ART SMART
If anyone has an eye for art, it’s local mega collector and philanthropist Eli Broad and his wife Edythe. They were among the aficionados who stopped by to espy a spectacular array of wares at the Barker Hangar. It was all part of this year’s opening night bash for the Los Angeles Antique Show to benefit P.S. Arts. There was an eclectic art-loving crowd with guests sporting everything from ostrich mini skirts to tiki print blazers, lizard pants and French berets.
Malibu’s Fred and Cara Sands were mixing it up with the likes of Ellen Pompeo and Eva La Rue. Legendary crooner Lionel Richie looked sleek in black leather while model mom and “Project Runway” star Heidi Klum wowed in a daring open front chocolate brown pants suit. Heidi had the paparazzi in overdrive as she palled around with German TV host Thomas Gottschalk.
But the real stars of this show were the goods on display. Standouts included an exquisite pair of Giacometti chairs, which could be yours for a cool $280,000. There were precious jewels fit for a queen and standout pieces from the 1970s and ‘80s from very collectable David Webb. Baubles included a dazzling white enamel and diamond cocktail ring for $68,000.
To jazz up a drab wall, there was a pair of 18th century Japanese farm doors intricately carved with cherry blossoms and seascapes. The price: $22,000.
Art lovers sipped chardonnay as servers made the rounds with Chinese chicken salad cups, lamb medallions with ginger chutney and spicy ahi tartare. There was a surprise at every turn. You might find a collection of fossils in one corner or antique telescopes in the next. There were pieces of Americana from a 13-star vintage American flag to a collection of 1920s bathing suits. The woolly creations look better on a wall than they probably feel on the body and gave you a whole new appreciation for Lycra.
The show is half treasure hunt, half estate sale with clocks, knives, Tiffany glass lamps, English silver, Audubon bird prints, rare art books, elegant garden statuary, tribal hats and furnishings from every period in history. The four-day show featured more than 60 art and antique dealers from across the United States and Europe.
Proceeds go to keep arts education in public schools. The P.S. Arts program was originally founded as an outreach project of the Crossroads Community Foundation. Today it serves thousands of children in some of the most underserved neighborhoods in California bringing them music, dance, theater and visual arts.