Palm Beach, FL- On February 4th, visitors from Southwest Florida, the United States, and Europe will gather to welcome the 15th annual American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF) to the Palm Beach County Convention Center. The Fair commences on Friday, February 4th with a Vernissage evening beginning at 6:00pm for invited VIPs and hosted by Wilbur and Hilary Ross, co-chairs of the fair's Connoisseurs and Collectors Committee. Complimentary wine and caviar tastings and hors d'oeuvres during the "First View" will be presented by sponsors Black River Caviar and Opici Wine.

Necklace and earrings, in yellow gold 18K, carved coral, diamonds and emerald with black enamel Courtesy of David Webb, New York

Introducing a new component to the Fair this year, AIFAF will feature important dealers of modern 20th century design to its impressive list of exhibitors. Todd Merrill Antiques (New York), will exhibit American and European vintage furniture from the 1920's to 2000 including a pair of quietly opulent serpentine front dressers by American architect and designer Samuel Marx, a magnificent black resin and malachite coffee table by Ado Chale, a wall hung sculpture front console and a welded steel club chair by Paul Evans, and a pair of European walnut and marble pier tables attributed to Gio Ponti. Barry Friedman Ltd. (New York) will present a bevy of contemporary 20th century art, including cutting-edge furniture, studio glass, ceramics, and photography by international artists Anne-Karin Furunes (Norwegian), Ingrid Donat (French), Wendell Castle (American), Michael Glancy (American), Ian Ingram (American), Gottfried Helnwein (Austrian), Michael Eastman (American), Shiro Kuramata (Japanese), and Ron Arad (Israel).

Jewelry is always an especially popular component of the fair. In a bid to expand its annual collection of exciting jewelers, the fair invited David Webb (New York) to join its always sterling roster of jewelers. One of the leading jewelry designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, David Webb's stylish and avant-garde designs bridge the styles of the past with the current creating unique and timeless pieces that can often be found gracing the necks of red carpet regulars and in the exclusive collections of the worlds rich and famous. Long-time exhibitor Graff Diamonds (London) will once again present the most extensive collection of haute couture jewelry to be found in any single location.

AIFAF will continue to offer exciting major exhibitions in its role as one of the preeminent fine art and antiques fairs in America. With diverse exhibitions from many of the worlds leading dealers - including this year a one-artist exhibition of more than 25 later period paintings by Renoir from Hammer Galleries (New York) - the fair features artwork of all periods including ancient art, old masters, impressionists, modern and contemporary works.

The fair has become a cultural and social highlight of the Palm Beach winter season. Spanning two weekends this year, it offers collectors a longer period to enjoy the annual exhibition. On Tuesday, February 8th, the fair will celebrate the Norton Museum's 70th anniversary with complimentary fair admission for museum members and guests and complimentary shuttle service between the museum and the fair.