Since 1977, The Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital has hosted an art and antiques show to provide local shoppers the opportunity to meet some of the most well-known dealers in the country – and raise funds to support Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
This year’s edition, themed “Deco and Diamonds,” opens today at the Osborn Center Downtown.
The show has been managed each year since 1986 by Charlie Miller of Miller Hamilton & Co. Inc. in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Miller said he will manage eight similar shows this year, mostly in the Southeast, but the Jacksonville show is special.
It’s special not because of the antiques dealers and their customers, but because of the reason for the event and the people who make it happen.
“The charity in Jacksonville is very important to me and it’s such a dedicated group of volunteers,” he said.
In addition to the traveling vendors who have set up booths to offer their finds to shoppers, this year there are five of what Miller called “designer vignettes,” each created by a different designer to show how antiques and contemporary pieces can be combined.
“The vignettes highlight the unique design opportunities associated with the show and to bring an adventuresome younger crowd to the show,” Miller said.
Today’s decorating is about mixing styles, he said, and antiques often are part of the mix when people acquire them.
“When you inherit an antique, it has to work. You have to be able to put historical with contemporary. I don’t see that changing,” said Miller.
With its long history, the show has developed a faithful group of regular visitors that will travel to see what the dealers have brought to the show.
“It depends on driving distance,” said Miller. “For this show, it’s from Savannah to Orlando and Daytona.”
Dealer Joanne LaPoma from Franklin, N.C., was setting up her booth Thursday morning. She said she can’t remember exactly how long she has been bringing antiques to the annual show, but she does remember that her first year was at the exhibition hall at the old Civic Auditorium.
“We really like coming to Jacksonville for this show. Don’t get me wrong, dealers are in business to make money, but it’s so wonderful that our booth rent goes to such a good cause,” she said.
In addition to more than 40 vendors, the show offers a series of lectures and workshops by designers, including John Loring, design director emeritus of Tiffany & Co.
The show is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday. For workshop information and other details, visit www.womensboardwch.com.
356-2466