A Contemporary Aesthetic

Renowned for its prominence in the antique market, the Palm Beach Show highlights its burgeoning contemporary art component in this year’s event.

Over President’s Day Weekend, the 20th annual Palm Beach Show will fill the Palm Beach County Convention Center with an extraordinary collection of fine art, jewelry, silver, textiles, porcelain, Asian art and more, with pieces dating from the antiquities to today. Long associated with historic fine and decorative arts, this year the Palm Beach Show is also emphasizing its expanded offerings of contemporary art by a trove of the most talented national and international artists working today.Ben Bauer, Moon Show in Withrow, MN, oil on aluminum, 24 x 30". Courtesy Rehs Contemporary.

Presented like a show within a show, Contemporary Focus is a special section located within the 2023 Palm Beach Show devoted to exhibitors specializing in contemporary and modern art, objects and design. More than a dozen leading galleries will showcase works across a wide variety of genres including paintings, photography, prints, ceramics, glass, sculpture and jewelry.

“We like to think that this show is a cultural experience, a financial experience and an entertainment experience for both collectors and exhibitors,” remarks Scott Diament, president and CEO of Palm Beach Show Group. “Increased educational programing, community involvement and design industry initiatives can be expected in 2023 and years to come.”J. Ruel Martin, one-of-a kind salvaged-wood hollow vessel.

To provide a sense of the breadth of aesthetic styles that will be on display, New York’s Rehs Contemporary will be showcasing the atmospheric landscapes by up-and-coming painter Ben Bauer. Meanwhile, West Palm Beach-based Khawam Gallery showcases the splashy colors of Florida in eye-popping pieces by Tony Khawam and the abstract landscapes of Celia Wilkinson, and a host of other unique works by their divers roster of diverse. In the modern decorative arts category are the stunning, hand-crafted vessels of J. Ruel Martin. Ruel personally harvests all of the wood he uses from diseased and dead trees across the southeastern United States and beyond.Tony Khawam, Pink Dancers, acrylic, 32 x 40". Courtesy Khawam Gallery.

Other participating U.S. contemporary art galleries include Elizabeth Clement Fine Art, Fazzino Art by Amazing Animation, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Shaw Jewelry, Steidel Fine Art, the Hooke Sculpture Gallery and many more. Several exhibitors will be traveling to the Palm Beach Show from as far away as France and Israel, enhancing the eclectic nature of Contemporary Focus.The Palm Beach Show contains a section devoted entirely to modern works of art, objects and design.

“Exhibitor and patron response to the Contemporary Focus section has been overwhelmingly supportive and positive,” says Kelsi Monteith, executive director of communications for Palm Beach Show Group. “The section [first established in 2019] has shown growth in participation and sales year after year. The Focus section is intimate in size, but without a doubt offers a clear glimpse at the fair’s vision of diversity for each future edition.

“There is a noticeable redundancy with other fairs that simply feature strictly contemporary and modern works of art, which in a sense limits the audience and collectors,” continues Monteith. “To stay ahead of the curve, while also paying attention to collector’s buying trends, the Palm Beach Show decided to incorporate the Contemporary Focus section, strengthening its reputation as the most compressive and prestigious show in the United States.” —

The Palm Beach Show
When: February 16-21, 2023
Where: 650 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Information: (561) 822-5440, www.palmbeachshow.com