WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. – The Palm Beach Show greeted its 20th anniversary with 150 exhibitors at the Palm Beach County Convention Center during Presidents’ Day Weekend, opening with a VIP reception on February 16 through February 21. The Palm Beach Show is sponsored by Palm Beach Illustrated and Florida Design. The booths were evenly split between fine and contemporary art, decorative arts and jewelry. Red “sold” dots sprouted throughout the opening night festivities with about 4,000 collectors attending and about a 20 percent increase in ticket sales over the course of the fair. “Momentum from the VIP Opening Night Preview continued over the weekend with robust crowds that remained steady throughout the public show days,” shared Kelsi Monteith, executive director of communications for the Palm Beach Show Group. “We have received an immense amount of praise from exhibitors and patrons alike!”
Visitors were greeted by Gino Miles’ “Arches” installation, which was unveiled at the VIP opening. Fabricated from stainless steel, the shining sculpture’s giant curls stood at 10 feet high and 9 feet, 6 inches wide. Miles (American, b 1952) writes in his artist statement, “My work explores a deep, timeless aesthetic connection to the primal spirit of humanity. In minimalistic yet often monumental sculptures, I interweave references to science and natural phenomena with the passage of time. These works invite the viewer to look beyond the traditional constraints of form, composition and space into a deeper world of possibility.” The sculptures’ reflective surfaces absorb and blend with their surroundings, creating a unique experience for every viewer and exhibition space, causing the piece to “forever respond to its current reality.” Four smaller Miles sculptures faced “Arches,” raised on plinths and lining the show’s entryway, one of which had already sold by midday on Friday.
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