For the first time, Columbus’ annual Art ‘n Antiques will be held during the city’s Spring Pilgrimage. The show and sale of decorative arts, antiques and original artwork opens with a free preview reception Thursday from 7-9 p.m. and continues Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Columbus Arts Council’s Rosenzweig Arts Center at 501 Main St.
“We feel this will be exciting and inviting for visitors to Pilgrimage as well as others that look forward to this event every year,” said Nancy Carpenter, executive director of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Columbus).
Ten select decorative arts and antiques dealers from throughout the Southeast and six visual artists will display in the arts center’s main gallery. Vendors will offer items from fine furniture to handmade rugs, from porcelain to rare antique Swedish Mora clocks.
Fran Riddell of Fran Riddell Renaissance Collection of Canton is a return dealer, but will showcase jewelry for the first time.
“I take beautiful old pins and broaches, sometimes other pieces like belt buckles, cuff links or earrings, and work them into bracelets, and sometimes necklaces, by using freshwater pearls,” said Riddell. Visitors to the show are welcome to bring in a family piece to be repurposed into a new piece of jewelry during the weekend.
Handmade rugs are a specialty of Alexander Safdari of the Memphis, Tennessee, area.
“They are from Persia and Turkey and will be new, semi-antique and antique rugs,” Safdari said.
Angela Boudreaux of Cordova, Tennessee, returns to the event with a service often difficult to find. Her Antique Restoration Studio provides restoration of porcelains and pottery and repair services on glass and crystal. Most minor issues can be taken care of on site; it’s recommended to bring in the damaged item early in the show.
Other dealers featured include Ella Benton, Diane Currie, Heritage Jewelry, Emma’s Antiques, Vieux Carre Antiques and Sprott Antiques.
Original art
The show and sale offers visitors a chance to experience work by multiple visual artists in one location. They include Faye Asadi, Lee Gibson, Ginny Futvoye, Courtney Hutchins and Harris Fyfe. Professional photographer Alan Creel of Pearl will bring an assortment of mostly Mississippi photographs.
Fyfe, of Jackson, is new to Art ‘n Antiques.
“This will be my first time to show in Columbus, and I’m really excited,” said the artist who will bring abstract oil landscapes as well as encaustic paintings, which employ a mixture of resin and beeswax.
Carpenter said, “Every year we try to do something new and try to make sure we have partnered with other elements of both arts and antiques. This is a wonderful opportunity to combine them. … Pilgrimage visitors see all the beautiful pieces in the homes they tour, and at Art ‘n Antiques, they can view even more and perhaps take a piece from Columbus home with them.”
For more information about this and other Pilgrimage events, go to visitcolumbusms.org or call the CVB, 800-920-3533 or 662-329-1191.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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