About the Organizers
David and Lee Ann Lester of International Fine Art Expositions (IFAE) are pioneers of the Florida art fair market, establishing Art Miami in 1991, The Palm Beach International Art & Antique Fair in 1997, Artpalmbeach in 1998, and MIA in 2010.
Since 1990, the Lesters have organized more than 80 major international fairs in Hong Kong, New York, Los Angles, Chicago, Dallas, Newport, Greenwich, Long Island and Florida markets.
IFAE fairs have been acquired by major media companies. Art Miami was purchased in 1998 by Advanstar Communications and the Palm Beach International Art & Antique Fair, Artpalmbeach, Palm Beach Town and Country, and the Texas International Fine Art Fair were purchased in 2001 by DMG World Media. Palm Beach Art +Design and Artpalmbeach were acquired by IFAE in 2008.
Long known as innovators in the art fair industry, the Lesters established their most ambitious art fair venture, SeaFair - The Megayacht Venue,in 2007. Expoships' $40M specially designed and constructed art exhibition vessel, Grand Luxe, offers dealers access to many affluent communities along the US East Coast in a unique, smaller, club-like art fair format which has proven successful in attracting major collectors and large crowds of potential new collectors in communities not previously served by fine art fairs. This greatly expands the communities and markets available to American and international dealers.
Assisted by an experienced year-round staff, IFAE and Expoships will organize a full schedule of fairs in 2013 – 2014 making them one of the largest fine art fair organizers in the United States.