Shop, Susan Teller Gallery and Thistlethwaite Americana.
“Since 1988 I’ve owned and operated M. Hanks Gallery, specializing in African American art, and held many shows in my own gallery and participated in other art fairs across the country but this is my first time exhibiting at the Philadelphia Show,” said Eric Hanks, founder of M. Hanks Gallery. “I’m excited to be a part of this show because I relish every opportunity to share my enthusiasm for and experience with this genre of work, but also because one artist whose work I’ve shown for many years, Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, is originally from Philadelphia. She created a relatively small but impressive body of work that has failed to attract the attention and appreciation that it deserves in part because she is Black and in part because she is a woman. Everyone attending the show will benefit by learning more about this and other artists whose works I’m planning to bring and seeing up close some of the best examples of artwork they created.”
The fair will celebrate its 61st Edition with special programming leading up to, during and after the fair, including four virtual programs; show tours; booth discussions; and a Children’s Art Table and Treasure Hunt. In addition to the virtual and in-person programming, the fair will continue its beloved tradition of the Loan Exhibition, a convention of The Philadelphia Show since its founding in 1962. The curated, museum-quality Loan Exhibit changes with each show and allows visitors a closer look at specific genre of antiques and fine art. This year’s loan exhibition, Faces in the Crowd, celebrates faces in a post- pandemic world.
