Today, David and Lee Ann Lester, founders of International Fine Art Expositions (IFAE), announced the debut of the Naples International Art and Antique Fair (NIAAF), February 24 – March 1, 2011 at the new Naples International Pavilion. NIAAF joins the prestigious roster of fairs organized by IFAE, including the Miami International Art Fair (MIA), Art Palm Beach (APB), American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF), The London International Fine Art Fair (LIFAF), and SeaFair – the Megayacht Venue.


“This new fair will bring 60 – 70 carefully selected, prestigious art, antique, and jewelry dealers of the highest caliber from around the world to Southwest Florida for the first time in a spectacular setting consistent with the other major IFAE international events in Palm Beach, London and Miami,” said David Lester, IFAE Founder and Fair Director. “The fair will take place in a newly renovated 55,000 square foot facility to be designated the Naples International Pavilion and will be consistent in size with our original International Pavilion in Palm Beach where we began our Palm Beach International Art & Antique Fair in 1997. ”


The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts joins NIAAF as the sponsoring beneficiary of the festive Vernissage that opens the inaugural fair on February 24, 2011. The non-profit Center, founded by Chairman and CEO Myra Janco Daniels in the mid-1980s, is a cultural destination in Southwest Florida, home to the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, performing arts shows and the Naples Museum of Art. The Museum of Art will conduct special tours in conjunction with NIAAF.


“The proceeds from the first-ever NIAAF Vernissage will help the Center continue to bring the finest performing and visual arts to the region, while also maintaining its support of arts education programs in schools,” said Daniels. “We are very excited to enter into this partnership.”


The Naples International Art and Antique Fair will offer old master paintings, impressionist paintings, modern and contemporary art and sculpture, furniture, decorative arts, silver, ancient arts, haute couture and period jewelry, and rare books.


IFAE fairs are of the highest international caliber. Its American International Fine Art Fair is the only art and antique event in the United States recognized as a 5-star fair by the prestigious Art Newspaper. “We anticipate that many dealers who participate with us in Miami and Palm Beach will be part of our new Naples fair each year in February,’ said Lee Ann Lester, IFAE Founder. “By creating access to affluent communities from Naples to Sarasota, dealers will now have the opportunity to take a triangular approach during the winter ‘high season’ enabling them to reach the distinctly different seasonal markets in Miami, Palm Beach, and Southwest Florida.”


“The Florida West Coast communities traditionally have a higher concentration of Midwestern winter residents than Florida’s East Coast – which remains more New York-centric.” noted David Lester. “Southwest Florida – which has had non-stop flights to Germany for more than 20 years – has a higher concentration of winter residents from Germany, the UK, and Midwestern United States cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, and St Louis. This new international event opens an entirely new seasonal market for international dealers equal in size and wealth to that of the Palm Beaches.”


About IFAE
David and Lee Ann Lester, founders of International Fine Art Expositions (IFAE), have been the pioneers of the Florida art fair market, establishing Art Miami in January, 1991, The Palm Beach International Art & Antique Fair (now AIFAF) in 1997, and Art Palm Beach in 1998. They have organized more than 65 international art fairs worldwide in New York, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas and Hong Kong.


In 2009, the Lesters resumed ownership of the two Palm Beach fairs, acquired the historically favorable January art fair dates at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and in 2010 presented the highly successful and critically acclaimed first edition of MIA – Miami’s new January contemporary art fair. In 2009, IFAE entered into a joint venture with Clarion Events to serve as the partners and executive management of the Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair, now re-branded as the London International Fine Art Fair at Olympia. Most recently they have announced plans for the Naples International Art and Antique Fair and Art Naples.



David Lester


dlester@ifae.com


239.949.5411